The thing is if Big Dom had gone straight away, most people don't know or care who he is. Yes the Guardian and twitter would have been very excited that they got the boogeyman, but it would have no more impact on Boris or government than Prof Pantsdown incident. Especially as Boris was very ill at the time.
Now Boris has hitched himself and his party to this story.
Overtaking Italy on the test count for the first time I think. Germany and Spain next (they're doing 50k/60k/75k per day respectively, so it was only a matter of time).
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
@Big_G_NorthWales I know we don't agree on much but credit for your loss of support in Johnson. You show sound judgment unlike a lot of the PB Tories. Respect to you.
The thing is if Big Dom had gone straight away, most people don't know or care who he is. Yes the Guardian and twitter would have been very excited that they got the boogeyman, but it would have no more impact on Boris or government than Prof Pantsdown incident. Especially as Boris was very ill at the time.
Now Boris has hitched himself and his party to this story.
To be honest, enforcing the law is the police's job, not the prime minister's.
Isn't it a bit surprising that the police didn't even speak to Dominic Cummings directly, considering he had travelled from one end of the country to the other, and by the time they were alerted was known to be displaying coronavirus symptoms?
If they had, what would have been the punishment?
I'm saying it is surprising that they didn't even speak to him directly.
From what I've read, that would have been normal procedure even in cases where the people involved hadn't displayed coronavirus symptoms.
Given that we have a disabled child in our house, if any of us get symptoms, I don’t consider us bound by quarantine. After all, if I did, I’d be a bad father.
This is a big thing for me to say but I am angered by Boris response and how he could defend the indefensible. His press conference was a car crash and he is not well
Sadly he has lost my support and I hope that he stands down due to his health
You often surprise me, Big G. Sometimes you appear to fall into line as a loyalist, but at crucial moments you show a strong streak of pretty sound moral judgment.
Thank you and it is really hard to watch Boris trash his premiership
He has to consider his own position now and he has the perfect excuse of paternity leave or health
This is a big thing for me to say but I am angered by Boris response and how he could defend the indefensible. His press conference was a car crash and he is not well
Sadly he has lost my support and I hope that he stands down due to his health
Given that we have a disabled child in our house, if any of us get symptoms, I don’t consider us bound by quarantine. After all, if I did, I’d be a bad father.
And you now have a sound defence, because the PM has made it abundantly clear that you simply need to say the magic words "think of the children" and you can do whatever the hell you want.
Over half the Tory Party, from Cameroons to hard Brexiteers loathe the man, he is very bright with a good strategic brain but he is not really a Tory and is mainly there because of his links to Boris and Gove at Vote Leave.
Given the referendum was 4 years ago, does he really need to be there at all?
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
This is a big thing for me to say but I am angered by Boris response and how he could defend the indefensible. His press conference was a car crash and he is not well
Sadly he has lost my support and I hope that he stands down due to his health
You often surprise me, Big G. Sometimes you appear to fall into line as a loyalist, but at crucial moments you show a strong streak of pretty sound moral judgment.
Thank you and it is really hard to watch Boris trash his premiership
He has to consider his own position now and he has the perfect excuse of paternity leave or health
Sunak has also backed Cummings.
The only senior Cabinet minister who has not openly tweeted or stated her support for Cummings? Priti Patel
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
The thing is if Big Dom had gone straight away, most people don't know or care who he is. Yes the Guardian and twitter would have been very excited that they got the boogeyman, but it would have no more impact on Boris or government than Prof Pantsdown incident. Especially as Boris was very ill at the time.
Now Boris has hitched himself and his party to this story.
He clearly cannot manage without him.
Can't manage with him apparently. I repeat. If he's indispensable why is this government so utterly shambolic?
This is a big thing for me to say but I am angered by Boris response and how he could defend the indefensible. His press conference was a car crash and he is not well
Sadly he has lost my support and I hope that he stands down due to his health
You often surprise me, Big G. Sometimes you appear to fall into line as a loyalist, but at crucial moments you show a strong streak of pretty sound moral judgment.
