You know what would really propel this story into the stratosphere?
A Cabinet Minister being caught infringing lockdown.
Do you reckon they've all been beyond reproach? I doubt it.
That has, arguably, already happened with Robert Jenrick and possibly even Boris himself. Of course, timing is everything and perhaps if it happens again post-Cummings ... but I'd not get too excited.
This clearly is going to shift the polls when we get another VI.
Latest net leadership approval ratings, Savanta/Comres (favourable/unfavourable): Now: Johnson -1%, Starmer +12% 15th -17th May: Johnson +15%, Starmer +1%
It is just possible that Labour could enter the next GE with a leader who is more popular than that of the Conservatives. I think that the last time that happened was in 2001.
A beautiful commentary by Howard Jacobson on his late mother:
My mother always said she didn't want any fuss when she went. She got her wish. It was as though she chose her moment, looked around, saw the coast was clear, and made a dash for it.
No its because of those who view families trying to do their best in difficult circumstances below being nasty hacks interested in partisan politics trying to bring down someone they perceive as an enemy.
Does anyone other Piers and Scott care about twitter 'trends'. You need about 0.005% of the country to get something 'trending', yet it means nothing in the real world.
Piers cares only about his own role in creating Twitter 'trends'.
The impotent fury of the outraged on Twitter not getting their man is the one redeeming feature of this sorry tale for me.
You can dismiss twitter etc and I don't necessarily disagree but are you really saying that this hasn't damaged Boris's government?
Of course not. Of course it has. But allowing itself to be bullied by self entitled arseholes on Twitter such as Piers Morgan would have damaged it even more.
This is all rubbish of course and adding to the confected story, but FWIW on 12 April it was not illegal to drive somewhere to exercise, though the police, as part of the general thought police, were not keen.
For that matter the self-isolation guidance didn't have any legal standing anyway, and at that time it allowed even people with symptoms to leave the house for exercise.
Maybe Cummings should just have said all these trips were for exercise. No illegality and no breach of the self-isolation guidance.
I'm sure there are all kinds of ways to make sure that no laws were broken. The problem is that all of these rapidly-evolving excuses do nothing to change the glaring contempt for
This clearly is going to shift the polls when we get another VI.
Latest net leadership approval ratings, Savanta/Comres (favourable/unfavourable): Now: Johnson -1%, Starmer +12% 15th -17th May: Johnson +15%, Starmer +1%
It is just possible that Labour could enter the next GE with a leader who is more popular than that of the Conservatives. I think that the last time that happened was in 2001.
Why. I think it is healthy for parties to talk with one another and share ideas and come to a consensus where there is common ground.
I suspect the idea was first cooked up to shaft Cummings and Boris. Starmer wisely saw that no help was needed from anyone else, they were doing a fine job shafting themselves.
No its because of those who view families trying to do their best in difficult circumstances below being nasty hacks interested in partisan politics trying to bring down someone they perceive as an enemy.
Does anyone other Piers and Scott care about twitter 'trends'. You need about 0.005% of the country to get something 'trending', yet it means nothing in the real world.
Piers cares only about his own role in creating Twitter 'trends'.
The impotent fury of the outraged on Twitter not getting their man is the one redeeming feature of this sorry tale for me.
You can dismiss twitter etc and I don't necessarily disagree but are you really saying that this hasn't damaged Boris's government?
Of course not. Of course it has. But allowing itself to be bullied by self entitled arseholes on Twitter such as Piers Morgan would have damaged it even more.
Exactly. And now the next time Twitter and the media scream and wet themselves furiously the Government will have all the ability in the world to just ignore it and move on.
So many people see only the ephemera, and not the long game.
In a sense Number 10 might have gotten away with it, if they hadn't already said such idiotic stuff post the Cummings statement which the public will surely be responding "wut"
Am I the only person on this site who can't stand Theresa May and finds her morally awful?
I don't understand it. I quit the party when she became leader as I can't stand the vile woman. I can't stand anyone who shouts at immigrants to "GO HOME" yet to listen to people here you'd swear she was a paragon of virtue.
