The Barnard Castle thing is the weak link. If he can secure that, he's OK
With impaired eyesight?
It is so weak that they avoided admitting it until today - and clearly would have denied it if possible. The justification given is very weak. Exercise would have been a better excuse, though still with problems.
Cummings strikes me as a Sherlock Holmes type figure, in the sense that he's a genius on some subjects but doesn't know the first thing about other subjects, such as where the boundary of London is.
Quite. SH didn't know or care whether the earth went round the sun or the sun round the earth. (Study in Scarlet)
Started off okay and it then turned into a train wreck . Refusing to apologize and some pathetic excuse for popping off to Barnard Castle will be what most people remember .
He is reminding me of Sir Charles Dilke, who acquitted of a criminal offence most unwisely sued for libel, lost spectacularly and ruined his life and career as a result.
He might have got away with the statement. The questions are a total train wreck.
This is epic. Really couldn't be better. He isn't going anywhere but has made the situation a whole load worse for the government.
"I left wifey who had symptoms and went back to work (at Downing Street FFS)" - not allowed "I drove 260 miles" - not allowed. "I had conversations with my parents" - not allowed. "I took a test drive with the sprog in the car to test I could see well enough to drive" - illegal "I didn't stop at all in the 5 hour trip to Durham yet the sprog needed a piss after my illegal can I see 30 minute test drive" - fuck off
Epic epic fail. I remember Black Wednesday destroying the Tories financial reputation for 2 decades. And at no point on Black Wednesday did leading SPAD David Cameron push his way to the front of Lamont's press conference and take a Giant Shit before the cameras
This is not Black Wednesday.
Millions lost their homes and jobs after Black Wednesday (and Labour was already ahead in the polls beforehand).
WTO terms Brexit combined with the economic effects of the lockdown and the deaths from Covid might be Black Wednesday but Cummings' actions are not, at most they might be the equivalent of bad tabloid headlines over Ministers' indiscretions
"I don't know... I have to protect the Prime Minister's time".
How long does a text message take to read?
Plausible deniability. Not telling the PM gives Boris an out when the shit hits the fan. What Dom has done today is ensure Boris doesn't go down with him when the eventual resignation comes in a couple of days.
This is epic. Really couldn't be better. He isn't going anywhere but has made the situation a whole load worse for the government.
"I left wifey who had symptoms and went back to work (at Downing Street FFS)" - not allowed "I drove 260 miles" - not allowed. "I had conversations with my parents" - not allowed. "I took a test drive with the sprog in the car to test I could see well enough to drive" - illegal "I didn't stop at all in the 5 hour trip to Durham yet the sprog needed a piss after my illegal can I see 30 minute test drive" - fuck off
Epic epic fail. I remember Black Wednesday destroying the Tories financial reputation for 2 decades. And at no point on Black Wednesday did leading SPAD David Cameron push his way to the front of Lamont's press conference and take a Giant Shit before the cameras
This is not Black Wednesday.
Millions lost their homes and jobs after Black Wednesday (and Labour was already ahead in the polls beforehand).
WTO terms Brexit combined with the economic effects of the lockdown and the deaths from Covid might be Black Wednesday but Cummings' actions are not, at most they might be the equivalent of bad tabloid headlines over Ministers' indiscretions
The UK government’s worst-in-class (except for parts of the US) response to coronavirus is Black Wednesday. This is singing in the bath. That was what everyone remembered.
Except Belgium and Spain also have higher death rates per head than the UK and the Tories had a 12% lead still in the latest poll at the weekend
Started off okay and it then turned into a train wreck . Refusing to apologize and some pathetic excuse for popping off to Barnard Castle will be what most people remember .
He is a valued public servant. Couldn't he have been chauffered back to London?
"I don't know... I have to protect the Prime Minister's time".
How long does a text message take to read?
Plausible deniability. Not telling the PM gives Boris an out when the shit hits the fan. What Dom has done today is ensure Boris doesn't go down with him when the eventual resignation comes in a couple of days.
Started off okay and it then turned into a train wreck . Refusing to apologize and some pathetic excuse for popping off to Barnard Castle will be what most people remember .
He is a valued public servant. Couldn't he have been chauffered back to London?
He comes across as sad and geeky and humble in a way I hadn't expected at all. I feel more sympathetic than I expected, but doesn't change my mind. I am a lot angrier with Johnson than with him but then I always was
He comes across as sad and geeky and humble in a way I hadn't expected at all. I feel more sympathetic than I expected, but doesn't change my mind. I am a lot angrier with Johnson than with him but then I always was
Fair enough. Personally he reminds me of a lot of Software Engineers I've met, an inability to deal with people well but they tend to know their limitations and don't bother.
