Current Affairs

[towny44]

I think we need to look at which will have the biggest impact on getting covid sorted....the sacking of one high profile strategist who apparently is one of the best... against....allowing the media and the political back stabbers the satisfaction of doing a bit of blood letting.

If proven...Yes' l agree, it doesn't set a good example but l can live with it because for all intents and purposes he is a great strategist and Government's stand or fall by the advice given by their strategists. This is neither the right time or the right reason to be destabilising the Government in its endeavours to get Covid sorted.

I do think a public apology is in order though, if only to acknowledge his flaunting of the rules, if indeed that is what he has done.

I like what I'm hearing Keith.

Yes indeed, the old Keefy is back on track.

[Stephen]

I think we need to look at which will have the biggest impact on getting covid sorted....the sacking of one high profile strategist who apparently is one of the best... against....allowing the media and the political back stabbers the satisfaction of doing a bit of blood letting.

If proven...Yes' l agree, it doesn't set a good example but l can live with it because for all intents and purposes he is a great strategist and Government's stand or fall by the advice given by their strategists. This is neither the right time or the right reason to be destabilising the Government in its endeavours to get Covid sorted.

I do think a public apology is in order though, if only to acknowledge his flaunting of the rules, if indeed that is what he has done.

I like what I'm hearing Keith.

Yes indeed, the old Keefy is back on track.

Can we keep him there until the 10.30 comes along

[screwy]

Why do News stations ie, BBC/Sky have Newspaper reviews held by other journalists who back each other up . Why not invite members of the public.We all know Journalists can and do ‘tweak’ the facts to make a story,depending on the political side of the fence the paper represents.This morning it’s reported the latest Cummins saga reports ‘ he was seen walking in bluebells.’ Where is the evidence.?No pictures.? Just political bias.The only thing to believe in the press is the date on the front.The Mirror would alter that if it suited their needs. Anyway, like Sir Merv I am leaving this discussion till sanity returns. Bye bye.

[oldbluefox]

I wouldn't for one minute believe what a newspaper says, including The Guardian. For example the old chemistry teacher claims he saw Cummings walking by the Tees and recognised him. He then looked up his number plate on Google which identified him. Would I or you recognise him if out on a walk? Would you track him back to his car for the registration number? If you Google that number would it tell you who the owner of the car was? I've just Googled my own registration and it does not detail who the owner is. His father's house is not visible from the road so who is this 'neighbour' who saw Cummings with his father at the house? Why has this story taken six weeks to come out?
In the article there are so many imponderables but if we are to get to the truth of the matter of the visit to Barnard Castle would it not clear up the whole matter if Cummings surrendered his mobile phone which would show where he has been and where he has made calls from?
If the stories are true he should go but all this nonsense about people ignoring the lockdown because of Cummings is ridiculous. I know of dozens who have been breaking the lockdown in its purest sense bringing groceries to aged parents and going inside, ignoring the social distancing rules etc. I am as fed up with being shielded as the next man and have been on lockdown before Boris imposed it but to portray Cummings as the one who brings lockdown to its knees is nonsensical. I shall continue because it is in my own interests to do so.
I agree with David that a little bit of contrition would be helpful and I would hope that the truth of the matter will come out, one way or the other and then the appropriate action taken. As far as The Guardian is concerned I believe they have been very careful in their wording to avoid any chance of litigation being taken against them should the stories be unfounded.

[barney]

I find it impossible to defend the indefensible.

He should not of done what he did.

End of.

It was a total breach of both the current law and the current government guidelines.

He should resign and if he doesn’t, be sacked.

How does this sound?

I’m leader of Devon CC and I’m telling the public to stay home and not come to Devon.
My son in Kent calls and says that he and his wife have the virus.
Can we drive to Kent to stay in the annex in case they need help with our grandchildren.

Then the press find out.

I’d be out before my feet touched the ground.

He did wrong at every level and should go.
It should not even be up for debate

[anniec]

I find it impossible to defend the indefensible.

He should not of done what he did.

End of.

It was a total breach of both the current law and the current government guidelines.

He should resign and if he doesn’t, be sacked.

How does this sound?

I’m leader of Devon CC and I’m telling the public to stay home and not come to Devon.
My son in Kent calls and says that he and his wife have the virus.
Can we drive to Kent to stay in the annex in case they need help with our grandchildren.

Then the press find out.

I’d be out before my feet touched the ground.