Virtually in tears at the 'Go Home' Vans yet (i) happy to almost worship Boris "casual racism" Johnson and (ii) a Brexiteer with no concerns whatsoever about the xenophobic aspect of the vote to Leave.
No-one's buying it.
Go pleasure yourself with a rusty nail.
Find me saying anything xenophobic ever. These are my principles and if you don't like them ... I don't care.
No response to the evidence that petitions achieve the square root of fuck all? Funny that.
See my response to Philip. You have to see the 3rd attempt as it took me 3 goes not to cock it up completely and my response doesn't cover your reference re the Trump's visit which I would have to concede.
" Another MP said the situation "feels more poll tax than ERM, actually." "
Telegraph
I can't quite work out what distinction is being drawn here.
Any ideas?
The poll tax didn’t cost the Tories the next election because they ditched their leader?
Given the purge of Tory MPs in 2019 I would think Johnson is the safest Conservative Party leader in history.
Given what is going on right now in the world and country that's a pretty daft comment. He may be fine but events dear boy, events.
I think any other leader of the Conservative Party would have faced more explicit criticism of his judgement from his own MPs, but he hasn't because they're scared.
Indeed, I'd have thought in most previous Cabinets you would have had senior ministers telling the PM privately that this was not tenable.
It's only because Johnson's position is so strong that he's been allowed to make such a huge mistake over this.
Strong position. Weak man.
And it's the combination of those factors that's causing the trouble. If Boris were a stronger person, he wouldn't have felt the need to do the bizarre press conference on Sunday, or let Dom weave the tales he did yesterday. Either Dom would have been dumped, or a clear line to move on would have been put out. But because Boris desperately wants to be wanted, there has to be a story to make everything better, and it has to be a better story than "Dom is terribly important, can essentially do whatever he wants and Durham is nicer than London".
And it's that unwillingness to say something that's unpleasant but much more truthful than the eye test thing that's tying everyone up in knots.
Absolutely.
"Dominic Cummings in a difficult situation behaved as in good faith he thought he should. However it was an error of judgement because it infringed the lockdown rules that I asked all of you to comply with. He realizes this now and has apologized and offered to resign. I have not accepted his resignation because I am satisfied he is sincere in his apology and we need him in place to continue to assist our national effort to defeat this dreadful virus."
Something like that, instead of the contemptuous, hubristic tosh we are getting.
Fantastic! Thatcher won another landslide after the Westland 'crisis' - an excellent omen.
Westland was a 'bubble' story in comparison. This is more of a Black Wednesday. Even if everything goes right for the government on coronavirus for the rest of their term, people will forever associate them with "one rule for us and another rule for you".
Why do I get the feeling that for some people every Wednesday is Black Wednesday?
This supposed 'scandal' doesn't even have a catchy name yet, FFS, and _everything_ gets a catchy name these days. 'Cummingsgate' doesn't exactly trip off the tongue...
No its because of those who view families trying to do their best in difficult circumstances below being nasty hacks interested in partisan politics trying to bring down someone they perceive as an enemy.
Does anyone other Piers and Scott care about twitter 'trends'. You need about 0.005% of the country to get something 'trending', yet it means nothing in the real world.
Piers cares only about his own role in creating Twitter 'trends'.
The impotent fury of the outraged on Twitter not getting their man is the one redeeming feature of this sorry tale for me.
You can dismiss twitter etc and I don't necessarily disagree but are you really saying that this hasn't damaged Boris's government?
Of course not. Of course it has. But allowing itself to be bullied by self entitled arseholes on Twitter such as Piers Morgan would have damaged it even more.
The spectacle of Dominic Cummings in the Downing Street garden yesterday wasn't the action of a confident government dismissing media criticism.
No its because of those who view families trying to do their best in difficult circumstances below being nasty hacks interested in partisan politics trying to bring down someone they perceive as an enemy.
Does anyone other Piers and Scott care about twitter 'trends'. You need about 0.005% of the country to get something 'trending', yet it means nothing in the real world.
Piers cares only about his own role in creating Twitter 'trends'.