Thank you and it is really hard to watch Boris trash his premiership
He has to consider his own position now and he has the perfect excuse of paternity leave or health
Sunak has also backed Cummings.
The only senior Cabinet minister who has not openly tweeted or stated her support for Cummings? Priti Patel
Priti Patel for PM - while a liar and a crook she seems to have better judgement that the other liars and crooks.
Over 40 Covid-19 cases traced to church service in Germany
Church officials say they followed social distancing rules and disinfected the building ahead of the service. Those attending services have to be kept 1.5m (5ft) apart, and provided with hand sanitiser.
Huh? The BBC say the service happened on both 10 May and 20 May.
Para 2 of BBC article: The service was held on 10 May at a Baptist church in Frankfurt.
Para 6 of BBC article: Wladimir Pritzkau, the deputy head of Frankfurt's Evangelical Christian Baptist congregation, told German media that the rules were adhered to during the 20 May service.
And that's leaving aside the picture of a priest in vestments, and a golden common cup, illustrating, which Baptists don't normally use. I would not expect German Evangelical Baptists to be following such a custom.
Yes an issue, but inaccurate reporting will not help us understand why. At the Beeb God is apparently not in the details.
This is a big thing for me to say but I am angered by Boris response and how he could defend the indefensible. His press conference was a car crash and he is not well
Sadly he has lost my support and I hope that he stands down due to his health
You often surprise me, Big G. Sometimes you appear to fall into line as a loyalist, but at crucial moments you show a strong streak of pretty sound moral judgment.
Thank you and it is really hard to watch Boris trash his premiership
He has to consider his own position now and he has the perfect excuse of paternity leave or health
Sunak has also backed Cummings.
The only senior Cabinet minister who has not openly tweeted or stated her support for Cummings? Priti Patel
Imagine if Priti Patel made a leadership challenge right now...
Looks like I was right, and an awful lot of the overly excitable short-termists were wrong. Not for the first time.
You weren't right, I was.
He should go. He won't go. No inquiry.
And that outcome differs from what I've been saying for the last two days how, exactly?
You failed to offer the first of the holy trinity. That he should go.
Reason being that you have (as all know) zero intellectual integrity and lack a moral compass.
I'm afraid a socialist's view of my moral compass is not terribly relevant to me. The fact remains that my thinking was exactly the same as that of Boris, and so I knew early on what had to happen and why, in the face of much angry opposition to the contrary (admittedly not from you).
Think of me not as a socialist but as a person of uncommon perception whose affection and respect you would like to enjoy.
Indeed I would, since you're both clever and witty. But I don't change how I present my political views and analysis unless they actually change, no matter how easy it would have been for me to lie and soften my stance as so many others did. I didn't believe that I should, so I didn't.
Sorry.
I am duly disarmed.
But, really, the BJ/DC defence here. You have to be a mug to buy it. I think you know this.
The thing is if Big Dom had gone straight away, most people don't know or care who he is. Yes the Guardian and twitter would have been very excited that they got the boogeyman, but it would have no more impact on Boris or government than Prof Pantsdown incident. Especially as Boris was very ill at the time.
Now Boris has hitched himself and his party to this story.
He clearly cannot manage without him.
Can't manage with him apparently. I repeat. If he's indispensable why is this government so utterly symbolic?
If this is the case, then you clearly go the New Labour route, have an "independent" investigation that takes bloody ages and eventually comes back with well yes, but no, but yes, but no didn't technically breaks the rules, but spirit, thus slap on the wrist.
Putting aside the morality i.e he should be gone, the politics of how it is handled is just idiotic. And Big Dom is supposed to be billy big bollocks when it comes to knowing all about this stuff.
This is a big thing for me to say but I am angered by Boris response and how he could defend the indefensible. His press conference was a car crash and he is not well
Sadly he has lost my support and I hope that he stands down due to his health
You often surprise me, Big G. Sometimes you appear to fall into line as a loyalist, but at crucial moments you show a strong streak of pretty sound moral judgment.
Thank you and it is really hard to watch Boris trash his premiership
He has to consider his own position now and he has the perfect excuse of paternity leave or health
Sunak has also backed Cummings.
