Can Dom’s Commons committee appearance on Wednesday possibly live up to its billing? – politicalbett

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Can Dom’s Commons committee appearance on Wednesday possibly live up to its billing? – politicalbetting.com

Over the weekend there has been an increasing build up to the appearance on Wednesday morning by Dominic Cummings before the Commons select committees on Health and Science. This has been reinforced by a series of Tweets from the former advisor to Boris Johnson and all the indications are that he is going to try to “spill the beans” in some form about the government’s handling of the pandemic.

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MikeSmithson

1st

Taz

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

Taz

MikeSmithson said:

1st

Ha ha, it’s your thread !!

Stark_Dawning

Problem for Dom is that even those who hate Boris probably hate him even more. So he won't get many rallying to the cause.

squareroot2

Stark_Dawning said:

Problem for Dom is that even those who hate Boris probably hate him even more. So he won't get many rallying to the cause.

..especially journalists.

MikeSmithson

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I agree with that.

ping

About time;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-57226704

More of this, please.

Philip_Thompson

QTWAIN.

The "document only he has" angle is very odd, don't the Civil Servants pretty much duplicate and keep copies of all documents as they get exchanged? Surely if there's a document only he has, then its a document only he ever had, which makes it pretty meaningless and it can't have been too important.

How could any official and important document end up in his hands and his hands alone?

TimT

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

Not just that, but unwatchable, self-indulgent crap, if you're going to complete the analogy.

Stark_Dawning

I suspect we'll have a British equivalent of the Trump/Bannon dynamic. Much of the US Right went out of their way to say what an upstanding and misrepresented guy Bannon was. But the minute he turned against Trump they decided he was an ass-hat all along. Get ready for Barnard Castle to be dragged up by exactly those people who proclaimed at the time it was all a fuss over nothing.

Taz

I wonder if Dom has a view on induction hobs ?

Taz

TimT said:

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

Not just that, but unwatchable, self-indulgent crap, if you're going to complete the analogy.

Well, true, that’s very true.

TheScreamingEagles

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I'm really looking forward to it for two reasons.

1) The people who said last April time that Dom Cummings is a man of unimpeachable integrity, we should believe every word he says and now will tell us to ignore what he says because he's always been a fantasist with an axe to grind

and

2) The people who said last April time that Dom Cummings is a liar and fantasist but now we should believe everything he says.

You don't get to see that epic level of reverse ferreting very often.

kle4

No.

Oh, it might be very interesting and entertaining, but surely the thing with Dom is specialising in garnering interest, but when you stop and think about what is saying/doing, it is not as mind blowing as he clearly thinks it is?

TheScreamingEagles

Taz said:

I wonder if Dom has a view on induction hobs ?

Invented by people who put pineapple on pizza.

Taz

TheScreamingEagles said:

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I'm really looking forward to it for two reasons.

1) The people who said last April time that Dom Cummings is a man of unimpeachable integrity, we should believe every word he says and now will tell us to ignore what he says because he's always been a fantasist with an axe to grind

and

2) The people who said last April time that Dom Cummings is a liar and fantasist but now we should believe everything he says.

You don't get to see that epic level of reverse ferreting very often.

They’re all so shameless about it too.

kle4

Philip_Thompson said:

QTWAIN.

The "document only he has" angle is very odd, don't the Civil Servants pretty much duplicate and keep copies of all documents as they get exchanged? Surely if there's a document only he has, then its a document only he ever had, which makes it pretty meaningless and it can't have been too important.

How could any official and important document end up in his hands and his hands alone?

Only he out of goverment, perhaps. But it sounds like dramatic licence rather than being literal.

Fishing

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

TheScreamingEagles

Philip_Thompson said:

QTWAIN.

The "document only he has" angle is very odd, don't the Civil Servants pretty much duplicate and keep copies of all documents as they get exchanged? Surely if there's a document only he has, then its a document only he ever had, which makes it pretty meaningless and it can't have been too important.

How could any official and important document end up in his hands and his hands alone?

A disinterested observer pointed out that Dom has form for editing documents and blogs to make him look even more the superforecaster

Remember how he edited an old blog entry to say he had warned about a looming coronavirus pandemic.

Carnyx

TheScreamingEagles said:

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I'm really looking forward to it for two reasons.

1) The people who said last April time that Dom Cummings is a man of unimpeachable integrity, we should believe every word he says and now will tell us to ignore what he says because he's always been a fantasist with an axe to grind

and

2) The people who said last April time that Dom Cummings is a liar and fantasist but now we should believe everything he says.

You don't get to see that epic level of reverse ferreting very often.

Hmm, it's not just Mr Cummings whose veracity is a major issue.

HYUFD

From the sound of things Cummings will savage Hancock, Jenny Harries, the civil service and NHS establishment but what is new.

The only thing that could really damage Boris is if he has a recording of him with his reported 'bodies pile high' comment and proof he was originally planning for herd immunity which is why he delayed the initial lockdown

TOPPING

I thought he operated a unit outside normal civil service structures and hence might easily have the only copy of one document or another. How believable it is, however, is another matter.

BluestBlue

Well, let's see:

The same YouGov poll for The Times giving the Tories an 18-point lead found that only 14% of voters trust Cummings to tell the truth, compared to 38% who trust Boris Johnson. The star witness on which the anti-Boris crowd must now rely had his credibility annihilated by, er, the anti-Boris crowd during a months-long campaign of vilification. Which now turns out to be very helpful to Boris, so thanks for the assistance.

With his newfound persona as Mr. Lockdown, Cummings is handicapped by his own actions and the aforementioned vituperation campaign that made him nationally infamous for, er, breaking lockdown. And with exactly 4 weeks to go until June 21, the nation's thoughts are on a summer of freedom, not the lockdown of yesteryear.