He comes across as sad and geeky and humble in a way I hadn't expected at all. I feel more sympathetic than I expected, but doesn't change my mind. I am a lot angrier with Johnson than with him but then I always was
I think he’s been warned he needs to cool it. Yesterday he just came across as mind bending ly arrogant.
"I don't know... I have to protect the Prime Minister's time".
How long does a text message take to read?
Plausible deniability. Not telling the PM gives Boris an out when the shit hits the fan. What Dom has done today is ensure Boris doesn't go down with him when the eventual resignation comes in a couple of days.
I disagree. Boris will be going with him.
Boris needs to take a break and go on paternity leave
"I don't know... I have to protect the Prime Minister's time".
How long does a text message take to read?
Plausible deniability. Not telling the PM gives Boris an out when the shit hits the fan. What Dom has done today is ensure Boris doesn't go down with him when the eventual resignation comes in a couple of days.
I disagree. Boris will be going with him.
He won't, Boris is the best Tory election winner since Thatcher
Still a bit iffy, but half as iffy as the press scrum around his house. Where was the social distancing then? One law for the oress, and one for the plebs. Did any of the channels not see that, or did they ignore it because they are special? Hypocrites.
Given the current timeline of events is it possible that Dom was the superspreader in Downing Street? His wife had symptoms and he then went to work in Downing Street. Does the timeline match up for that?
Now - let's get the economy restarted and the pubs open!
You plebs can go to the pub!
I just want to feel safe enough to be able to complete my conquest of ScotRail by doing those last two trains west and north of Inverness.
Do the trains still split to Thurso and Wick or is there now the one which shuffles back to Thurso from Wick? I think it did that the last time.
When I was last there in 2015 it went to Thurso and reversed.
Yeah it goes to Georgemass then Thurso, back to Georgemass then Wick. Which is a bit of a shame as Thurso is the most northerly station in Great Britain, and the train stays there for barely 5 minutes!
"I was just testing my eyesight by driving to Barnard’s Castle” is the going to be the new "We just went to Salisbury to see the lovely cathedral" at this rate.
Started off okay and it then turned into a train wreck . Refusing to apologize and some pathetic excuse for popping off to Barnard Castle will be what most people remember .
He is reminding me of Sir Charles Dilke, who acquitted of a criminal offence most unwisely sued for libel, lost spectacularly and ruined his life and career as a result.
He might have got away with the statement. The questions are a total train wreck.
There's a more famous example of that, surely? "Posing as somdomite" (sic).
He comes across as sad and geeky and humble in a way I hadn't expected at all. I feel more sympathetic than I expected, but doesn't change my mind. I am a lot angrier with Johnson than with him but then I always was
I think he’s been warned he needs to cool it. Yesterday he just came across as mind bending ly arrogant.
But the admissions he has made are devastating.
Bit defensive, isn't he! Never seen him like that before.
He's cleared up a lot of the facts, but he still broke the guidelines, more than once. The 'reasonable excuse' defence doesn't really hold for someone in his position. He ought to resign, but he won't.
That's very bad for the Government, and for those trying to beat this Virus.
Nearly an hour in, he's still coming across as terribly reasonable, for someone who doesn't spend their days doing press conferences. His lack of media polish is possibly even a point in his favour.
He comes across as sad and geeky and humble in a way I hadn't expected at all. I feel more sympathetic than I expected, but doesn't change my mind. I am a lot angrier with Johnson than with him but then I always was
I think he’s been warned he needs to cool it. Yesterday he just came across as mind bending ly arrogant.
But the admissions he has made are devastating.
Bit defensive, isn't he! Never seen him like that before.
He's cleared up a lot of the facts, but he still broke the guidelines, more than once. The 'reasonable excuse' defence doesn't really hold for someone in his position. He ought to resign, but he won't.
That's very bad for the Government, and for those trying to beat this Virus.
A dwindling number seemingly, given the number of people out and about in the past few days.
Now - let's get the economy restarted and the pubs open!
You plebs can go to the pub!
I just want to feel safe enough to be able to complete my conquest of ScotRail by doing those last two trains west and north of Inverness.
Do the trains still split to Thurso and Wick or is there now the one which shuffles back to Thurso from Wick? I think it did that the last time.
When I was last there in 2015 it went to Thurso and reversed.
Yeah it goes to Georgemass then Thurso, back to Georgemass then Wick. Which is a bit of a shame as Thurso is the most northerly station in Great Britain, and the train stays there for barely 5 minutes!