The impotent fury of the outraged on Twitter not getting their man is the one redeeming feature of this sorry tale for me.
You can dismiss twitter etc and I don't necessarily disagree but are you really saying that this hasn't damaged Boris's government?
Of course not. Of course it has. But allowing itself to be bullied by self entitled arseholes on Twitter such as Piers Morgan would have damaged it even more.
Absolutely. And that is why the decision to keep Cummings was the moment the government actually started governing.
Somebody in Downing Street has finally worked out its impossible to govern and keep Morgan and Rigby happy so why try.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
Dom said "Fuck you" to every parent who didn't break quarantine to visit their parents, and go for a drive in the country on their wife's birthday.
And the other 90% shrug their shoulders and wonder why the BBC is making such a big deal over this.
The MSM have to be faced down.
Did you feel the same way about the Scottish CMO? Or all the well-trodden repeats about stuff Corbyn did 30 years ago? Or criticism of Emily Thornberry for slagging off people who live on housing estates? Or Ed Miliband making a funny face while he had breakfast?
If you believe all of those are probably unwise in hindsight but no reason for media outlets to "make such a big deal", then I'd cut you some slack on this one.
And frankly, I'm not sure why you're going at the BBC when well-known lefties Nick Ferrari, Tim Montgomerie and, er, the Daily Mail are being rather more persistent.
Indeed the BBC has not really got involved apart from floating "sources" close to Cummings initial responses via Laura K to see if they would be accepted.
So many people see only the ephemera, and not the long game.
That's a very Dom thing to say.
Out of interest, BluestBlue, where were you on April 12th?
I've already admitted I was Dominic Cummings during his/my press conference yesterday. I'm so awesome that I was able to answer reporters' questions on live TV and simultaneously type comments on PB using only my knees
Mr. Battery, must disagree. Even if you think some 'PB Tories' [have I been kicked out?] are wrong on this, and that being wrong is a sign of foolishness, even fools can be right sometimes and even the wise can err.
Considering a view to be right or wrong based on who says it and not the merits of their case is a flawed way of thinking.
No its because of those who view families trying to do their best in difficult circumstances below being nasty hacks interested in partisan politics trying to bring down someone they perceive as an enemy.
Does anyone other Piers and Scott care about twitter 'trends'. You need about 0.005% of the country to get something 'trending', yet it means nothing in the real world.
Piers cares only about his own role in creating Twitter 'trends'.
The impotent fury of the outraged on Twitter not getting their man is the one redeeming feature of this sorry tale for me.
You can dismiss twitter etc and I don't necessarily disagree but are you really saying that this hasn't damaged Boris's government?
Of course not. Of course it has. But allowing itself to be bullied by self entitled arseholes on Twitter such as Piers Morgan would have damaged it even more.
The spectacle of Dominic Cummings in the Downing Street garden yesterday wasn't the action of a confident government dismissing media criticism.
No its because of those who view families trying to do their best in difficult circumstances below being nasty hacks interested in partisan politics trying to bring down someone they perceive as an enemy.
Does anyone other Piers and Scott care about twitter 'trends'. You need about 0.005% of the country to get something 'trending', yet it means nothing in the real world.
Piers cares only about his own role in creating Twitter 'trends'.
The impotent fury of the outraged on Twitter not getting their man is the one redeeming feature of this sorry tale for me.
You can dismiss twitter etc and I don't necessarily disagree but are you really saying that this hasn't damaged Boris's government?
Of course not. Of course it has. But allowing itself to be bullied by self entitled arseholes on Twitter such as Piers Morgan would have damaged it even more.
The spectacle of Dominic Cummings in the Downing Street garden yesterday wasn't the action of a confident government dismissing media criticism.
I didn't say that they were confident. I said that they were resilient. They are under immense pressure no doubt exacerbated by the lack of other news.
Did you feel the same way about the Scottish CMO? Or all the well-trodden repeats about stuff Corbyn did 30 years ago? Or criticism of Emily Thornberry for slagging off people who live on housing estates? Or Ed Miliband making a funny face while he had breakfast?