Cummings would also face the awkward question of why, if he vehemently disagreed with coronavirus policy and had a much better plan that would have saved thousands of lives, he has chosen to remain silent throughout the ongoing pandemic until this moment and thus deliberately allowed all those people to die.

So......

TheScreamingEagles

Hmm

BREAKING: Luthansa Flight LH1487 prevented from taking off from Minsk in Belarus due to a reported bomb threat.

https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/1396811343584505856

williamglenn

dixiedean said:

Switch on WATO. Banging on about the BBC. Switch off.

- We're joined in the studio by the BBC's BBC correspondent. What's the latest?
- Tight lips at the BBC today, Sarah. The BBC is yet to comment on that bombshell BBC Newsnight report.
- Can the BBC really stay silent on this?
- I'm hearing rumours that BBC Today is in negotiations with the BBC to secure an interview.
- Be sure to stay tuned to the BBC for any developments.

Northern_Al

The slight risk to the government, and BJ. is that Cummings ego is so huge that really doesn't seem to give a fuck about anything apart from his personal integrity (i.e. he's being true to himself, whatever anybody else thinks). He can't be bought, and I assume he would have refused to sign an NDA when he left government. His 50-odd very public tweets are worth a read. No smoking gun, but not far off.

So I'm not sure that it really what people, on here or elsewhere, think of him. He really doesn't give a toss.

MarqueeMark

HYUFD said:

From the sound of things Cummings will savage Hancock, Jenny Harries, the civil service and NHS establishment but what is new.

The only thing that could really damage Boris is if he has a recording of him with his reported 'bodies pile high' comment and proof he was originally planning for herd immunity which is why he delayed the initial lockdown

Debased currency.

Carnyx

BluestBlue said:

Well, let's see:

The same YouGov poll for The Times giving the Tories an 18-point lead found that only 14% of voters trust Cummings to tell the truth, compared to 38% who trust Boris Johnson. The star witness on which the anti-Boris crowd must now rely had his credibility annihilated by, er, the anti-Boris crowd during a months-long campaign of vilification. Which now turns out to be very helpful to Boris, so thanks for the assistance.

With his newfound persona as Mr. Lockdown, Cummings is handicapped by his own actions and the aforementioned vituperation campaign that made him nationally infamous for, er, breaking lockdown. And with exactly 4 weeks to go until June 21, the nation's thoughts are on a summer of freedom, not the lockdown of yesteryear.

Cummings would also face the awkward question of why, if he vehemently disagreed with coronavirus policy and had a much better plan that would have saved thousands of lives, he has chosen to remain silent throughout the ongoing pandemic until this moment and thus deliberately allowed all those people to die.

So......

That's assuming your hero does give us freedom on the 21st. Things could go very sour in view of what Professor Pagel has been saying, including abouit the delay in closing down Indian flights (something, I gather, on which Mr Cummings has strong views, at least in general terms about international travel).

https://twitter.com/chrischirp/status/1396574313306902528

Andy_JS

9 degrees and raining in Nottingham atm.

Gardenwalker

Let’s see what Cummings has to say.

Cummings is a brilliant communicator.
Much better than Boris who waffles with “comic” inarticulacy.

Watch the Castle-Barnard-confessional in the rose garden. Masterclass.

Mortimer

Carnyx said:

BluestBlue said:

Well, let's see:

The same YouGov poll for The Times giving the Tories an 18-point lead found that only 14% of voters trust Cummings to tell the truth, compared to 38% who trust Boris Johnson. The star witness on which the anti-Boris crowd must now rely had his credibility annihilated by, er, the anti-Boris crowd during a months-long campaign of vilification. Which now turns out to be very helpful to Boris, so thanks for the assistance.

With his newfound persona as Mr. Lockdown, Cummings is handicapped by his own actions and the aforementioned vituperation campaign that made him nationally infamous for, er, breaking lockdown. And with exactly 4 weeks to go until June 21, the nation's thoughts are on a summer of freedom, not the lockdown of yesteryear.

Cummings would also face the awkward question of why, if he vehemently disagreed with coronavirus policy and had a much better plan that would have saved thousands of lives, he has chosen to remain silent throughout the ongoing pandemic until this moment and thus deliberately allowed all those people to die.

So......

That's assuming your hero does give us freedom on the 21st. Things could go very sour in view of what Professor Pagel has been saying, including abouit the delay in closing down Indian flights (something, I gather, on which Mr Cummings has strong views, at least in general terms about international travel).

https://twitter.com/chrischirp/status/1396574313306902528

I have no clue why these people are still being given airtime.....

Gardenwalker

Northern_Al said:

The slight risk to the government, and BJ. is that Cummings ego is so huge that really doesn't seem to give a fuck about anything apart from his personal integrity (i.e. he's being true to himself, whatever anybody else thinks). He can't be bought, and I assume he would have refused to sign an NDA when he left government. His 50-odd very public tweets are worth a read. No smoking gun, but not far off.

So I'm not sure that it really what people, on here or elsewhere, think of him. He really doesn't give a toss.

Agree.
What seems to have set him off is false briefings against him made in PERSONAL telephone calls from Boris to newspaper editors.

Boris is v lazy and his priorities are...weird.

Stuartinromford

kle4 said:

Philip_Thompson said:

QTWAIN.

The "document only he has" angle is very odd, don't the Civil Servants pretty much duplicate and keep copies of all documents as they get exchanged? Surely if there's a document only he has, then its a document only he ever had, which makes it pretty meaningless and it can't have been too important.

How could any official and important document end up in his hands and his hands alone?

Only he out of goverment, perhaps. But it sounds like dramatic licence rather than being literal.

Not necessarily.
Going back to his time at Education, Dom has form for running parallel communications independent of the civil servants. Obviously there shouldn't be private emails or WhatsApps, but I'd be shocked if there aren't. Or it could be a handwritten note or annotation, like the "girly swot Cameron" thing.

