I just don't see how Bojo can ditch Cummings now? will just look super weak if he bins him off and on the other hand I just can't see Cummings resigning as he seems far too stubborn to give into the pressure applied by the 'elite' media etc.
Yes, but you’re applying logic, something that Brexit voters aren’t doing.
Yeah honestly Boris being like his usual snivelling self probably would have helped him more than coming out in strict support. Now peoples positions are hardening meaning those that don't want him gone will feel betrayed if he does and those are extreme hardcore Boris fan.
Still I feel it's all damage limitation and cutting him off gives the chance of recovery whereas keeping him on means this saga will continue.
Absolutely - it would be a huge strategic error for the Tories to fight the next election (in 2024 or before) on Brexit... which means I fully expect them to do it.
Good/enraging thread summarising the whole Cummings thing.
A “let me talk to your manager” racist woman.
Earlier in the year, before COVID reached us, my uncle told me that despite a massive, healthy amount of goodwill towards Boris and the Tories he expected sentiment to turn towards Labour on the other side of this. He was adament that if things followed Spain / Italy and this affected all of us in a big way, then the Government will lose support. Even without all these massive blunders along the way, people tend to blame the people in power for negatives in their lives - once we get beyond the initial rally behind the flag stuff, which we now seem to be.
I don't think there can be any doubt that we acted too slowly on so many things and in so many ways. Boris was shaking hands with everyone when we were told not to and he ended up in an ICU. The care home situation has been an absolute disaster and has touched so many people. We've heard so much about our NHS and care workers being underprotected. We saw Starmer clearly force a surcharge U-turn in 24 hours and his ability to pop up at the right time to throw the Government's failings back at them with reciepts has been spot on so far. All this stuff isn't going to go away, it will be thrown in to the public consciousness after the fact in a way it can't be during the crisis.
Cummings has been the icing on the cake. Not everyone has lost loved ones, but many have. No everyone has seen what has happened in care homes. Not everyone has been in ICU or got the virus themselves. But we've all heard the instructions. We've all seen the adverts. Most of us, at some point, have had to stay home. To see Boris' closest ally flaunt the rules and to see Boris go out and defend him wholeheartedly is a slap in the face for a lot of people - no matter what party you're a member of, no matter what you voted for in December, no matter whether you're Leave or Remain. It's just bad.
Then after all this? Whether things just get better from here or whether we have a bad second wave, we also have the looming shadow of the economy. When Government support is stripped back and people face the reality of job losses and a deep recession / depression, things could turn again. It won't be Sunak's fault. It won't be Boris' fault. But it will happen on their watch - and they'll have nothing in the bank when it comes to using the word "borrowing" against Labour next time out. Many people don't tend to look at the finer details of why their lives are a bit shitter than it used to be. They just blame "the Government."
This isn't a sex or expenses scandal. It's a massive global event hindered in our country by a series of Tory clusterfucks. Our excess deaths have been staggering. People will say this will all be forgotton about when it counts. Will it fuck. If Boris wants to be Churchill, he should remember that the first thing the British public did after World War 2 was kick him out of office in favour of someone they perceived to be a more competent looking figure to rebuild the country - which potentially would have resulted in Labour being in power for a decade had Attlee not done a Theresa in '51.
Starmer and Dodds have a lot of work ahead of them. But the mountain to topple the Tories is not insurmountable if they get it right.
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It's not an easy win at all. a) It's transparent that it's only being done to absolve one man, b) Only those that broke the law benefit, c) Everyone who followed the rules gets yet another slap in the face.
It would also make it impossible to police any further lockdown measures that are required.
Looks like Faisal Islam followed through his tweets with a full article. He's former C4/Sky News.
The problem here for the government isn't the exact details of whether it was a crime or not. The general public has proven time and again they don't care if their elected officials dabble in some white collar crime, as long as they don't believe it affects them.
Just look to all the previous chicanery that Boris and Dom have been linked to. Leave.EU, proroguing parliament, being found in contempt of parliment, that bus etc etc. The list goes on and on. All matters where they were found to have lied or literally broken the law and there was only a muted response from left wingers like most of us.
This, this right here. this is different. No matter what legal fiddling they have done to work round the rules, doesn't matter. To the man and woman on the street, they've all had their lives disrupted by lockdown measures. Many of them switched their vote to Tory for the first time ever, based on promises of smashing the elites, leveling up the country, releasing the lion from it's shackles and all that bollocks.