The only one of those I would have sacked is the Scottish CMO, who really should have known better. I quite liked Corbyn and thought he was consistent, just not from my side of the fence politicly. I never understood the Ed sandwich issue. ET's problems were just rather entertaining, but not a sack-able offence.
And frankly, I'm not sure why you're going at the BBC when well-known lefties Nick Ferrari, Tim Montgomerie and, er, the Daily Mail are being rather more persistent.
Mr. Battery, must disagree. Even if you think some 'PB Tories' [have I been kicked out?] are wrong on this, and that being wrong is a sign of foolishness, even fools can be right sometimes and even the wise can err.
Considering a view to be right or wrong based on who says it and not the merits of their case is a flawed way of thinking.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I think the government is trying to bore people to death and hope the media go away. It might work.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I think the government is trying to bore people to death and hope the media go away. It might work.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I'm just trying to get the story straight in my mind.
Is this normally the way the NHS deals with suspected coronavirus cases in children? Letting their symptomatic parents go to the hospital with them and then drive to pick them up?
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I'm just trying to get the story straight in my mind.
Is this normally the way the NHS deals with suspected coronavirus cases in children? Letting their symptomatic parents go to the hospital with them and then drive to pick them up?
The story we have been given is obviously a story only in the sense of fable or fiction. It is not internally consistent, it has plot holes, it is inconsistent with the external evidence.
No its because of those who view families trying to do their best in difficult circumstances below being nasty hacks interested in partisan politics trying to bring down someone they perceive as an enemy.
Does anyone other Piers and Scott care about twitter 'trends'. You need about 0.005% of the country to get something 'trending', yet it means nothing in the real world.
Piers cares only about his own role in creating Twitter 'trends'.
The impotent fury of the outraged on Twitter not getting their man is the one redeeming feature of this sorry tale for me.
You can dismiss twitter etc and I don't necessarily disagree but are you really saying that this hasn't damaged Boris's government?
Of course not. Of course it has. But allowing itself to be bullied by self entitled arseholes on Twitter such as Piers Morgan would have damaged it even more.
The spectacle of Dominic Cummings in the Downing Street garden yesterday wasn't the action of a confident government dismissing media criticism.
No its because of those who view families trying to do their best in difficult circumstances below being nasty hacks interested in partisan politics trying to bring down someone they perceive as an enemy.
Does anyone other Piers and Scott care about twitter 'trends'. You need about 0.005% of the country to get something 'trending', yet it means nothing in the real world.
Piers cares only about his own role in creating Twitter 'trends'.
The impotent fury of the outraged on Twitter not getting their man is the one redeeming feature of this sorry tale for me.
You can dismiss twitter etc and I don't necessarily disagree but are you really saying that this hasn't damaged Boris's government?
Of course not. Of course it has. But allowing itself to be bullied by self entitled arseholes on Twitter such as Piers Morgan would have damaged it even more.
The spectacle of Dominic Cummings in the Downing Street garden yesterday wasn't the action of a confident government dismissing media criticism.
I didn't say that they were confident. I said that they were resilient. They are under immense pressure no doubt exacerbated by the lack of other news.
There is plenty of other news its just the media are just ignoring it.
Indeed the BBC has not really got involved apart from floating "sources" close to Cummings initial responses via Laura K to see if they would be accepted.
It is has been their main story all weekend.
Quite apart from the political bias issue, if Boris survives the BBC faces losing the TV tax.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I think the government is trying to bore people to death and hope the media go away. It might work.
Define "work".
In terms of the media moving on to something else.
As for everything else, who knows?
For the avoidance of doubt, I would not have recommended this course of action!
There was a saddening mini thread on here last night which I was too tired to reply to (the ever brilliant @Cyclefree got there first).
Essentially two or three culinary-challenged middle-aged blokes were entirely sanguine about the closure (and possible destruction) of the hospitality and catering industry, because Covid-19 had forced them to learn to cook.
Sad. In three ways.
1. They should learned to cook years ago. FFS.
2. Going out to pubs and restaurants is not really about eating. It’s about atmosphere and interaction and meeting people.