The only senior Cabinet minister who has not openly tweeted or stated her support for Cummings? Priti Patel
Imagine if Priti Patel made a leadership challenge right now...
This is a big thing for me to say but I am angered by Boris response and how he could defend the indefensible. His press conference was a car crash and he is not well
Sadly he has lost my support and I hope that he stands down due to his health
You often surprise me, Big G. Sometimes you appear to fall into line as a loyalist, but at crucial moments you show a strong streak of pretty sound moral judgment.
Thank you and it is really hard to watch Boris trash his premiership
He has to consider his own position now and he has the perfect excuse of paternity leave or health
Sunak has also backed Cummings.
The only senior Cabinet minister who has not openly tweeted or stated her support for Cummings? Priti Patel
Patel is far worse than Boris and right now that is saying something
The thing is if Big Dom had gone straight away, most people don't know or care who he is. Yes the Guardian and twitter would have been very excited that they got the boogeyman, but it would have no more impact on Boris or government than Prof Pantsdown incident. Especially as Boris was very ill at the time.
Now Boris has hitched himself and his party to this story.
He clearly cannot manage without him.
Can't manage with him apparently. I repeat. If he's indispensable why is this government so utterly shambolic?
This is a big thing for me to say but I am angered by Boris response and how he could defend the indefensible. His press conference was a car crash and he is not well
Sadly he has lost my support and I hope that he stands down due to his health
You often surprise me, Big G. Sometimes you appear to fall into line as a loyalist, but at crucial moments you show a strong streak of pretty sound moral judgment.
Thank you and it is really hard to watch Boris trash his premiership
He has to consider his own position now and he has the perfect excuse of paternity leave or health
Sunak has also backed Cummings.
The only senior Cabinet minister who has not openly tweeted or stated her support for Cummings? Priti Patel
Priti Patel for PM - while a liar and a crook she seems to have better judgement that the other liars and crooks.
Patel is far from the brightest but she strikes me as pretty thick skinned and able to tough out bad headlines.
The thing is if Big Dom had gone straight away, most people don't know or care who he is. Yes the Guardian and twitter would have been very excited that they got the boogeyman, but it would have no more impact on Boris or government than Prof Pantsdown incident. Especially as Boris was very ill at the time.
Now Boris has hitched himself and his party to this story.
He clearly cannot manage without him.
Can't manage with him apparently. I repeat. If he's indispensable why is this government so utterly symbolic?
I take it you mean shambolic, but it's a good point - Cummings is clearly the policy sort of 'think tank' arm of the Government and as well as policy, he also seems to set out in certain cases (often successfully) how they should be sold to the public. But he isn't a Spin doctor. You only have to look at how he dresses to see that. I'm not sure Number 10 has a (political) spin doctor.
Looks like I was right, and an awful lot of the overly excitable short-termists were wrong. Not for the first time.
You weren't right, I was.
He should go. He won't go. No inquiry.
And that outcome differs from what I've been saying for the last two days how, exactly?
You failed to offer the first of the holy trinity. That he should go.
Reason being that you have (as all know) zero intellectual integrity and lack a moral compass.
I'm afraid a socialist's view of my moral compass is not terribly relevant to me. The fact remains that my thinking was exactly the same as that of Boris, and so I knew early on what had to happen and why, in the face of much angry opposition to the contrary (admittedly not from you).
Think of me not as a socialist but as a person of uncommon perception whose affection and respect you would like to enjoy.
Indeed I would, since you're both clever and witty. But I don't change how I present my political views and analysis unless they actually change, no matter how easy it would have been for me to lie and soften my stance as so many others did. I didn't believe that I should, so I didn't.
Sorry.
I am duly disarmed.
But, really, the BJ/DC defence here. You have to be a mug to buy it. I think you know this.
Just wanted to comment how I have thoroughly enjoyed your posts today kinabula. Excellent stuff today.
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
HYUFD - you are aware that this poll was of opinion on the 21st-22nd of May? That is - before all this hit the news?