That an artefact exists wouldn't surprise me at all. That it's the sort of thing that ought to cause the PM trouble, but won't, is more likely.

Thought experiment: how bad a thing would actually cause him trouble? A scrawled "I don't care if 100k die, we're not locking down again"? "Can't come to COBRA, I've got a book to write/girlfriend to boff"?

(Though in the latter case, some would no doubt praise him for repopulating the nation.)

Philip_Thompson

Sandpit said:

Malmesbury said:

Scott_xP said:

NorthofStoke said:

I'm a bit concerned about noise. has anybody any direct experience?

Very loud, when the fan is running

As with most things involving pumps and fans - varies massively.

Some systems I have seen would make William, Froude (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Froude) cry bitter tears. His work on propellor shapes carries over into fan design..... And yet people still make fans that are really noise makers that accidentally move air.

Yep, because the propellers on ships (and later planes) have to be as efficient as possible, with massive performance gains and fuel savings for getting the shape right in those use cases.

Most companies today (who aren’t building ships or planes) probably just buy standard 13A electric fans off the shelf, without a lot of consideration into the nuances of performance, efficiency and noise.

Used to be a very big issue with modifying and self building PCs.

Cooling can be a critical but overlooked part of the PC especially once you're going high end or self built. Getting well designed, larger typically, fans could make a big difference in both being quieter and better and removing heat.

Mortimer

Fishing said:

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

Post of the day.

LostPassword

ping said:

About time;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-57226704

More of this, please.

About fracking time.

algarkirk

TheScreamingEagles said:

Hmm

BREAKING: Luthansa Flight LH1487 prevented from taking off from Minsk in Belarus due to a reported bomb threat.

https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/1396811343584505856

The fact that airlines of western democratic countries are still flying into, out of or over Minsk is extraordinary.

Stark_Dawning

BluestBlue said:

Well, let's see:

The same YouGov poll for The Times giving the Tories an 18-point lead found that only 14% of voters trust Cummings to tell the truth, compared to 38% who trust Boris Johnson. The star witness on which the anti-Boris crowd must now rely had his credibility annihilated by, er, the anti-Boris crowd during a months-long campaign of vilification. Which now turns out to be very helpful to Boris, so thanks for the assistance.

With his newfound persona as Mr. Lockdown, Cummings is handicapped by his own actions and the aforementioned vituperation campaign that made him nationally infamous for, er, breaking lockdown. And with exactly 4 weeks to go until June 21, the nation's thoughts are on a summer of freedom, not the lockdown of yesteryear.

Cummings would also face the awkward question of why, if he vehemently disagreed with coronavirus policy and had a much better plan that would have saved thousands of lives, he has chosen to remain silent throughout the ongoing pandemic until this moment and thus deliberately allowed all those people to die.

So......

Some very good points. As I said at the time - and as you tacitly appear to admit - the Barnard Castle thing was one of the most significant political stories in British history. As you rightly say, its effects still rumble on to this day. I wonder if Boris protected Dom with this mind - he knew they would fall out one day, so why not get him embroiled in a massive controversy and taint him as shifty and arrogant in advance. It makes sense. We all wondered why Boris stuck with Dom when it was obviously causing him short-term damage. Now we know.

LostPassword

TheScreamingEagles said:

Hmm

BREAKING: Luthansa Flight LH1487 prevented from taking off from Minsk in Belarus due to a reported bomb threat.

https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/1396811343584505856

Feel sorry for whichever dissident has this day failed to flee the country.

algarkirk

Gardenwalker said:

Let’s see what Cummings has to say.

Cummings is a brilliant communicator.
Much better than Boris who waffles with “comic” inarticulacy.

Watch the Castle-Barnard-confessional in the rose garden. Masterclass.

A masterclass in lawyer's drafting being read bizarrely in a rose garden by someone from in a hostage video

Philip_Thompson

Northern_Al said:

The slight risk to the government, and BJ. is that Cummings ego is so huge that really doesn't seem to give a fuck about anything apart from his personal integrity (i.e. he's being true to himself, whatever anybody else thinks). He can't be bought, and I assume he would have refused to sign an NDA when he left government. His 50-odd very public tweets are worth a read. No smoking gun, but not far off.

So I'm not sure that it really what people, on here or elsewhere, think of him. He really doesn't give a toss.

He many not give a fuck about anything else, but does anyone give a fuck about him? He's burnt his bridges and made himself a laughing stock and punchline.

Philip_Thompson

Stark_Dawning said:

BluestBlue said:

Well, let's see:

The same YouGov poll for The Times giving the Tories an 18-point lead found that only 14% of voters trust Cummings to tell the truth, compared to 38% who trust Boris Johnson. The star witness on which the anti-Boris crowd must now rely had his credibility annihilated by, er, the anti-Boris crowd during a months-long campaign of vilification. Which now turns out to be very helpful to Boris, so thanks for the assistance.

With his newfound persona as Mr. Lockdown, Cummings is handicapped by his own actions and the aforementioned vituperation campaign that made him nationally infamous for, er, breaking lockdown. And with exactly 4 weeks to go until June 21, the nation's thoughts are on a summer of freedom, not the lockdown of yesteryear.

Cummings would also face the awkward question of why, if he vehemently disagreed with coronavirus policy and had a much better plan that would have saved thousands of lives, he has chosen to remain silent throughout the ongoing pandemic until this moment and thus deliberately allowed all those people to die.

So......

Some very good points. As I said at the time - and as you tacitly appear to admit - the Barnard Castle thing was one of the most significant political stories in British history. As you rightly say, its effects still rumble on to this day. I wonder if Boris protected Dom with this mind - he knew they would fall out one day, so why not get him embroiled in a massive controversy and taint him as shifty and arrogant in advance. It makes sense. We all wondered why Boris stuck with Dom when it was obviously causing him short-term damage. Now we know.

PMSL.

It was inconsequential ephemera that is now just a Specsavers punchline.