3. Pubs are the backbone of Britain. Its ultimate infrastructure. Its selling point. They are what makes it unique, and lovely.
The threadette upset me so much I had to get this off my chest.
Wake up!
To be honest, I worry about the hospitality industry. Personally, I think there's a case for continuing the furlough scheme for those specifically when it's wound up for others. Preserve the industry as it was until we can restore it.
The hospitality industry relies on people having disposable income. Well we don't now. Restaurants and bars will suffer badly irrespective.
The people whose disposable income has been least affected are the retired and they are the very people who are going to be most cautious about returning.
I can't wait to go out to lunch and dinner again and if a restaurant can convince me its safe I'll be there.
But I give you an example from this morning. Our favourite coffee shop has just reopened so we went in for a takeaway to support them. only 5 people, all 50+ quietly queuing and distancing. 4 young girls then come in, pushing between the people distancing to look at the cakes etc behind the counter, making no attempt to follow any rules. Apart from the one person waiting for their order the other 4 left without buying.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I'm just trying to get the story straight in my mind.
Is this normally the way the NHS deals with suspected coronavirus cases in children? Letting their symptomatic parents go to the hospital with them and then drive to pick them up?
The story we have been given is obviously a story only in the sense of fable or fiction. It is not internally consistent, it has plot holes, it is inconsistent with the external evidence.
I'm wondering whether the situation with the parents was made clear to the NHS staff. I certainly hope that wouldn't be normal procedure. If it is, the situation in Weston-super-Mare isn't surprising.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I think the government is trying to bore people to death and hope the media go away. It might work.
They might have done better to draw a line yesterday and refuse to answer any more questions on the topic. When in a hole...
The explanations are worse than the thing itself, which didn't bother me that much to be honest.
Hello.. back again after a brief pause/lurk post-election (or Brexit.. I can't remember.. some time BC/before corona anyway!)
Thoughts on Cummings, as there seems to be a shortage
- I suspect Downing St can see a 'declining curve' in the story - or at least a peak - and will hold its nerve. There was a real point of danger on Sunday when the backbenchers started coming out publicly.. but a frankly heroic whipping operation seems to have persuaded enough to wind their necks in.
- While I don't think the story has been a "bubble" one and has had massive cut-through, I suspect Cummings' appearance will have done enough with most casual observers to at least move towards a "let's move on" stance. That's important in taking the heat out for backbenchers. And it may inform a view among the media that they'll get diminishing returns from hereon in.
- However, there's still a danger among silent backbenchers if anything else about his conduct comes out. By which I don't mean the fact he snuck a couple of links into his old blogs after the event, but new info on him taking a day trip to Hartlepool to cough on fat people or something. (BTW.. CCTV of him on a petrol pump wouldn't help in this regard).
- And there is definitely medium-term damage to Boris's reputation from a "one rule for them" POV. Not so much among the "all MSM are liars" brigade who are still on side. But the reasonable middle classes who think Huw Edwards is super, accepted the need for BJ to break the Brexit logjam and have attentively studied every evening briefing to pick up their instructions to Protect the NHS and Save Lives (even if they're a bit annoyed Pointless has moved) - their support will have been damaged. I say 'medium-term' because he has a sufficient majority and long-enough left in the parliamentary term for this stuff to go away.
- Lesson for the media: that scrum outside his house was a VERY bad look. IMO the media should defend its running of the story in the public interest extremely robustly. Looking like total f***ing hypocrites in the process of gathering it, less so.
- Lesson for Number 10: put the info out there when the questions are asked. Most of the inaccuracies are down to them not answering justified questions about a key figure's conduct. That statement on Saturday declining to give a running commentary on lies from campaigning newspapers (or whatever they said), and Boris talking about 'palpable falsehoods' without specifying them was an equally bad look.
It turns out that the public don't take kindly to being told that horse balls are oranges.
Leave Stephen Milligan out of it.
Now there is someone with a good memory. LD I assume because that was also my first thought.
But Milligan was a Tory. "Potential Prime Minister material" was the eulogy added after the bit about oranges, binbags and kitchen tables. I think fishnets were involved too....