Wick much nicer than Thurso IMO.
It was best when they used to split the train one bit going to Thurso one bit to Wick
Why did he take a child on a potentially dangerous test drive?
On his wife's birthday.
To a well known local beauty spot.
It’s total nonsense. Hilarious really.
The issue is not 'is this nonsense' - of course it is. Everyone with a bit of nous can see that. It's 'can he get away with it'. It's feel more like criminal proceedings than is healthy really. The Castle thing is easily the weakest bit in that the rest of it has a charge of emotional justification which can't be wholly denied. The Barnard Castle thing hasn't and is plainly a post hoc ratiocination.
The government is paying a hefty price to keep him. When we look back on this period the government will be remembered as doing its own thing, whilst we locked down.
"I don't know... I have to protect the Prime Minister's time".
How long does a text message take to read?
Plausible deniability. Not telling the PM gives Boris an out when the shit hits the fan. What Dom has done today is ensure Boris doesn't go down with him when the eventual resignation comes in a couple of days.
I disagree. Boris will be going with him.
He won't, Boris is the best Tory election winner since Thatcher
"I was just testing my eyesight by driving to Barnard’s Castle” is the going to be the new "We just went to Salisbury to see the lovely cathedral" at this rate.
New advertising campaign: "Barnard Castle? Should've gone to Specsavers."
The petrol stuff seems implausible. He drives a Range Rover, the fuel economy on those is dreadful.
Land Rover USA quotes combined MPG of 21, with a usable capacity of 17.7 gallons (US) which comes out to a range of about 370 miles by my reckoning. So I think it’s plausible.
"I don't know... I have to protect the Prime Minister's time".
How long does a text message take to read?
Plausible deniability. Not telling the PM gives Boris an out when the shit hits the fan. What Dom has done today is ensure Boris doesn't go down with him when the eventual resignation comes in a couple of days.
I disagree. Boris will be going with him.
He won't, Boris is the best Tory election winner since Thatcher
Even Thatcher had to resign eventually!
She was Prime Minister for 11 years, Boris just 1 so far. So only another decade to go.
Nearly an hour in, he's still coming across as terribly reasonable, for someone who doesn't spend their days doing press conferences. His lack of media polish is possibly even a point in his favour.
Is he over-egging the 'threats in London' thing a bit I wonder...
Its a good lesson to a society to never make draconian laws because everyone breaks them and its just politics and who you know as to whether you go down for them. thats why the phrase " well if you have nothing to hide " is such a bad one - everyone breaks the law sometimes , so don't make too many of them!
Agreed. Screwed up the politics of this but that's what it is now: politics.
People on a witch-hunt will still seek to get a political scalp. But a father wanting to look after his young family is reasonable.
If the media and dickheads like Led By Donkeys weren't constantly acting like twats outside his London home maybe he'd have felt safer there too.
You keep saying this, but answer the question: in what way does driving to a beauty spot in Barnard Castle on his wife’s birthday “to test his eyesight” have anything to do with looking after his young family.
He comes across as sad and geeky and humble in a way I hadn't expected at all. I feel more sympathetic than I expected, but doesn't change my mind. I am a lot angrier with Johnson than with him but then I always was
Yes agree. Sounds very reasonable.
Were it not the case that all of that notwithstanding he broke at least the spirit of the laws he helped to formulate he would deserve some sympathy. But I'm guessing thousands of people with equally sympathetic and plausible stories stayed put.
Why did he take a child on a potentially dangerous test drive?
On his wife's birthday.
To a well known local beauty spot.
It’s total nonsense. Hilarious really.
The issue is not 'is this nonsense' - of course it is. Everyone with a bit of nous can see that. It's 'can he get away with it'. It's feel more like criminal proceedings than is healthy really. The Castle thing is easily the weakest bit in that the rest of it has a charge of emotional justification which can't be wholly denied. The Barnard Castle thing hasn't and is plainly a post hoc ratiocination.
I suppose it depends whether the Tory MPs can stomach him staying or whether they show some backbone.
He'll get away with it, I think. But the story will probably unravel a bit more over a few days, and it will get a bit more evident just how much he's got away with.
Those who always thought Cummings was innocent still do.
Those who thinks Cummings was guilty still do.
Have I missed anyone?
I think he was unwise, made mistakes, but he will have some sympathy following this interview
The guardian have questions to answer
You're hilarious.
You may not like it but that is a fair comment
It really isn't. The Guardian reporting witnesses reporting him somewhere isn't as yet in question. Dom says he wasn't. But so what as he's telling an absolute load of cobblers and explicitly made statements that haven't transpired to be true.