Andy_JS

algarkirk said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Hmm

BREAKING: Luthansa Flight LH1487 prevented from taking off from Minsk in Belarus due to a reported bomb threat.

https://twitter.com/Conflicts/status/1396811343584505856

The fact that airlines of western democratic countries are still flying into, out of or over Minsk is extraordinary.

Especially after what happened to the plane over Ukraine in 2014. (Slightly different).

BluestBlue

Stark_Dawning said:

BluestBlue said:

Well, let's see:

The same YouGov poll for The Times giving the Tories an 18-point lead found that only 14% of voters trust Cummings to tell the truth, compared to 38% who trust Boris Johnson. The star witness on which the anti-Boris crowd must now rely had his credibility annihilated by, er, the anti-Boris crowd during a months-long campaign of vilification. Which now turns out to be very helpful to Boris, so thanks for the assistance.

With his newfound persona as Mr. Lockdown, Cummings is handicapped by his own actions and the aforementioned vituperation campaign that made him nationally infamous for, er, breaking lockdown. And with exactly 4 weeks to go until June 21, the nation's thoughts are on a summer of freedom, not the lockdown of yesteryear.

Cummings would also face the awkward question of why, if he vehemently disagreed with coronavirus policy and had a much better plan that would have saved thousands of lives, he has chosen to remain silent throughout the ongoing pandemic until this moment and thus deliberately allowed all those people to die.

So......

Some very good points. As I said at the time - and as you tacitly appear to admit - the Barnard Castle thing was one of the most significant political stories in British history. As you rightly say, its effects still rumble on to this day. I wonder if Boris protected Dom with this mind - he knew they would fall out one day, so why not get him embroiled in a massive controversy and taint him as shifty and arrogant in advance. It makes sense. We all wondered why Boris stuck with Dom when it was obviously causing him short-term damage. Now we know.

That's so ingenious that I'm almost willing to ditch everything I've ever said on the topic and embrace your 'Biggest News Story in a Hundred Years' thesis. Almost.

Theuniondivvie

What I really want to know is why Dom's twitter account doesn't have a blue tick? The liberal elite petulantly refusing him his due, or did he as a tribune of the people knock it back?

MaxPB

It will be as important as the wallpaper.

TOPPING

Sunny first thing this morning, then black skies and horizontal rain, and now sunny yet with ominous grey clouds.

Yesterday in a field, same thing, and at one point ended up pressed up against the car with a friend holding a picnic blanket out in front of us to protect from the scything rain.

I mean really.

Theuniondivvie

Philip_Thompson said:

Northern_Al said:

The slight risk to the government, and BJ. is that Cummings ego is so huge that really doesn't seem to give a fuck about anything apart from his personal integrity (i.e. he's being true to himself, whatever anybody else thinks). He can't be bought, and I assume he would have refused to sign an NDA when he left government. His 50-odd very public tweets are worth a read. No smoking gun, but not far off.

So I'm not sure that it really what people, on here or elsewhere, think of him. He really doesn't give a toss.

He many not give a fuck about anything else, but does anyone give a fuck about him? He's burnt his bridges and made himself a laughing stock and punchline.

It's true that all the people on here who really, REALLY gave a fuck about Dom and would have died in a ditch for him last spring don't give a fuck now.

TOPPING

Fishing said:

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

Yeah I don't see what could possibly come out that is, in advance of the enquiry, a slam dunk OMG moment.

Something on care homes perhaps as I believe that is the exposed flank for the govt (it's certainly not the timing of lockdown) but other than that can't see it because as you say so much of it, and of Boris is in the price.

Philip_Thompson

Theuniondivvie said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Northern_Al said:

The slight risk to the government, and BJ. is that Cummings ego is so huge that really doesn't seem to give a fuck about anything apart from his personal integrity (i.e. he's being true to himself, whatever anybody else thinks). He can't be bought, and I assume he would have refused to sign an NDA when he left government. His 50-odd very public tweets are worth a read. No smoking gun, but not far off.

So I'm not sure that it really what people, on here or elsewhere, think of him. He really doesn't give a toss.

He many not give a fuck about anything else, but does anyone give a fuck about him? He's burnt his bridges and made himself a laughing stock and punchline.

It's true that all the people on here who really, REALLY gave a fuck about Dom and would have died in a ditch for him last spring don't give a fuck now.

He was a useful member of the team then. He's not anymore.

Theuniondivvie

Philip_Thompson said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Northern_Al said:

The slight risk to the government, and BJ. is that Cummings ego is so huge that really doesn't seem to give a fuck about anything apart from his personal integrity (i.e. he's being true to himself, whatever anybody else thinks). He can't be bought, and I assume he would have refused to sign an NDA when he left government. His 50-odd very public tweets are worth a read. No smoking gun, but not far off.

So I'm not sure that it really what people, on here or elsewhere, think of him. He really doesn't give a toss.

He many not give a fuck about anything else, but does anyone give a fuck about him? He's burnt his bridges and made himself a laughing stock and punchline.

It's true that all the people on here who really, REALLY gave a fuck about Dom and would have died in a ditch for him last spring don't give a fuck now.

He was a useful member of the team then. He's not anymore.

Fuck Dom going on the ever expanding list.

DecrepiterJohnL

TOPPING said:

Fishing said:

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

Yeah I don't see what could possibly come out that is, in advance of the enquiry, a slam dunk OMG moment.

Something on care homes perhaps as I believe that is the exposed flank for the govt (it's certainly not the timing of lockdown) but other than that can't see it because as you say so much of it, and of Boris is in the price.

KO blow seems unlikely but perhaps Cummings can score a few points with backbenchers for when the gilt wears off Boris's gingerbread, although I expect Boris to have retired at the top rather than wait to be pushed.