Fantastic! Thatcher won another landslide after the Westland 'crisis' - an excellent omen.
Didn't one or two people resign though?
I'd have thought the risk of resignations here was less among Cabinet ministers, most of whom could be shrugged off insouciantly, and more among the various scientific and medical officials advising the government at present. They can't be happy, they don't have political careers to worry about and their departures would be devastating.
Sturgeon confirms Scotland wont have a track and trace app.
Carrier pigeon to send messages next ?
Who will? The delay in developing the App means that all of first round of relaxations of lockdown will occur without the App, without a rapid turnaround on testing and relying on those infected to identify themselves and those with whom they have come into contact. Its bordering on disastrous. If you have been in a railway carriage or a bus for more than 15 minutes who have you been in contact with? You have no idea. To me this is staggering incompetence and Cummings is an irrelevant side show.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I think the government is trying to bore people to death and hope the media go away. It might work.
Hello.. back again after a brief pause/lurk post-election (or Brexit.. I can't remember.. some time BC/before corona anyway!)
Thoughts on Cummings, as there seems to be a shortage
- I suspect Downing St can see a 'declining curve' in the story - or at least a peak - and will hold its nerve. There was a real point of danger on Sunday when the backbenchers started coming out publicly.. but a frankly heroic whipping operation seems to have persuaded enough to wind their necks in.
- While I don't think the story has been a "bubble" one and has had massive cut-through, I suspect Cummings' appearance will have done enough with most casual observers to at least move towards a "let's move on" stance. That's important in taking the heat out for backbenchers. And it may inform a view among the media that they'll get diminishing returns from hereon in.
- However, there's still a danger among silent backbenchers if anything else about his conduct comes out. By which I don't mean the fact he snuck a couple of links into his old blogs after the event, but new info on him taking a day trip to Hartlepool to cough on fat people or something. (BTW.. CCTV of him on a petrol pump wouldn't help in this regard).
- And there is definitely medium-term damage to Boris's reputation from a "one rule for them" POV. Not so much among the "all MSM are liars" brigade who are still on side. But the reasonable middle classes who think Huw Edwards is super, accepted the need for BJ to break the Brexit logjam and have attentively studied every evening briefing to pick up their instructions to Protect the NHS and Save Lives (even if they're a bit annoyed Pointless has moved) - their support will have been damaged. I say 'medium-term' because he has a sufficient majority and long-enough left in the parliamentary term for this stuff to go away.
- Lesson for the media: that scrum outside his house was a VERY bad look. IMO the media should defend its running of the story in the public interest extremely robustly. Looking like total f***ing hypocrites in the process of gathering it, less so.
- Lesson for Number 10: put the info out there when the questions are asked. Most of the inaccuracies are down to them not answering justified questions about a key figure's conduct. That statement on Saturday declining to give a running commentary on lies from campaigning newspapers (or whatever they said), and Boris talking about 'palpable falsehoods' without specifying them was an equally bad look.
And frankly, I'm not sure why you're going at the BBC when well-known lefties Nick Ferrari, Tim Montgomerie and, er, the Daily Mail are being rather more persistent.
It turns out that the public don't take kindly to being told that horse balls are oranges.
Leave Stephen Milligan out of it.
Now there is someone with a good memory. LD I assume because that was also my first thought.
But Milligan was a Tory. "Potential Prime Minister material" was the eulogy added after the bit about oranges, binbags and kitchen tables. I think fishnets were involved too....
In the days of LDs being able to overturn any majority in a by election (days of the past!). One tends to remember the background of each very well. Although bitter sweet when it is due to a death.
My fondest was Winchester. It was great fun, lots and lots of funny stories and it was one hell of a party on the night.
Sturgeon confirms Scotland wont have a track and trace app.
Carrier pigeon to send messages next ?
Going for a more traditional tracing scheme with real people running it instead.
Using human alone is too slow. You need to be testing and results within 24hrs and then immediately alerting all those at risk straight away, so they can be tested.
That is how South Korea keep this thing under control.