Then one of their unelected advisors goes on a little trip, lies about it, then claims no one else is bothered and all those at top close ranks. That is the worst possible optics.
The initial act, the drive across the country is what annoyed people. Doesn't matter if it's a crime or not, as I've said, the majority of voters don't actually give a fuck about that. What they do care about is being made to feel disadvantaged by those in power and the way it has been handled has amplified that feeling. One rule for us, another for them.
When was the last time you got this uniform of a public reaction? I would argue, the expenses scandal, which has a lot of similar overtones. Once again, that was also not actually the worst thing going on at the time and was actually a big distraction from larger problems but it motivated a greater swathe of the public like I've never seen. Again, because they felt like they were personally disadvantaged because of it.
Well, I've done it. I've witnessed the peak of Covid stupidity. The absolute zenith.
I work in a large building that houses offices and technical "stuff". People like me that operate the technical stuff are still going to work, but there are probably 30 or 40 people in this large building at any one time, instead of hundreds and hundred. They are taking amazing measures to keep us safe. A lot of the furniture has been rearranged to ensure distancing. We have hand sanitizer, gloves and masks provided. There are one way systems in place, stickers on the floor to mark 2 metres. Loads of other stuff.
There's a guy on security who has always been well meaning, but the guy is a fucking moron. Somehow he is the main face of the front desk, and he usually is the person to take visitors on tours. Today I was using the vending machine, and in the two minutes it took to get my stuff, I saw him wondering around the reception area with a shit eating grin on his face, walking up to 4 people in a row to greet them, with about 3 feet space. Talking to my colleagues he now does this all day. Doesn't sit behind his desk, just COVIDS all over people as they enter the building.
An email has been sent. Dozy cunt.
I work in a large building that houses offices and technical "stuff". People like me that operate the technical stuff are still going to work, but there are probably 30 or 40 people in this large building at any one time, instead of hundreds and hundred. They are taking amazing measures to keep us safe. A lot of the furniture has been rearranged to ensure distancing. We have hand sanitizer, gloves and masks provided. There are one way systems in place, stickers on the floor to mark 2 metres. Loads of other stuff.
There's a guy on security who has always been well meaning, but the guy is a fucking moron. Somehow he is the main face of the front desk, and he usually is the person to take visitors on tours. Today I was using the vending machine, and in the two minutes it took to get my stuff, I saw him wondering around the reception area with a shit eating grin on his face, walking up to 4 people in a row to greet them, with about 3 feet space. Talking to my colleagues he now does this all day. Doesn't sit behind his desk, just COVIDS all over people as they enter the building.
An email has been sent. Dozy cunt.
Cummings made a terrible call by switching the conversation from "was it illegal?" to "what the fuck was he thinking?!".
The best play, from Boris's perspective, was to let the argument get bogged down in boring semantics and legalese. It would have run itself into the ground if they'd focused on that angle, because people's appetite for keeping their teeth on white collar lawbreaking is - as established above - pretty limited. Keep it confined to that perspective, and it eventually goes away.
Instead, they brought the whole affair into regular people's sphere of expertise: personal judgment. Vitally, this is an area where everyone in the country has been testing, re-drawing, and discovering their limits over the last three months. We've all made judgment calls about what we should and shouldn't do, factoring in official government advice. So we're all eminently qualified to criticise Cummings for, frankly, making godawful judgments.
I really don't understand why Gove et al are now falling back on the "everyone should make up their own mind" defence, because the public HAS already made up its mind. And it's had a lot of practice doing that lately.
The best play, from Boris's perspective, was to let the argument get bogged down in boring semantics and legalese. It would have run itself into the ground if they'd focused on that angle, because people's appetite for keeping their teeth on white collar lawbreaking is - as established above - pretty limited. Keep it confined to that perspective, and it eventually goes away.
Instead, they brought the whole affair into regular people's sphere of expertise: personal judgment. Vitally, this is an area where everyone in the country has been testing, re-drawing, and discovering their limits over the last three months. We've all made judgment calls about what we should and shouldn't do, factoring in official government advice. So we're all eminently qualified to criticise Cummings for, frankly, making godawful judgments.
I really don't understand why Gove et al are now falling back on the "everyone should make up their own mind" defence, because the public HAS already made up its mind. And it's had a lot of practice doing that lately.