He did wrong at every level and should go.
It should not even be up for debate

Hear hear! And I (usually) vote Tory. Had this been Alastair Campbell, the nearest equivalent I can come up with, I doubt many would have given him the benefit of the doubt. I certainly wouldn't, and I won't to Cummings.

[Onelife]

I think we need to look at which will have the biggest impact on getting covid sorted....the sacking of one high profile strategist who apparently is one of the best... against....allowing the media and the political back stabbers the satisfaction of doing a bit of blood letting.

If proven...Yes' l agree, it doesn't set a good example but l can live with it because for all intents and purposes he is a great strategist and Government's stand or fall by the advice given by their strategists. This is neither the right time or the right reason to be destabilising the Government in its endeavours to get Covid sorted.

I do think a public apology is in order though, if only to acknowledge his flaunting of the rules, if indeed that is what he has done.

I like what I'm hearing Keith.

Yes indeed, the old Keefy is back on track.

It’s a fine balancing act John…. you never know what lies around the corner with me

…did you tune into Andrew Marr this morning? If not, I would, but not for the disgraceful way Marr conducted the interview with the Transport Minister, but for his interview with the AZ Chief Ex…who appeared to be very upbeat about the results coming out of the Oxford trials. I may not be 100% correct on this but it appears that whilst the monkeys didn’t fight off the virus which was still detectable in nose samples, the monkeys didn’t come down with the symptoms, therefore they are seeing it as a preventative treatment rather than a cure.

You should see a sharp rise in your shares come Monday

[Onelife]

I wouldn't for one minute believe what a newspaper says, including The Guardian. For example the old chemistry teacher claims he saw Cummings walking by the Tees and recognised him. He then looked up his number plate on Google which identified him. Would I or you recognise him if out on a walk? Would you track him back to his car for the registration number? If you Google that number would it tell you who the owner of the car was? I've just Googled my own registration and it does not detail who the owner is. His father's house is not visible from the road so who is this 'neighbour' who saw Cummings with his father at the house? Why has this story taken six weeks to come out?
In the article there are so many imponderables but if we are to get to the truth of the matter of the visit to Barnard Castle would it not clear up the whole matter if Cummings surrendered his mobile phone which would show where he has been and where he has made calls from?
If the stories are true he should go but all this nonsense about people ignoring the lockdown because of Cummings is ridiculous. I know of dozens who have been breaking the lockdown in its purest sense bringing groceries to aged parents and going inside, ignoring the social distancing rules etc. I am as fed up with being shielded as the next man and have been on lockdown before Boris imposed it but to portray Cummings as the one who brings lockdown to its knees is nonsensical. I shall continue because it is in my own interests to do so.
I agree with David that a little bit of contrition would be helpful and I would hope that the truth of the matter will come out, one way or the other and then the appropriate action taken. As far as The Guardian is concerned I believe they have been very careful in their wording to avoid any chance of litigation being taken against them should the stories be unfounded.

The reason I think foxy, is that it is Labour party strategists doing what they are paid to do…stir up as much sh*t as they can to further the party cause.

[Manoverboard]

The reason I think foxy, is that it is Labour party strategists doing what they are paid to do…stir up as much sh*t as they can to further the party cause.

Perhaps it simply took that long to ' set up ' a false paper trail ?

[david63]

Perhaps it simply took that long to ' set up ' a false paper trail ?

Which could be the case but for only one fact - he has not denied going

[Onelife]

The reason I think foxy, is that it is Labour party strategists doing what they are paid to do…stir up as much sh*t as they can to further the party cause.

Perhaps it simply took that long to ' set up ' a false paper trail ?

And there was me thinking they write these stories on the back of cigarette packets

[Onelife]

Breaking news.

Boris has been spotted breast feeding baby Wilfred while Carrie was out buying farly’s rusks.

Source. BBC news.

[Kenmo1]

I don't take much interest in politics normally but I have been following the Covid19 updates on TV and have tried to stick to the rules as best I can. What does interest me though is whether the media and people in general would be as hard on Rishi Sunak if he had done the same as Dominic Cummings.

Rishi Sunak = golden boy (for now), Dominic Cummings = slippery snake for now.

[barney]

I like what I'm hearing Keith.

Yes indeed, the old Keefy is back on track.