DavidL

I think it will be a damp squib. No doubt he will argue that had Boris taken his advice we would have locked down sooner/ cancelled Christmas, whatever, but that he wasn't adequately listened to so more people died. Or possibly the reverse but the economy would be in better shape. Or possibly both at once.

Other than those desperate to find any stick to beat Boris with (whatever it may be covered with) who actually cares?

Taz

DecrepiterJohnL said:

TOPPING said:

Fishing said:

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

Yeah I don't see what could possibly come out that is, in advance of the enquiry, a slam dunk OMG moment.

Something on care homes perhaps as I believe that is the exposed flank for the govt (it's certainly not the timing of lockdown) but other than that can't see it because as you say so much of it, and of Boris is in the price.

KO blow seems unlikely but perhaps Cummings can score a few points with backbenchers for when the gilt wears off Boris's gingerbread, although I expect Boris to have retired at the top rather than wait to be pushed.

The initial care homes advice/recommendations were from Public Health England.

The govt did follow the advice but it was advice from PHE all the same.

Theuniondivvie

These guys are at the top of their game

https://twitter.com/jude5456/status/1396789209063641093?s=20

DecrepiterJohnL

Starmer/Morgan is the other great media event but I can't see it somehow. The danger for Starmer is coming over as a poor man's Prince Harry. Sure he loved his mum but boo hoo, millions have lost parents but life has to go on because most people don't have a million quid in the bank.

Potential upside: none.
Potential downside: he looks pathetic.

Though given his speeches elsewhere, perhaps he cannot tell an interesting anecdote so viewers will have turned over.

DavidL

What he just might have something interesting to talk about is the way that politicians have to make decisions and the quality of data and advice available to them when they do. I suspect he would have some genuinely interesting things to say about that, even if it is less likely to give him a Daily Mail headline.

That is supposedly what he came into Whitehall to try and fix and it is sad that he failed.

Theuniondivvie

Perhaps SeanT has had a shout out? Shame he's no longer here to confirm or deny.

https://twitter.com/John__Phipps/status/1396816541824475137?s=20

LostPassword

I suspect that, to the disappointment of political correspondents, it will be more about Dom than about Boris. He was right, and everyone else was wrong.

This will act to rather dilute the effect of any specific criticism of the PM.

DavidL

Taz said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

TOPPING said:

Fishing said:

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

Yeah I don't see what could possibly come out that is, in advance of the enquiry, a slam dunk OMG moment.

Something on care homes perhaps as I believe that is the exposed flank for the govt (it's certainly not the timing of lockdown) but other than that can't see it because as you say so much of it, and of Boris is in the price.

KO blow seems unlikely but perhaps Cummings can score a few points with backbenchers for when the gilt wears off Boris's gingerbread, although I expect Boris to have retired at the top rather than wait to be pushed.

The initial care homes advice/recommendations were from Public Health England.

The govt did follow the advice but it was advice from PHE all the same.

And that advice seems to have been based upon models that indicated we needed tens of thousands of hospital beds right now or the NHS would be overwhelmed. The same advice that resulted in Nightingales. That advice proved to be wrong but had it been right it is entirely possible that we might be talking about that as a bold step that saved the lives of thousands rather than a disaster.

Such is the choices that have to be made in a pandemic.

DecrepiterJohnL

Theuniondivvie said:

These guys are at the top of their game

https://twitter.com/jude5456/status/1396789209063641093?s=20

Brexiteers don't understand how Europe works. What's new? Even David Cameron had to be told by Merkel that he needed to negotiate with Brussels not Berlin.

TOPPING

DavidL said:

Taz said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

TOPPING said:

Fishing said:

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

Yeah I don't see what could possibly come out that is, in advance of the enquiry, a slam dunk OMG moment.

Something on care homes perhaps as I believe that is the exposed flank for the govt (it's certainly not the timing of lockdown) but other than that can't see it because as you say so much of it, and of Boris is in the price.

KO blow seems unlikely but perhaps Cummings can score a few points with backbenchers for when the gilt wears off Boris's gingerbread, although I expect Boris to have retired at the top rather than wait to be pushed.

The initial care homes advice/recommendations were from Public Health England.

The govt did follow the advice but it was advice from PHE all the same.

And that advice seems to have been based upon models that indicated we needed tens of thousands of hospital beds right now or the NHS would be overwhelmed. The same advice that resulted in Nightingales. That advice proved to be wrong but had it been right it is entirely possible that we might be talking about that as a bold step that saved the lives of thousands rather than a disaster.

Such is the choices that have to be made in a pandemic.

Absolutely although be clear the policy as enacted does seem to have cost thousands of lives.

Stark_Dawning

Don't want to be a weather obsessive, but we've got thunder and hailstones here.

Philip_Thompson

Theuniondivvie said:

These guys are at the top of their game

https://twitter.com/jude5456/status/1396789209063641093?s=20

He specifically said about areas of national competence.

The UK has done bilateral agreements, eg with France, in areas of national competence before.

algarkirk

DavidL said:

I think it will be a damp squib. No doubt he will argue that had Boris taken his advice we would have locked down sooner/ cancelled Christmas, whatever, but that he wasn't adequately listened to so more people died. Or possibly the reverse but the economy would be in better shape. Or possibly both at once.

Other than those desperate to find any stick to beat Boris with (whatever it may be covered with) who actually cares?

The number one factor ATM is that mostly people like Boris and don't like what they have seen of DC, who since BC is a bit of a national joke.

Everything in politics is relative. For now Boris will always beat DC, or SKS. Nicola will always beat Salmond and everybody else, except Boris. And about Nicola v Boris we await arbitration. Could Frank Warren arrange it?

TheWhiteRabbit

People's perception of what happened in March is already quite far off the truth.

What I suspect we will get is a third account, and everyone will be even more confused.

DavidL

TOPPING said:

DavidL said:

Taz said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

TOPPING said:

Fishing said:

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

Yeah I don't see what could possibly come out that is, in advance of the enquiry, a slam dunk OMG moment.