I think the really interesting thing will be when the story swings back to how badly we've done at handling the virus, the facade of the competency of the government has been completely shattered. I think the number of Tory voters willing to buy the excuses about how numbers are counted or differences between population has diminished significantly because this scandal has at last gotten the message through to the majority of Tory voters that this government has no problem lying to cover up it's mistakes.
Pretty much, what he did was extreme and outrageous, it's exactly in the mold they sold are gold when it was cheap! All you have to do is show people the map if they weren't already aware of the distance and they go wtf. It's not a minor bending of what people thought you could do. It's flagellant. It's a reason why it catches the imagination so well. A lot of people broke the rules but I honestly doubt most traveled half the breadth of country while ill.
Surely a has already happened, b is now a farce unless they fine Dominic Cummings and c is happening every time they open their mouth.
I jest - you’re right, it’s not an easy win but if they said they would review it it would blow over for a while, instead of adding another log to the fire.
Well then, meanwhile on the Brexit trade negotiations front...
uk.reuters.com
Can't imagine Macron will be happy about that.
EU ready to ease fisheries demands in Brexit talks: sources
The EU is willing to shift its stance on fisheries in negotiations with Britain next week, sources said, in what would be the first major concession from the bloc in talks on their new relationship after Brexit.
uk.reuters.com
Can't imagine Macron will be happy about that.
My car only cost £43 to fill up from running on fumes, nice bonus seeing as the contactless limit was raise to £45. I had a Mazda RX8 before this which cost £65 from empty and only did something like 15mpg lol. #
Failing that MOT has ended up being a blessing in disguise
Failing that MOT has ended up being a blessing in disguise
“We would be looking to shift on demands to keep everything as is now, a somewhat maximalist opening position, if the UK also moved from its position of coastal attachment. That’s where the room for compromise lies.”Well then, meanwhile on the Brexit trade negotiations front...
EU ready to ease fisheries demands in Brexit talks: sources
The EU is willing to shift its stance on fisheries in negotiations with Britain next week, sources said, in what would be the first major concession from the bloc in talks on their new relationship after Brexit.
Can't imagine Macron will be happy about that.
I doubt the UK is going to drop this
Yesterday I read somewhere else that the EU wanted to soften their position but the 8/9 fishing countries wanted the opposite after the Frost letter.
The government have apparently told labs to stop processing those £70 home test kits.
the only source I can find at the moment The Scum but here's the quote from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) spokesperson
the only source I can find at the moment The Scum but here's the quote from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) spokesperson
I was just thinking about those tests yesterday and wondered if the claimed sensitivity and specificity had been obtained with capillary blood or a proper venous collection. There's a lot of variability that can be introduced when you're getting users to collect themselves. And had they validated after the samples were sent through the post system?
UK furlough scheme now covers 8.4 million workers
The scheme to pay wages of workers on leave because of coronavirus has now cost £15bn.
www.bbc.co.uk
8.4 million people on the furlough scheme.
Perhaps not the way to take it, but it feels oddly damning of how much the government has shot itself in the foot over Cummings that it can't even like, ride on news like this. Instead of being able to loudly tout saving the jobs of a tenth of the country, they're still cleaning up the Cummings stain
Hospital coffin bed
Virus related but not UK.
Imagine getting put on one of these, hopefully the vaccine is coming and a more vigorous second wave doesn't come.
Virus related but not UK.
Imagine getting put on one of these, hopefully the vaccine is coming and a more vigorous second wave doesn't come.
I don't really see the eu softening their position as I understand it it's the EU is OK with having less access to UK waters as long as it keeps its fishing quotas, sounds confusing but coastal attachments is determining where the fishes inhabit, changing the words a bit but the outcome is the same.
Would be useful if everyone agreed to delay the end of the transition period with the pandemic going on, afraid BoJo will double down on no extension after Cummgate to regain some political capital
They shouldn't try to spin that many people on furlough as a positive and a success for them. Yes, people have kept their jobs for now but there's no guarantee that many of those people will have jobs to go back to when furlough ends. It'd be a massive blow for them if they go "LOOK HOW GREAT OUR FURLOUGH SCHEME IS" and draw attention to it when unemployment figures start hitting post-furlough.UK furlough scheme now covers 8.4 million workers
The scheme to pay wages of workers on leave because of coronavirus has now cost £15bn.www.bbc.co.uk
8.4 million people on the furlough scheme.