It’s a fine balancing act John…. you never know what lies around the corner with me

…did you tune into Andrew Marr this morning? If not, I would, but not for the disgraceful way Marr conducted the interview with the Transport Minister, but for his interview with the AZ Chief Ex…who appeared to be very upbeat about the results coming out of the Oxford trials. I may not be 100% correct on this but it appears that whilst the monkeys didn’t fight off the virus which was still detectable in nose samples, the monkeys didn’t come down with the symptoms, therefore they are seeing it as a preventative treatment rather than a cure.

You should see a sharp rise in your shares come Monday

I watched Marr this morning and I'd say that the interview with Schapps was a total car crash for the government rep.
Even when presented with the police statement that contradicted him the day before, he still kept digging.
Rumour is that he's just been spotted somewhere off the coast of New Zealand.

Marr - the police said that spoke to his father
Schapps - Oh! that phone call ?

Marr - yesterday you said that neither Cummings or any of his family had spoken with the police.
Scapps - Oh! that was different. His father called the police to discuss security.
Marr- so they did talk to the police?
Scapps - well, kind of …… blah blah blah

I feel that the government have hung Grant Schapps out to dry publicly by not giving him all the information in advance.
The poor guy was totally humiliated on live TV.
He either A. didn't have the correct information or B. is a total liar.
I'd guess that it's A. in this case.

I'm absolutely gobsmacked that anyone can even attempt to defend the actions of Cummings.
He was wrong.
He should admit that he was wrong.
He should resign.

The credibility of this government depends of this.

[Manoverboard]

Perhaps it simply took that long to ' set up ' a false paper trail ?

Which could be the case but for only one fact - he has not denied going

He hasn't indeed but has it been confirmed that all the ' detail ' is correct within said paper trail ?

[Manoverboard]

Breaking news.

Boris has been spotted breast feeding baby Wilfred while Carrie was out buying farly’s rusks.

Source. BBC news.

Pictures please ....

[Manoverboard]

... I'm absolutely gobsmacked that anyone can even attempt to defend the actions of Cummings.
He was wrong.
He should admit that he was wrong.
He should resign.

The credibility of this government depends of this.

I will certainly defend his actions, once again and just for you

Yes he was wrong BUT for valid reasons, imo ... he has not denied the ' offence ' ... BUT

What does the Country and its population actually gain from his resignation ?

The credibility of the Goverment is not as risk from a bunch of left wingers / news hounds / Social Media groups / strong minded individuals who don't like the look of his face etc. It will have blown over in a week or so and especially if No 10 stay tight lipped.
.

[Onelife]

Yes indeed, the old Keefy is back on track.

It’s a fine balancing act John…. you never know what lies around the corner with me

…did you tune into Andrew Marr this morning? If not, I would, but not for the disgraceful way Marr conducted the interview with the Transport Minister, but for his interview with the AZ Chief Ex…who appeared to be very upbeat about the results coming out of the Oxford trials. I may not be 100% correct on this but it appears that whilst the monkeys didn’t fight off the virus which was still detectable in nose samples, the monkeys didn’t come down with the symptoms, therefore they are seeing it as a preventative treatment rather than a cure.

You should see a sharp rise in your shares come Monday

I watched Marr this morning and I'd say that the interview with Schapps was a total car crash for the government rep.
Even when presented with the police statement that contradicted him the day before, he still kept digging.
Rumour is that he's just been spotted somewhere off the coast of New Zealand.

Marr - the police said that spoke to his father
Schapps - Oh! that phone call ?

Marr - yesterday you said that neither Cummings or any of his family had spoken with the police.
Scapps - Oh! that was different. His father called the police to discuss security.
Marr- so they did talk to the police?
Scapps - well, kind of …… blah blah blah

I feel that the government have hung Grant Schapps out to dry publicly by not giving him all the information in advance.
The poor guy was totally humiliated on live TV.
He either A. didn't have the correct information or B. is a total liar.
I'd guess that it's A. in this case.

I'm absolutely gobsmacked that anyone can even attempt to defend the actions of Cummings.
He was wrong.
He should admit that he was wrong.
He should resign.

The credibility of this government depends of this.

You’ve missed the point Barney…Grant Shapps (Transport Secretary) was there to talk about transport not have a bloody inquisition about Cummings whereabouts…Marr should be sacked for not asking one question about what most people really want to know about.

And while we're at it, he should also have been sacked when he was caught with his trousers down but the BBC said "you work for us; we can do a better job of gagging than you tried to do".

The hypocrisy of the BBC holds no bounds

[Quizzical Bob]

... I'm absolutely gobsmacked that anyone can even attempt to defend the actions of Cummings.
He was wrong.
He should admit that he was wrong.
He should resign.