This is largely a media story, it will not move many votes though most voters will think Cummings is an idiot, it is not going to shift many from Tory to Labour or the LDs that will depend more on the state of the economy and how Brexit goes
Sky News just showed picture of Cummings leaving downing Street, including the car registration. Deliberate? Don't know if this was the one he had in Durham
If only people would say nice things about Boris rather than that pesky Scot. Unionists are pathetic insecure creatures.
It's got the Yoons crawling out from beneath their news-avoiding rocks. I'm sure they'll be firing stiff letters off to STV and the government which licences them.
It is becoming embarrassing but for unionists to get it pulled says a lot more about their fear than an innocent if mawkish tweet. Unionists really are crapping it nowadays.
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
HYUFD - you are aware that this poll was of opinion on the 21st-22nd of May? That is - before all this hit the news?
This is largely a media story, it will not move many votes though most voters will think Cummings is an idiot, it is not going to shift many from Tory to Labour or the LDs that will depend more on the state of the economy and how Brexit goes
If only people would say nice things about Boris rather than that pesky Scot. Unionists are pathetic insecure creatures.
It's got the Yoons crawling out from beneath their news-avoiding rocks. I'm sure they'll be firing stiff letters off to STV and the government which licences them.
It is becoming embarrassing but for unionists to get it pulled says a lot more about their fear than an innocent if mawkish tweet. Unionists really are crapping it nowadays.
There's so much flapping about Cummings going on at the moment that the fact that the Government appears to be getting ready to give a green light to the limited reopening of the schools, and the unshuttering of non-essential retail, has barely received any attention. Which is bonkers, because this is absolutely crucial.
However many schools resist partial re-opening on June 1st, we know that a number of academy chains and local authorities wish to proceed; therefore, a significant number of schools will reopen for some pupils. Likewise, whilst some physical retailers may take their time reopening and do it in a phased manner, a significant proportion of shops will also reopen on June 1st.
Now, insofar as I'm aware, save for a bit of a panic over Germany (and we've heard little more from that direction in the last few days,) there have been no reports of a major second wave taking off in any of the countries that have relaxed restrictions so far. Thus, if the June experiment succeeds and we don't have the start of a big second wave either, then the way is clear for a substantial third phase of reopening and we may get a domestic Summer holiday season this year.
Also, if we assume that the Government makes a complete mess of track and trace, a continued reduction in cases despite this would lend weight to the notion that a substantial fraction of the population may not be susceptible to the virus, and that we are therefore much further along the pathway to herd immunity than was previously supposed. . I think it's far too early to feel optimistic about the situation, but I think we're likely to know just how long a slog we are in for in a few weeks' time
Over 40 Covid-19 cases traced to church service in Germany
Church officials say they followed social distancing rules and disinfected the building ahead of the service. Those attending services have to be kept 1.5m (5ft) apart, and provided with hand sanitiser.
Huh? The BBC say the service happened on both 10 May and 20 May.
Para 2 of BBC article: The service was held on 10 May at a Baptist church in Frankfurt.
Para 6 of BBC article: Wladimir Pritzkau, the deputy head of Frankfurt's Evangelical Christian Baptist congregation, told German media that the rules were adhered to during the 20 May service.
And that's leaving aside the picture of a priest in vestments, and a golden common cup, illustrating, which Baptists don't normally use. I would not expect German Evangelical Baptists to be following such a custom.
Yes an issue, but inaccurate reporting will not help us understand why. At the Beeb God is apparently not in the details.
Well a quick search shows that it was on the 10th May and it was a Baptist service. I have not yet found a photo of the minister so I'm guessing the BBC used a stock photo, the caption of which dous not claim it is the church in question.
Personally I sick to death of journalists coming out with 'a source said' or various Tory MPs have tole me etc. Well name them then because otherwise you have as much credibility as Cummings
And now the anger and the articles and the tweets and the polls and the vox pops and the news pieces and the podcasts will flow...
And soon enough people will get bored of it and forget about it and move on to the next thing.
I look forward to being lambasted for this reasonable prediction buttressed by ample historical precedent.
Indeed. Would have been enormously disappointed in Boris if he had folded to the media cacophony. It was never about, and would never have stopped with Cummings.