Perhaps not the way to take it, but it feels oddly damning of how much the government has shot itself in the foot over Cummings that it can't even like, ride on news like this. Instead of being able to loudly tout saving the jobs of a tenth of the country, they're still cleaning up the Cummings stain
The Guardian are a couple of weeks behind on this one but it is definitely one of those "It's definitely practical but...jesus christ" kinda moments.
Props to you mate.
I get ever so slightly anxious whenever I go down to the Tube, mostly due to knowing one of the folks (as a family friend) who died in the London bombing back in July 2005. I hopped onto a bus or (mostly) walked around London for ten years after that terrorist attack...
I for one am shocked that he didn't travel to a nearby tourist spot on a nice day, on his wife's birthday, to test his eyesight.
Wonder how many of those 8.4 million won't have a job to go to once employers are asked to contribute to wages. The economic impact of this is going to be brutal.UK furlough scheme now covers 8.4 million workers
The scheme to pay wages of workers on leave because of coronavirus has now cost £15bn.www.bbc.co.uk
8.4 million people on the furlough scheme.
Perhaps not the way to take it, but it feels oddly damning of how much the government has shot itself in the foot over Cummings that it can't even like, ride on news like this. Instead of being able to loudly tout saving the jobs of a tenth of the country, they're still cleaning up the Cummings stain
Oh for sure, and that so many jobs were teed up to be at risk that way should be damning
But for the bulk of people, the wider economic implications aren't something they'd consider that way, I think.
I can't imagine employers wanting to contribute. Many, many furloughed jobs are going to be lost.
Employers will need to start contributing in August, won't they? If so, expect lots of redundancy announcements in June as companies start consultations - https://www.gov.uk/redundancy-your-rights/consultation
Anyone working for a large company with shareholders will really feel the pinch about a year after the situation has stabilised. Shareholders will begin to demand that the companies start to claw back some profit, and that will mean getting rid of employees - especially in companies where they were given a golden opportunity to automate, or learn how to work with less employees.
We have a peacock (use to be two then one died) that lives on our little estate of 50 houses, never leaves, let me tell you, they wreck your car and wake you up...we also have deer who make a horrendous racketLove Kew Gardens. Saw a Peacock there once.
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I purchased mine from UKMeds, the price has since gone up since but all depends if the amounts of them per box is too large.
Also, for a few FFP2 masks from there too.
Yeah, if people aren't out in numbers and spending then business is getting thrown to the wolves, that's why the lockdown, easing up, testing and tracing etc. had to be done right.
Not sure if it's been raised here before but this is a good piece:
Dominic Cummings surely knew he was exploiting a rule meant for abuse victims
As a previous poster has mentioned, the entire explanation for the trip has an overpowering whiff of a story made to fit the known facts.
The fact that the government are exploiting a loophole to avoid criminal proceedings isn't going to matter to most people. The circumstances faced by Cummings and his family were not exceptional and there repeated attempts to paint them as so aren't going to change a lot of minds.
Normally they would just lie there way through scandals but that won't work when the public is actually paying attention, it actually just makes it worse for them. It's almost like they are incapable of telling the truth anymore.
Dominic Cummings surely knew he was exploiting a rule meant for abuse victims
As a previous poster has mentioned, the entire explanation for the trip has an overpowering whiff of a story made to fit the known facts.
The fact that the government are exploiting a loophole to avoid criminal proceedings isn't going to matter to most people. The circumstances faced by Cummings and his family were not exceptional and there repeated attempts to paint them as so aren't going to change a lot of minds.
Normally they would just lie there way through scandals but that won't work when the public is actually paying attention, it actually just makes it worse for them. It's almost like they are incapable of telling the truth anymore.
I took one of these, and posted it back at the first possible opportunity. I've had no communication from Superdrug since, so I've messaged them today to find out if they're going to process my sample or not.
I fully understand the concerns, frankly. My wife is a former nurse, used to drawing venous blood, and she was shocked that these tests were being sent to people with no experience, and without knowing how the results might be affected by at-home, finger-prick sampling.
On the other hand, people want to know their status. And it's likely to be months before antibody testing is widely available to anyone except key workers. I don't blame private enterprise for jumping into that void.