The credibility of this government depends of this.

I will certainly defend his actions, once again and just for you

Yes he was wrong BUT for valid reasons, imo ... he has not denied the ' offence ' ... BUT

What does the Country and its population actually gain from his resignation ?

The credibility of the Goverment is not as risk from a bunch of left wingers / news hounds / Social Media groups / strong minded individuals who don't like the look of his face etc. It will have blown over in a week or so and especially if No 10 stay tight lipped.
.

What does the country gain?

Apart from getting rid of an unelected dictator with damaging extremist views on how the country should be run and what our national policies should be.

The more relevant matter is that if you think it right and important that the British People should comply with a lockdown directive then there must be leadership and example set from the very top. Otherwise we could all find some justification for our individual actions.

Certainly anyone who has been given a fine for their breaches would be justified in asking for a reimbursement.

[towny44]

... I'm absolutely gobsmacked that anyone can even attempt to defend the actions of Cummings.
He was wrong.
He should admit that he was wrong.
He should resign.

The credibility of this government depends of this.

I will certainly defend his actions, once again and just for you

Yes he was wrong BUT for valid reasons, imo ... he has not denied the ' offence ' ... BUT

What does the Country and its population actually gain from his resignation ?

The credibility of the Goverment is not as risk from a bunch of left wingers / news hounds / Social Media groups / strong minded individuals who don't like the look of his face etc. It will have blown over in a week or so and especially if No 10 stay tight lipped.
.

What does the country gain?

Apart from getting rid of an unelected dictator with damaging extremist views on how the country should be run and what our national policies should be.

The more relevant matter is that if you think it right and important that the British People should comply with a lockdown directive then there must be leadership and example set from the very top. Otherwise we could all find some justification for our individual actions.

Certainly anyone who has been given a fine for their breaches would be justified in asking for a reimbursement.

He is employed by the elected govt of the UK, you will have the opportunity to influence this in 2024, any other way of getting rid of him is IMO far more illegal than anything he did.

[Manoverboard]

What does the country gain?
..... The more relevant matter is that if you think it right and important that the British People should comply with a lockdown directive then there must be leadership and example set from the very top. Otherwise we could all find some justification for our individual actions ....

The directive was certainly there to be complied with, albeit Mobietta and I self isolated several weeks before the directive was issued. I believe it is our own responsibility to take such precautions that are required as advised by the Government of the day in order to potentially save the lives of each other and of course others.

This Member of the leadership got it wrong so fine him just like anybody else but he didn't spread the virus ( as far as we know ) as a consequence of his actions and what he did was within the confines of his own family so if that is also correct it has nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of us.

Any fair minded person would, I believe, understand that and many would have done the same as him. Should we seek them out and get them the sack as well ?
.

[barney]

What part of “if you show symptoms, you must stay home “ is it so hard to understand?

If the guidelines said something different, I certainly haven’t seen them.

Irrespective of politics, he was wrong at every level.

I expect an influx of second home owners coming to Instow this week.

It’s ok to travel apparently?

[Manoverboard]

What part of “if you show symptoms, you must stay home “ is it so hard to understand?

If the guidelines said something different, I certainly haven’t seen them.

Irrespective of politics, he was wrong at every level.

I expect an influx of second home owners coming to Instow this week.

It’s ok to travel apparently?

Mobietta and I must stay at home even though we do not have any symptoms. We will be staying put regardless of any directive so that hopefully we will continue to remain symptom free if only because our lives depend on it.

Like I said to QB ... Cummings did not ( as far as we know ) come into contact with anybody outside of his family circle so if this is correct it has nothing to do with anybody else and nobody else would have been infected by him. I have already agreed that he was wrong.

As for your influx of second home owners coming to Instow this week you cannot be seriously suggesting that any of them who are carrying the virus are doing so because of a journey to Durham by a Tory strategist ?

[barney]

I don’t know if they will have the virus but can almost guarantee an influx.
Lockdown is effectively ended.

When THE senior government advisor disregards their own rules , all bets are off.

The more sensible older folk will continue to obey but millions of others won’t.

[oldbluefox]

I don’t know if they will have the virus but can almost guarantee an influx.
Lockdown is effectively ended.

When THE senior government advisor disregards their own rules , all bets are off.

The more sensible older folk will continue to obey but millions of others won’t.

Lockdown for some ended long ago. You can't blame Cummings for this, or can you?