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
HYUFD - you are aware that this poll was of opinion on the 21st-22nd of May? That is - before all this hit the news?
This is largely a media story, it will not move many votes though most voters will think Cummings is an idiot, it is not going to shift many from Tory to Labour or the LDs that will depend more on the state of the economy and how Brexit goes
You are deluded. This will see a big poll move
Boris has betrayed his own message and people will be furious
If only people would say nice things about Boris rather than that pesky Scot. Unionists are pathetic insecure creatures.
It's got the Yoons crawling out from beneath their news-avoiding rocks. I'm sure they'll be firing stiff letters off to STV and the government which licences them.
It is becoming embarrassing but for unionists to get it pulled says a lot more about their fear than an innocent if mawkish tweet. Unionists really are crapping it nowadays.
They think it's all over ... but the bookies don't because they are betting to the end of the month which is 7 days away and a week is a long time in politics.
There's so much flapping about Cummings going on at the moment that the fact that the Government appears to be getting ready to give a green light to the limited reopening of the schools, and the unshuttering of non-essential retail, has barely received any attention. Which is bonkers, because this is absolutely crucial.
However many schools resist partial re-opening on June 1st, we know that a number of academy chains and local authorities wish to proceed; therefore, a significant number of schools will reopen for some pupils. Likewise, whilst some physical retailers may take their time reopening and do it in a phased manner, a significant proportion of shops will also reopen on June 1st.
Now, insofar as I'm aware, save for a bit of a panic over Germany (and we've heard little more from that direction in the last few days,) there have been no reports of a major second wave taking off in any of the countries that have relaxed restrictions so far. Thus, if the June experiment succeeds and we don't have the start of a big second wave either, then the way is clear for a substantial third phase of reopening and we may get a domestic Summer holiday season this year.
Also, if we assume that the Government makes a complete mess of track and trace, a continued reduction in cases despite this would lend weight to the notion that a substantial fraction of the population may not be susceptible to the virus, and that we are therefore much further along the pathway to herd immunity than was previously supposed. . I think it's far too early to feel optimistic about the situation, but I think we're likely to know just how long a slog we are in for in a few weeks' time
There's no doubt in my mind Boris Johnson leading the Press Conference and announcing the move to Stage 2 is or was a clear diversion and response to the Cummings business.
The week ahead will gradually stop being about Cummings and will be more about whether schools are really ready to re-open and whether parents are ready to allow their children to attend.
The Government and those wanting the lockdown to end will be on one side and on the other will be local authorities, teachers' unions, concerned patients, the Labour Party. The division will be clear and Cummings will become irrelevant.
Looks like I was right, and an awful lot of the overly excitable short-termists were wrong. Not for the first time.
You weren't right, I was.
He should go. He won't go. No inquiry.
And that outcome differs from what I've been saying for the last two days how, exactly?
You failed to offer the first of the holy trinity. That he should go.
Reason being that you have (as all know) zero intellectual integrity and lack a moral compass.
I'm afraid a socialist's view of my moral compass is not terribly relevant to me. The fact remains that my thinking was exactly the same as that of Boris, and so I knew early on what had to happen and why, in the face of much angry opposition to the contrary (admittedly not from you).
Think of me not as a socialist but as a person of uncommon perception whose affection and respect you would like to enjoy.
Indeed I would, since you're both clever and witty. But I don't change how I present my political views and analysis unless they actually change, no matter how easy it would have been for me to lie and soften my stance as so many others did. I didn't believe that I should, so I didn't.
Sorry.
I am duly disarmed.
But, really, the BJ/DC defence here. You have to be a mug to buy it. I think you know this.
I never said I believed it, did I? It just has nothing to with the real game underlying all these ephemera, which is Machtpolitik. The sense of shame is the only real weapon that can be used effectively against a governing majority. Once that is lost, many things that were previously impossible become possible.
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
HYUFD - you are aware that this poll was of opinion on the 21st-22nd of May? That is - before all this hit the news?
This is largely a media story, it will not move many votes though most voters will think Cummings is an idiot, it is not going to shift many from Tory to Labour or the LDs that will depend more on the state of the economy and how Brexit goes
Dream on.