During the initial stages of the outbreak, the UK government did a decent job of contact tracing, but manually interviewing everybody takes many days just to track down contacts of just one case of the super spreader bloke. You can't win the battle like that.
Sturgeon confirms Scotland wont have a track and trace app.
Carrier pigeon to send messages next ?
Who will? The delay in developing the App means that all of first round of relaxations of lockdown will occur without the App, without a rapid turnaround on testing and relying on those infected to identify themselves and those with whom they have come into contact. Its bordering on disastrous. If you have been in a railway carriage or a bus for more than 15 minutes who have you been in contact with? You have no idea. To me this is staggering incompetence and Cummings is an irrelevant side show.
A government instigated second wave would be one way to move on from today's headlines.
It turns out that the public don't take kindly to being told that horse balls are oranges.
Leave Stephen Milligan out of it.
Now there is someone with a good memory. LD I assume because that was also my first thought.
But Milligan was a Tory. "Potential Prime Minister material" was the eulogy added after the bit about oranges, binbags and kitchen tables. I think fishnets were involved too....
I always felt very sorry for Stephen Milligan, and particularly for his parents.
He was a very able man in many ways, rather a thoughtful, moderate Tory, and probably did have a bright future. Clearly, he had an, er, interesting hobby. But he wasn't hurting other people and it's just terribly sad that - to the extent he is remembered at all - it is inevitably for the colourful nature of his departure.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I think the government is trying to bore people to death and hope the media go away. It might work.
I think the media is boring people to death.
Generally the degree to which people are bored is in direct proportion to their backing of Cummings.
Wouldn't that also be within his own self-isolation period?
The public aren't capable of great technicalities. But they can smell self-serving bullshit when they pay attention and they're paying attention.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
I think the government is trying to bore people to death and hope the media go away. It might work.
I think the media is boring people to death.
Generally the degree to which people are bored is in direct proportion to their backing of Cummings.
Comments
squareroot2 is less than useless
Latest net leadership approval ratings, Savanta/Comres (favourable/unfavourable):
Now: Johnson -1%, Starmer +12%
15th -17th May: Johnson +15%, Starmer +1%
It is just possible that Labour could enter the next GE with a leader who is more popular than that of the Conservatives. I think that the last time that happened was in 2001.
My mother always said she didn't want any fuss when she went. She got her wish. It was as though she chose her moment, looked around, saw the coast was clear, and made a dash for it.
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52742569
And Cummings doesn’t obtain intelligence when outwith London? Profoundly unlikely.
"Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives"
Starmer has done a superb job so far
Hahahahaha
So many people see only the ephemera, and not the long game.
Find me saying anything xenophobic ever. These are my principles and if you don't like them ... I don't care.
"Dominic Cummings in a difficult situation behaved as in good faith he thought he should. However it was an error of judgement because it infringed the lockdown rules that I asked all of you to comply with. He realizes this now and has apologized and offered to resign. I have not accepted his resignation because I am satisfied he is sincere in his apology and we need him in place to continue to assist our national effort to defeat this dreadful virus."
Something like that, instead of the contemptuous, hubristic tosh we are getting.
Out of interest, BluestBlue, where were you on April 12th?
Makes it look like a witch hunt, leave vs remain again.
Starmer has said the issue is over, he is wisely staying out and pitching Labour as the post-Brexit/future party.
Blair has his paws all over this
Somebody in Downing Street has finally worked out its impossible to govern and keep Morgan and Rigby happy so why try.
I can't for the life of me understand what the government is currently trying to achieve. Every contortion is making them look more dishonest, more arrogant and more stupid.
The PM's powerful enough to stop strong measures, but too vacillating to make them, and too poor of judgement to act wisely.
"A majority of Conservative voters support Cummings staying..."
Conservative MP's have cottoned on to this hence their increasing calls for him to go on social media.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/26/antibody-testing-will-expose-folly-lockdown/
Considering a view to be right or wrong based on who says it and not the merits of their case is a flawed way of thinking.
Are they by any chance remainers?
Carrier pigeon to send messages next ?
Is this normally the way the NHS deals with suspected coronavirus cases in children? Letting their symptomatic parents go to the hospital with them and then drive to pick them up?