Something on care homes perhaps as I believe that is the exposed flank for the govt (it's certainly not the timing of lockdown) but other than that can't see it because as you say so much of it, and of Boris is in the price.

KO blow seems unlikely but perhaps Cummings can score a few points with backbenchers for when the gilt wears off Boris's gingerbread, although I expect Boris to have retired at the top rather than wait to be pushed.

The initial care homes advice/recommendations were from Public Health England.

The govt did follow the advice but it was advice from PHE all the same.

And that advice seems to have been based upon models that indicated we needed tens of thousands of hospital beds right now or the NHS would be overwhelmed. The same advice that resulted in Nightingales. That advice proved to be wrong but had it been right it is entirely possible that we might be talking about that as a bold step that saved the lives of thousands rather than a disaster.

Such is the choices that have to be made in a pandemic.

Absolutely although be clear the policy as enacted does seem to have cost thousands of lives.

Yes it did. So it was a bad call based upon poor modelling and limited information. What can be learned from that is unlikely to be useful any time soon but who knows?

Time_to_Leave

Based on the length of his blog posts he’ll need three all day sessions just to say hello.

Time_to_Leave

Stark_Dawning said:

Don't want to be a weather obsessive, but we've got thunder and hailstones here.

Aliens.

MaxPB

Philip_Thompson said:

Theuniondivvie said:

These guys are at the top of their game

https://twitter.com/jude5456/status/1396789209063641093?s=20

He specifically said about areas of national competence.

The UK has done bilateral agreements, eg with France, in areas of national competence before.

Yes, certain services, border/visa issues are a national competencies. I have no doubt that countries will be happy to do two way deals on temporary work visas and services not covered in the single market.

As ever they get so caught up in their own hatred of the other side they are willing to believe anything, including that the person who just concluded a lengthy and complicated trade deal with the EU doesn't understand how EU trade works.

Philip_Thompson

TOPPING said:

DavidL said:

Taz said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

TOPPING said:

Fishing said:

My guess is that it'll be a damp squib. If he had a silver bullet, he'd already have fired it.

I think the main problem for Dom is that most of what he's accusing the government of is already in the price. Most people accept (wrongly in my view) that we should have locked down earlier last March, but also see that it was a very difficult decision, and, as ever, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition didn't bother to oppose much at the time, so can't claim they'd have done any better.

His revelations will outrage only the professionally outraged.

Yeah I don't see what could possibly come out that is, in advance of the enquiry, a slam dunk OMG moment.

Something on care homes perhaps as I believe that is the exposed flank for the govt (it's certainly not the timing of lockdown) but other than that can't see it because as you say so much of it, and of Boris is in the price.

KO blow seems unlikely but perhaps Cummings can score a few points with backbenchers for when the gilt wears off Boris's gingerbread, although I expect Boris to have retired at the top rather than wait to be pushed.

The initial care homes advice/recommendations were from Public Health England.

The govt did follow the advice but it was advice from PHE all the same.

And that advice seems to have been based upon models that indicated we needed tens of thousands of hospital beds right now or the NHS would be overwhelmed. The same advice that resulted in Nightingales. That advice proved to be wrong but had it been right it is entirely possible that we might be talking about that as a bold step that saved the lives of thousands rather than a disaster.

Such is the choices that have to be made in a pandemic.

Absolutely although be clear the policy as enacted does seem to have cost thousands of lives.

Perhaps, perhaps not. The tragic reality is that care homes were exceptionally vulnerable to Covid19 and were hit like a hammer blow in every nation seriously hit by the virus, regardless of how they dealt with it.

Its one of those areas were once the virus is in the whole place is vulnerable and without imprisoning residents in their rooms its impossible to stop it spreading too. Telling residents with dementia they need to keep 6ft about is impossible!

Philip_Thompson

MaxPB said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Theuniondivvie said:

These guys are at the top of their game

https://twitter.com/jude5456/status/1396789209063641093?s=20

He specifically said about areas of national competence.

The UK has done bilateral agreements, eg with France, in areas of national competence before.

Yes, certain services, border/visa issues are a national competencies. I have no doubt that countries will be happy to do two way deals on temporary work visas and services not covered in the single market.

As ever they get so caught up in their own hatred of the other side they are willing to believe anything, including that the person who just concluded a lengthy and complicated trade deal with the EU doesn't understand how EU trade works.

Indeed and he refers too to Brussels wanting to get involved in areas that are actually national competences.

Which the reason Covid vaccine procurement failure is a prime example of too.

rcs1000

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I've never made it to the last episode, it goes pretty shit from about T-5.

Which is a real shame, because the start of the last season contained a lot of really good episodes.

DavidL

If he really wanted to attack the government he would focus on the way that the travel industry managed to keep our borders open and unchecked for the best part of 18 months. It is a gaping sore in government policy that has caused both a terrible loss of life and massive economic damage as it forced us into ever more extreme lockdowns to offset some peoples' skiing trips.

Just bizarre.

rcs1000

Philip_Thompson said:

QTWAIN.

The "document only he has" angle is very odd, don't the Civil Servants pretty much duplicate and keep copies of all documents as they get exchanged? Surely if there's a document only he has, then its a document only he ever had, which makes it pretty meaningless and it can't have been too important.

How could any official and important document end up in his hands and his hands alone?

Yes. Any document that only he has is inherently tainted. Because, um, the purpose of documents is the dissemination of information. And a scandal would be a document that had been circulated but ignored.

TOPPING

rcs1000 said:

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I've never made it to the last episode, it goes pretty shit from about T-5.

Which is a real shame, because the start of the last season contained a lot of really good episodes.

So many series like that - Modern Family springs to mind.