I don't believe Cummings should have been hounded out, but if there was a textbook way of delivering the outcome dreadfully badly Boris played it to inch perfection.
It does look bad for Boris but will it ultimately prove fatal?
People who follow politics obsessively are very short term.
It's about 4 weeks since everyone was going mad about testing - now all largely forgotten.
It's about 2 weeks since everyone was going mad about PPE - now all largely forgotten.
Of course this looks terrible but Cummings is still someone almost nobody had even heard of before this so will it really last once other things start happening?
Labour a government in waiting, how many seats do they hold at the moment?
If the economy melts down for the next 4 and a half years, who will recall Dominic Cummings and his Barnard Castle bluebells as being the reason they changed their vote?
Given that we have a disabled child in our house, if any of us get symptoms, I don’t consider us bound by quarantine. After all, if I did, I’d be a bad father.
As a father of a 3 year old and a PBer, I was well aware there were exceptions for this kind of thing, the discussion of what the law actually said in the early days of lockdown covered that. A lot of people wouldn't have been aware and the government hammered the core message, not the nuance. I was prepared to contingency plan a 120 mile round trip for child protection, if needed. So, I can see that a sensible, thought through plan by Cummings could be supportable by me.
However, I would need a full explanation of what he did and why, that the London options were not suitable, that his 3 year old was reintroduced to nappies and changed in the car boot, how adult loos were organised, the works. And if the other, denied, trips are verified that all goes out of the window as the lying would negate any support for the explanation.
But, I no more expect a full explanation to materialise as I did when I called for Corbyn to fully account for his 'peace maker' roles in a long-form interview.
And there it is. Cummings here is, in my eyes, no more than a poundshop Corbyn. And Johnson is circling that plug hole.
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
HYUFD - you are aware that this poll was of opinion on the 21st-22nd of May? That is - before all this hit the news?
This is largely a media story, it will not move many votes though most voters will think Cummings is an idiot, it is not going to shift many from Tory to Labour or the LDs that will depend more on the state of the economy and how Brexit goes
All stories are media stories. In this case, though, not merely a media story. There are literally tens of thousands of people out there who can say, and are saying, "My spouse or my parent or grandparent or aunt or uncle died in a care home because the government failed to protect care homes, and died frightened and alone because I obeyed the rules. Now I learn that you disregarded the rules, and the PM is happy with that because of who you are." I would think almost everyone in the country is within two degrees of separation of someone who can say that.
Today was a definingly terrible day for the government and the conservative party.
So will Starmer publish the internal investigation into Stephen Kinnock? Or Tahir Ali?
I have said all along that the agenda throughout this whole campaign against the government is Brexit, and trying to bring the government down before the end of June so whoever replaces them extends the transition period.
What really pisses me off is that the government is doing all they can to help them
Either Cummings goes soon, or BJ goes within months. The only time I can remember feeling such a deep sense of utter rage is when I heard about the News of the World tapping Milly Dowler's phone. And we know what happened to the News of the World. You can't cross a line with the British public like Cummings has and expect to survive. This isn't party politics or Leave Vs Remain. This is crossing a fundamental line of decent behaviour. Incredible they can't see this.
If only people would say nice things about Boris rather than that pesky Scot. Unionists are pathetic insecure creatures.
It's got the Yoons crawling out from beneath their news-avoiding rocks. I'm sure they'll be firing stiff letters off to STV and the government which licences them.
It is becoming embarrassing but for unionists to get it pulled says a lot more about their fear than an innocent if mawkish tweet. Unionists really are crapping it nowadays.
Just working out how this will end up as EssEnnPeebad in Yoon world.
I know.
The EssEnnPee exerted pressure on STV to put out this sickly Hitlerian paean and then when they realised it had backfired they exerted pressure on STV to pull it.
So will Starmer publish the internal investigation into Stephen Kinnock? Or Tahir Ali?
I have said all along that the agenda throughout this whole campaign against the government is Brexit, and trying to bring the government down before the end of June so whoever replaces them extends the transition period.