This is a political crisis. He cannot exonerate himself by proving that charge 17 was false therefore the long list of things he has just confessed to having done that are directly contrary to the rules and some literally illegal don't matter
Why is no-one asking “If you acted out of concern for the safety of your child, why did you take him and your wife on a drive to see if your eyesight was safe to drive?”
The petrol stuff seems implausible. He drives a Range Rover, the fuel economy on those is dreadful.
Land Rover USA quotes combined MPG of 21, with a usable capacity of 17.7 gallons (US) which comes out to a range of about 370 miles by my reckoning. So I think it’s plausible.
He drove to a castle and drove back home right? All without stopping for petrol?
"I was just testing my eyesight by driving to Barnard’s Castle” is the going to be the new "We just went to Salisbury to see the lovely cathedral" at this rate.
New advertising campaign: "Barnard Castle? Should've gone to Specsavers."
Now that’s unfair. Barnard Castle is beautiful.
Maybe ending up in Consett by mistake would be the way of doing it.
In actual fact, it would have made his position untenable and he would have had to resign.
You can't set out your case early on unless it is entirely true and complete - which is not an option here. You have to say nothing until you know what the case against you is, and then frame your defence around it. That's exactly what he has done. This is why the Barnard Castle bit is the weakest, because it is really hard to make up something good about the incident. Hence the hope until today that they would not have to admit it.
In actual fact, it would have made his position untenable and he would have had to resign.
You can't set out your case early on unless it is entirely true and complete - which is not an option here. You have to say nothing until you know what the case against you is, and then frame your defence around it. That's exactly what he has done. This is why the Barnard Castle bit is the weakest, because it is really hard to make up something good about the incident. Hence the hope until today that they would not have to admit it.
But the easiest thing about the Barnard Castle thing was surely to say nothing.
If that is a lie, it really does undermine the rest of his statement.
If that was a bit more convincing, he might have got away with it.
The government is paying a hefty price to keep him. When we look back on this period the government will be remembered as doing its own thing, whilst we locked down.
No. The majority of people neither know nor care about Cummings.
The real story is 35K+ dead, what could the government have done better? Not about an advisor driving to Bernard Castle.
Nice coincidence that this test drive to Barnard Castle was on his wife’s birthday. Really lucky that they could make a day out of it with such a good reason.
Comments
Does his wife drive?
To a well known local beauty spot.
He might have got away with the statement. The questions are a total train wreck.
I think I need to thank the other DC for that idea.
The rest of us don;t have to run the gauntlet of threats and people who hate us knowing where we and our families live.
But the admissions he has made are devastating.
EDIT: I couldn't be a whip anyway, because it's already been established that I'm Dominic Cummings. I'm currently typing this using my knees
What have we learned? It is all the fault of the media. So that clears everything up
I've never heard such a conglomeration of whopping lies in my life.
He's cleared up a lot of the facts, but he still broke the guidelines, more than once. The 'reasonable excuse' defence doesn't really hold for someone in his position. He ought to resign, but he won't.
That's very bad for the Government, and for those trying to beat this Virus.
Persistently refusing to consider his future. Clearly doesn’t think he needs to apologise or show contrition.
People on a witch-hunt will still seek to get a political scalp. But a father wanting to look after his young family is reasonable.
If the media and dickheads like Led By Donkeys weren't constantly acting like twats outside his London home maybe he'd have felt safer there too.
In actual fact, it would have made his position untenable and he would have had to resign.
It was best when they used to split the train one bit going to Thurso one bit to Wick
On the one hand you think the media have been horrible to him and he deserves sympathy.
On the other hand, he chose to break the rules and act arrogantly, really leaving the media no choice.
I have never supported Cummings and Boris lost me last night
But I try to be fair in my comments (unless Corbyn is involved)
I’ll tell you the answer: nothing.
This whole thing is total bollocks.
Were it not the case that all of that notwithstanding he broke at least the spirit of the laws he helped to formulate he would deserve some sympathy. But I'm guessing thousands of people with equally sympathetic and plausible stories stayed put.
He'll get away with it, I think. But the story will probably unravel a bit more over a few days, and it will get a bit more evident just how much he's got away with.
This is a political crisis. He cannot exonerate himself by proving that charge 17 was false therefore the long list of things he has just confessed to having done that are directly contrary to the rules and some literally illegal don't matter
Maybe ending up in Consett by mistake would be the way of doing it.
If that is a lie, it really does undermine the rest of his statement.
If that was a bit more convincing, he might have got away with it.
The real story is 35K+ dead, what could the government have done better? Not about an advisor driving to Bernard Castle.