Scott_xP

I see @borisjohnson is saying the allegation he was writing a book on Shakespeare is utter nonsense. Cursory check of Amazon and lo, what have we here? March 2022. Well now. https://twitter.com/EmmaKennedy/status/1396536732498210816/photo/1

rcs1000

DavidL said:

If he really wanted to attack the government he would focus on the way that the travel industry managed to keep our borders open and unchecked for the best part of 18 months. It is a gaping sore in government policy that has caused both a terrible loss of life and massive economic damage as it forced us into ever more extreme lockdowns to offset some peoples' skiing trips.

Just bizarre.

The great irony being that the government has sorted travel... just at the point that it becomes basically irrelevant (and possibly actively harmful).

Taz

Theuniondivvie said:

Philip_Thompson said:

Northern_Al said:

The slight risk to the government, and BJ. is that Cummings ego is so huge that really doesn't seem to give a fuck about anything apart from his personal integrity (i.e. he's being true to himself, whatever anybody else thinks). He can't be bought, and I assume he would have refused to sign an NDA when he left government. His 50-odd very public tweets are worth a read. No smoking gun, but not far off.

So I'm not sure that it really what people, on here or elsewhere, think of him. He really doesn't give a toss.

He many not give a fuck about anything else, but does anyone give a fuck about him? He's burnt his bridges and made himself a laughing stock and punchline.

It's true that all the people on here who really, REALLY gave a fuck about Dom and would have died in a ditch for him last spring don't give a fuck now.

And Vice Versa.

Taz

rcs1000 said:

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I've never made it to the last episode, it goes pretty shit from about T-5.

Which is a real shame, because the start of the last season contained a lot of really good episodes.

They came back for a reunion during season 7 of Curb your Enthusiasm which was rather good,

rcs1000

Scott_xP said:

I see @borisjohnson is saying the allegation he was writing a book on Shakespeare is utter nonsense. Cursory check of Amazon and lo, what have we here? March 2022. Well now. https://twitter.com/EmmaKennedy/status/1396536732498210816/photo/1

Ummm. I could submit a book called "My love of Hitler" and call myself Bill Bryson and Amazons book publishing API would probably accept it.

Philip_Thompson

rcs1000 said:

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I've never made it to the last episode, it goes pretty shit from about T-5.

Which is a real shame, because the start of the last season contained a lot of really good episodes.

The last episode was so overhyped it probably couldn't have met expectations.

Its one that probably sounded like a good idea on paper but it didn't work - and rather topically since it has been in the news recently heavily played on the death of Diana as a premise too.

DavidL

rcs1000 said:

DavidL said:

If he really wanted to attack the government he would focus on the way that the travel industry managed to keep our borders open and unchecked for the best part of 18 months. It is a gaping sore in government policy that has caused both a terrible loss of life and massive economic damage as it forced us into ever more extreme lockdowns to offset some peoples' skiing trips.

Just bizarre.

The great irony being that the government has sorted travel... just at the point that it becomes basically irrelevant (and possibly actively harmful).

Yes, 18 months too late and when, as you say, it may well do much more harm than good given our vaccination rates.

Although we have a new pinnacle of peak madness in the regulations by the Scottish government purporting to prevent people leaving Scotland with the intention of going to certain boroughs in England.

Taz

Scott_xP said:

I see @borisjohnson is saying the allegation he was writing a book on Shakespeare is utter nonsense. Cursory check of Amazon and lo, what have we here? March 2022. Well now. https://twitter.com/EmmaKennedy/status/1396536732498210816/photo/1

This is somewhat wilfully misunderstanding. His claim was he didn’t miss meetings because he was writing the book. Still she will get plenty of likes and retweets.

Philip_Thompson

rcs1000 said:

Scott_xP said:

I see @borisjohnson is saying the allegation he was writing a book on Shakespeare is utter nonsense. Cursory check of Amazon and lo, what have we here? March 2022. Well now. https://twitter.com/EmmaKennedy/status/1396536732498210816/photo/1

Ummm. I could submit a book called "My love of Hitler" and call myself Bill Bryson and Amazons book publishing API would probably accept it.

You know who else wrote a book called "My love of Hitler"?

Scott_xP

rcs1000 said:

Ummm. I could submit a book called "My love of Hitler" and call myself Bill Bryson and Amazons book publishing API would probably accept it.

Asked whether Johnson had carried out any work on the Shakespeare book since becoming prime minister in July 2019, the spokesperson said: “Not that I am aware of.”
https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1396820473934229508

A fancy way of saying "Yes"...
https://twitter.com/alexmassie/status/1396824283960291330

LostPassword

DavidL said:

If he really wanted to attack the government he would focus on the way that the travel industry managed to keep our borders open and unchecked for the best part of 18 months. It is a gaping sore in government policy that has caused both a terrible loss of life and massive economic damage as it forced us into ever more extreme lockdowns to offset some peoples' skiing trips.

Just bizarre.

It would not surprise me if we were to hear that Dom was pro hotel quarantine, early lockdown, vaccine procurement, mask-wearing and anti emergency hospital discharge to care homes, Dido Harding, shaking hands in early 2020, etc.

The only thing that would surprise me is if he admitted to any mistakes himself. It will be a canonical example of aftertiming.

FrancisUrquhart

Ex-Formula One chief Max Mosley is dead at 81

Fishing

DavidL said:

If he really wanted to attack the government he would focus on the way that the travel industry managed to keep our borders open and unchecked for the best part of 18 months. It is a gaping sore in government policy that has caused both a terrible loss of life and massive economic damage as it forced us into ever more extreme lockdowns to offset some peoples' skiing trips.

Just bizarre.

You think we should have controlled the border with Kent?

Time_to_Leave

Scott_xP said:

rcs1000 said:

Ummm. I could submit a book called "My love of Hitler" and call myself Bill Bryson and Amazons book publishing API would probably accept it.