What really pisses me off is that the government is doing all they can to help them
WTF are you talking about, He’s the leader of the opposition, his JOB is to campaign against the Government, that is literally what he is paid to do. It is, in the hackneyed phrase, his only job. Don’t rattle your pearls at this rather mild criticism.
Well, this is Boris’s Black Monday. It’s not quite over yet: Starmer will take Boris’s stance apart at the next PMQs. Tory MPs will begin to make noises about grey suits and letter and Cummings will be gone in a week or two.
But it won’t be enough. The only difference between John Major’s post-Black Monday lame duck administration and Boris Johnson’s post-Coronavirus will be a quarter of a century.
Enjoy the next four years PB Tories. Another decade or two of Labour government begins in May 2024.
I doubt it, Starmer might be better than Ed Miliband and Corbyn but he is still polling far lower than Blair was pre 1997 and even John Smith was pre Black Wednesday.
If he gets in it will likely be with the LDs and SNP, not a 1997 style Labour landslide
Starmer's only been in for a few weeks.....
John Smith and Tony Blair had clear poll leads within weeks of becoming leaders of the Labour Party
So will Starmer after today!
He won't, the Tories still had a 12% lead yesterday and Yougov had slightly more Tories saying Cummings should not resign than he should
HYUFD - you are aware that this poll was of opinion on the 21st-22nd of May? That is - before all this hit the news?
This is largely a media story, it will not move many votes though most voters will think Cummings is an idiot, it is not going to shift many from Tory to Labour or the LDs that will depend more on the state of the economy and how Brexit goes
All stories are media stories. In this case, though, not merely a media story. There are literally tens of thousands of people out there who can say, and are saying, "My spouse or my parent or grandparent or aunt or uncle died in a care home because the government failed to protect care homes, and died frightened and alone because I obeyed the rules. Now I learn that you disregarded the rules, and the PM is happy with that because of who you are." I would think almost everyone in the country is within two degrees of separation of someone who can say that.
Today was a definingly terrible day for the government and the conservative party.
You are not going to switch your vote because Cummings travelled to Barnard Castle for childcare reasons, especially as Boris started to announce further easing of lockdown today.
You might switch your vote if unemployment rises, taxes go up or because you oppose WTO terms Brexit or the transition period is extended
Comments
Now Boris has hitched himself and his party to this story.
This tweet's not going to be up long (screen shot for posterity)
https://twitter.com/UKCivilService/status/1264600481688702977?s=20
The burden of proof is on them. They don;t have it.
Odd that the number of deaths is lower than today's hospital number.
https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/1264296723310141440?s=20
From what I've read, that would have been normal procedure even in cases where the people involved hadn't displayed coronavirus symptoms.
After all, if I did, I’d be a bad father.
He has to consider his own position now and he has the perfect excuse of paternity leave or health
https://twitter.com/montie/status/1264597531402567680
But all parties are offering that anyway.
A party doesn't need to alienate ALL its voters or even a majority to be in serious trouble.
Major lost about a quarter of Tory voters between 1992 and 1997 - that's all. Three quarters stood by their man.
A lot of those saying Cummings should go are VERY adamant about it, and now Johnson has hitched himself incredibly firmly to the Cummings wagon.
You think the Tories can afford this. They can't.
I expect Boris to nose dive and Starmer rocket over this and the poll lead to crash
The only senior Cabinet minister who has not openly tweeted or stated her support for Cummings? Priti Patel
I repeat. If he's indispensable why is this government so utterly shambolic?
Para 2 of BBC article:
The service was held on 10 May at a Baptist church in Frankfurt.
Para 6 of BBC article:
Wladimir Pritzkau, the deputy head of Frankfurt's Evangelical Christian Baptist congregation, told German media that the rules were adhered to during the 20 May service.
And that's leaving aside the picture of a priest in vestments, and a golden common cup, illustrating, which Baptists don't normally use. I would not expect German Evangelical Baptists to be following such a custom.
Yes an issue, but inaccurate reporting will not help us understand why. At the Beeb God is apparently not in the details.
But, really, the BJ/DC defence here. You have to be a mug to buy it. I think you know this.