Quite apart from the political bias issue, if Boris survives the BBC faces losing the TV tax.
As for everything else, who knows?
For the avoidance of doubt, I would not have recommended this course of action!
I can't wait to go out to lunch and dinner again and if a restaurant can convince me its safe I'll be there.
But I give you an example from this morning. Our favourite coffee shop has just reopened so we went in for a takeaway to support them. only 5 people, all 50+ quietly queuing and distancing. 4 young girls then come in, pushing between the people distancing to look at the cakes etc behind the counter, making no attempt to follow any rules. Apart from the one person waiting for their order the other 4 left without buying.
21.5 of those 47 believe he shouldn't resign
4 of those 47 aren't sure
21.5 of them thing he should resign.
All depends how angry those 21.5 are, really.
The explanations are worse than the thing itself, which didn't bother me that much to be honest.
Thatcher thought she was a gonner but Kinnock was terrible during the debate and saved Thatcher.
Thoughts on Cummings, as there seems to be a shortage
- I suspect Downing St can see a 'declining curve' in the story - or at least a peak - and will hold its nerve. There was a real point of danger on Sunday when the backbenchers started coming out publicly.. but a frankly heroic whipping operation seems to have persuaded enough to wind their necks in.
- While I don't think the story has been a "bubble" one and has had massive cut-through, I suspect Cummings' appearance will have done enough with most casual observers to at least move towards a "let's move on" stance. That's important in taking the heat out for backbenchers. And it may inform a view among the media that they'll get diminishing returns from hereon in.
- However, there's still a danger among silent backbenchers if anything else about his conduct comes out. By which I don't mean the fact he snuck a couple of links into his old blogs after the event, but new info on him taking a day trip to Hartlepool to cough on fat people or something. (BTW.. CCTV of him on a petrol pump wouldn't help in this regard).
- And there is definitely medium-term damage to Boris's reputation from a "one rule for them" POV. Not so much among the "all MSM are liars" brigade who are still on side. But the reasonable middle classes who think Huw Edwards is super, accepted the need for BJ to break the Brexit logjam and have attentively studied every evening briefing to pick up their instructions to Protect the NHS and Save Lives (even if they're a bit annoyed Pointless has moved) - their support will have been damaged. I say 'medium-term' because he has a sufficient majority and long-enough left in the parliamentary term for this stuff to go away.
- Lesson for the media: that scrum outside his house was a VERY bad look. IMO the media should defend its running of the story in the public interest extremely robustly. Looking like total f***ing hypocrites in the process of gathering it, less so.
- Lesson for Number 10: put the info out there when the questions are asked. Most of the inaccuracies are down to them not answering justified questions about a key figure's conduct. That statement on Saturday declining to give a running commentary on lies from campaigning newspapers (or whatever they said), and Boris talking about 'palpable falsehoods' without specifying them was an equally bad look.
I have not been exactly vociferous in my support for Cummings so will not be spinning anything
https://twitter.com/mattsingh_/status/1265254934846603265?s=21
Seems a big misstep from Sturgeon not to have any app. Every other developed country is.
What happens now when the UK government finally goes for the Google / Apple one, and it works in every country in Europe, but Scotland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbgFyKlZKYk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-lT1EPdkHk
(Though I'd grant you the Mail under Geordie Greig is rather less staunch than under Dacre)
And science stuff is just ...boring... to most of them.
https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1265256490643992582
My fondest was Winchester. It was great fun, lots and lots of funny stories and it was one hell of a party on the night.
That is how South Korea keep this thing under control.
During the initial stages of the outbreak, the UK government did a decent job of contact tracing, but manually interviewing everybody takes many days just to track down contacts of just one case of the super spreader bloke. You can't win the battle like that.
He was a very able man in many ways, rather a thoughtful, moderate Tory, and probably did have a bright future. Clearly, he had an, er, interesting hobby. But he wasn't hurting other people and it's just terribly sad that - to the extent he is remembered at all - it is inevitably for the colourful nature of his departure.
Yeah, let's see about that in a week's time.