Asked whether Johnson had carried out any work on the Shakespeare book since becoming prime minister in July 2019, the spokesperson said: “Not that I am aware of.”
https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1396820473934229508

A fancy way of saying "Yes"...
https://twitter.com/alexmassie/status/1396824283960291330

I don’t really understand the criticism here. Are PMs not allowed any down time ever? Not sure I want someone minding our nuclear arsenal if they never get any time off. If he missed crucial meetings to write it, that’s wrong. Otherwise, so what?

Scott_xP

Time_to_Leave said:

If he missed crucial meetings to write it, that’s wrong.

That is the allegation

FrancisUrquhart

LostPassword said:

DavidL said:

If he really wanted to attack the government he would focus on the way that the travel industry managed to keep our borders open and unchecked for the best part of 18 months. It is a gaping sore in government policy that has caused both a terrible loss of life and massive economic damage as it forced us into ever more extreme lockdowns to offset some peoples' skiing trips.

Just bizarre.

It would not surprise me if we were to hear that Dom was pro hotel quarantine, early lockdown, vaccine procurement, mask-wearing and anti emergency hospital discharge to care homes, Dido Harding, shaking hands in early 2020, etc.

The only thing that would surprise me is if he admitted to any mistakes himself. It will be a canonical example of aftertiming.

Busy editing blog to ensure all those were true....

contrarian

Scott_xP said:

I see @borisjohnson is saying the allegation he was writing a book on Shakespeare is utter nonsense. Cursory check of Amazon and lo, what have we here? March 2022. Well now. https://twitter.com/EmmaKennedy/status/1396536732498210816/photo/1

Yeah this will 'cut through'

Just like the curtains.

Stark_Dawning

Time_to_Leave said:

Scott_xP said:

rcs1000 said:

Ummm. I could submit a book called "My love of Hitler" and call myself Bill Bryson and Amazons book publishing API would probably accept it.

Asked whether Johnson had carried out any work on the Shakespeare book since becoming prime minister in July 2019, the spokesperson said: “Not that I am aware of.”
https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1396820473934229508

A fancy way of saying "Yes"...
https://twitter.com/alexmassie/status/1396824283960291330

I don’t really understand the criticism here. Are PMs not allowed any down time ever? Not sure I want someone minding our nuclear arsenal if they never get any time off. If he missed crucial meetings to write it, that’s wrong. Otherwise, so what?

I think that's the allegation - that Boris was bunking off vital Covid meetings to write it.

FrancisUrquhart

I see we are going to have another media obsession...after the wallpaper, the hampers, etc.

LostPassword

DavidL said:

rcs1000 said:

DavidL said:

If he really wanted to attack the government he would focus on the way that the travel industry managed to keep our borders open and unchecked for the best part of 18 months. It is a gaping sore in government policy that has caused both a terrible loss of life and massive economic damage as it forced us into ever more extreme lockdowns to offset some peoples' skiing trips.

Just bizarre.

The great irony being that the government has sorted travel... just at the point that it becomes basically irrelevant (and possibly actively harmful).

Yes, 18 months too late and when, as you say, it may well do much more harm than good given our vaccination rates.

Although we have a new pinnacle of peak madness in the regulations by the Scottish government purporting to prevent people leaving Scotland with the intention of going to certain boroughs in England.

Achieves political objective of creating the impression that GovScot is dealing with, to paraphrase Brown, "this pandemic, which started in England.."

- Job Done.

BluestBlue

Scott_xP said:

rcs1000 said:

Ummm. I could submit a book called "My love of Hitler" and call myself Bill Bryson and Amazons book publishing API would probably accept it.

Asked whether Johnson had carried out any work on the Shakespeare book since becoming prime minister in July 2019, the spokesperson said: “Not that I am aware of.”
https://twitter.com/iainmartin1/status/1396820473934229508

A fancy way of saying "Yes"...
https://twitter.com/alexmassie/status/1396824283960291330

Christ, the carping is now literally Much Ado About Nothing...

Time_to_Leave

LostPassword said:

DavidL said:

If he really wanted to attack the government he would focus on the way that the travel industry managed to keep our borders open and unchecked for the best part of 18 months. It is a gaping sore in government policy that has caused both a terrible loss of life and massive economic damage as it forced us into ever more extreme lockdowns to offset some peoples' skiing trips.

Just bizarre.

It would not surprise me if we were to hear that Dom was pro hotel quarantine, early lockdown, vaccine procurement, mask-wearing and anti emergency hospital discharge to care homes, Dido Harding, shaking hands in early 2020, etc.

The only thing that would surprise me is if he admitted to any mistakes himself. It will be a canonical example of aftertiming.

It won’t be that simple. He will, as you say, have been on the right side of every decision all along, but it will be because he was following a decision process written about by a mechanical engineer in the 1970s that everyone else was, in his narrative, too stupid to understand.

More seriously I think he’s about to miscalculate and attack both the civil service and the top of the Tory party concurrently. That’s overreach, given all the papers they will have access to that will thoroughly embarrass him.

MarqueeMark

rcs1000 said:

Scott_xP said:

I see @borisjohnson is saying the allegation he was writing a book on Shakespeare is utter nonsense. Cursory check of Amazon and lo, what have we here? March 2022. Well now. https://twitter.com/EmmaKennedy/status/1396536732498210816/photo/1

Ummm. I could submit a book called "My love of Hitler" and call myself Bill Bryson and Amazons book publishing API would probably accept it.

I might see if I can get signed to write Boris Johnson: How to be a Father......

rcs1000

Taz said:

rcs1000 said:

Taz said:

It’s going to be like the final episode of Seinfeld. A big let down.

I've never made it to the last episode, it goes pretty shit from about T-5.

Which is a real shame, because the start of the last season contained a lot of really good episodes.

They came back for a reunion during season 7 of Curb your Enthusiasm which was rather good,

Yes, Curb (once it hit its stride in season three of four) was excellent. And, yes, it was a very clever way of having a Seinfeld reunion... Without having a Seinfeld reunion.