Putting aside the morality i.e he should be gone, the politics of how it is handled is just idiotic. And Big Dom is supposed to be billy big bollocks when it comes to knowing all about this stuff.
Sorry, entertainin'.
This is Johnson's Black Wednesday.
And soon enough people will get bored of it and forget about it and move on to the next thing.
I look forward to being lambasted for this reasonable prediction buttressed by ample historical precedent.
Being in opposition is a target rich environment right now.
Johnson could have kept Cummings or kept quarantine. He chose the former.
Anyone subject to the 14 day quarantine returning from abroad is going to give it two fingers.
However many schools resist partial re-opening on June 1st, we know that a number of academy chains and local authorities wish to proceed; therefore, a significant number of schools will reopen for some pupils. Likewise, whilst some physical retailers may take their time reopening and do it in a phased manner, a significant proportion of shops will also reopen on June 1st.
Now, insofar as I'm aware, save for a bit of a panic over Germany (and we've heard little more from that direction in the last few days,) there have been no reports of a major second wave taking off in any of the countries that have relaxed restrictions so far. Thus, if the June experiment succeeds and we don't have the start of a big second wave either, then the way is clear for a substantial third phase of reopening and we may get a domestic Summer holiday season this year.
Also, if we assume that the Government makes a complete mess of track and trace, a continued reduction in cases despite this would lend weight to the notion that a substantial fraction of the population may not be susceptible to the virus, and that we are therefore much further along the pathway to herd immunity than was previously supposed.
.
I think it's far too early to feel optimistic about the situation, but I think we're likely to know just how long a slog we are in for in a few weeks' time
https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1264603869730025477?s=20
And even Han is covering his arse just in case (lol) they're lying bastards.
https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1264604463303622656?s=20
If possible, however, I would like him to hang on until October which is when I am largest green.
TIA
Personally I sick to death of journalists coming out with 'a source said' or various Tory MPs have tole me etc. Well name them then because otherwise you have as much credibility as Cummings
Boris has betrayed his own message and people will be furious
Boris is no longer the man of the people tonight
https://twitter.com/ladurantaye/status/1264584961287426056?s=20
PP/Betfair: Evens go, 8/11 stay
Starsports: 5/4 go, 4/7 stay
The week ahead will gradually stop being about Cummings and will be more about whether schools are really ready to re-open and whether parents are ready to allow their children to attend.
The Government and those wanting the lockdown to end will be on one side and on the other will be local authorities, teachers' unions, concerned patients, the Labour Party. The division will be clear and Cummings will become irrelevant.
I don't believe Cummings should have been hounded out, but if there was a textbook way of delivering the outcome dreadfully badly Boris played it to inch perfection.
People who follow politics obsessively are very short term.
It's about 4 weeks since everyone was going mad about testing - now all largely forgotten.
It's about 2 weeks since everyone was going mad about PPE - now all largely forgotten.
Of course this looks terrible but Cummings is still someone almost nobody had even heard of before this so will it really last once other things start happening?
If the economy melts down for the next 4 and a half years, who will recall Dominic Cummings and his Barnard Castle bluebells as being the reason they changed their vote?
However, I would need a full explanation of what he did and why, that the London options were not suitable, that his 3 year old was reintroduced to nappies and changed in the car boot, how adult loos were organised, the works. And if the other, denied, trips are verified that all goes out of the window as the lying would negate any support for the explanation.
But, I no more expect a full explanation to materialise as I did when I called for Corbyn to fully account for his 'peace maker' roles in a long-form interview.
And there it is. Cummings here is, in my eyes, no more than a poundshop Corbyn. And Johnson is circling that plug hole.
Today was a definingly terrible day for the government and the conservative party.
I have said all along that the agenda throughout this whole campaign against the government is Brexit, and trying to bring the government down before the end of June so whoever replaces them extends the transition period.
What really pisses me off is that the government is doing all they can to help them
I know.
The EssEnnPee exerted pressure on STV to put out this sickly Hitlerian paean and then when they realised it had backfired they exerted pressure on STV to pull it.
Simples.
You might switch your vote if unemployment rises, taxes go up or because you oppose WTO terms Brexit or the transition period is extended