Current Affairs

[Ray Scully]

Unprecedented.
A government aide giving a press conference.
Once the advisor becomes the story.......

Johnson said yesterday, live on tv, that the story of going to Barnard Castle was ‘palpably untrue’

Today we will find out.

The whole issue stinks and seriously questions the decision making of the PM.

[barney]

Barney while I can agree that he was possibly wrong he is not in denial of going to Durham for whatever reason. The later allegations which taken at face value ,without concrete evidence are muck raking. Fines for breaking lockdown rules are not criminal unless you refuse to pay it,a bit motoring or littering. As for the police checking anpr for this purpose it seems a waste of Police time,sure they have better things to do.

I shall listen at four o’clock screwy.
I’m very open to having my mind changed if he is truly sorry for his mistakes And resigns but expect another white wash.
We missed our next door neighbours funeral because we were told it was not ok.
It now appears we were mistaken and could have gone.

Might nip back to Kent next week and see the kids

[Gill W]

It's trial by media at the moment. The trip to Barnard Castle is based on an allegation that somebody saw someone who looked like Cummings, jotted down his number plate and Googled it.
As I see it the best way out of it is to test the allegations and prove whether they are right or wrong. If Cummings has been lieing then he has to go. Starmer is naturally quiet as he has MPs who broke lockdown rules and nothing was done.

But the Barnard Castle incident, if it happened, took place on April 12th, the Guardian reports he travelled to Durham on 28th or 29th of March. So even if he did go to Barnard Castle this was after the 14 day quarantine period, and if for exercise was permitted at the time.

At that time, we were told not to do unnecessary car journeys and to exercise locally. Therefore a 25 mile drive from Durham to Castle Barnard for exercise was not within the instructions. If he'd exercised locally around the area of his parent's property that would have been fine.

[Gill W]

Unprecedented.
A government aide giving a press conference.
Once the advisor becomes the story.......

Johnson said yesterday, live on tv, that the story of going to Barnard Castle was ‘palpably untrue’

Today we will find out.

The whole issue stinks and seriously questions the decision making of the PM.

I think that is now the main issue.

On Breakfast TV this morning, Gavin Williamson said that Cummings made it clear to Johnson that he didn't break the law. That sounds to me like Johnson made no decision about this himself, he was basically told what was what by Cummings. I think we've got to the point where an unelected, unaccountable advisor is pulling the strings of a puppet PM.

Whatever happens now, Cummings and Johnson are inextricably linked. If Cummings falls, Johnson will fall too, as Johnson can't function without Cummings.

[towny44]

Unprecedented.
A government aide giving a press conference.
Once the advisor becomes the story.......

Johnson said yesterday, live on tv, that the story of going to Barnard Castle was ‘palpably untrue’

Today we will find out.

The whole issue stinks and seriously questions the decision making of the PM.

I think that is now the main issue.

On Breakfast TV this morning, Gavin Williamson said that Cummings made it clear to Johnson that he didn't break the law. That sounds to me like Johnson made no decision about this himself, he was basically told what was what by Cummings. I think we've got to the point where an unelected, unaccountable advisor is pulling the strings of a puppet PM.

Whatever happens now, Cummings and Johnson are inextricably linked. If Cummings falls, Johnson will fall too, as Johnson can't without Cummings.

Wishful thinking again Gill.

[screwy]

Facetiousness isn’t becoming. There must be a lot of Halo polishing going on.
Gill,sorry but at times you do talk some rubbish.
Let’s say you did something not right at work,your boss asks you for an explanation. Your boss says fine,I accept that, would you say the boss made the Final decision or you did.?

[Manoverboard]

I shall listen at four o’clock ....

I think I'll give it a miss but read the reports ... nought worse than watching newshounds having a feeding frenzy

[Manoverboard]

Facetiousness isn’t becoming. There must be a lot of Halo polishing going on.
Gill,sorry but at times you do talk some rubbish.
Let’s say you did something not right at work,your boss asks you for an explanation. Your boss says fine,I accept that, would you say the boss made the Final decision or you did.?

If you tell Gill that she may be mistaken, that's fine, but if you tell her she's talking rubbish then I will take the final decision and delete your post.

[Onelife]

Cummings to make statement at 4'pm

I've got a feeling that he might reveal something none of us know about perhaps something to do with his health or that of his immediate family’s health.

[screwy]

So the media are baying for Cummings to make a statement and explain himself,they’ve got their wish...But. Now they’re up in arms because he’s holding it on Govt property.! Maybe he should have held it on the Thames.

[Onelife]

So the media are baying for Cummings to make a statement and explain himself,they’ve got their wish...But. Now they’re up in arms because he’s holding it on Govt property.! Maybe he should have held it on the Thames.

Some won’t be happy until he’s in the Thames

[screwy]

There’s a few I’d like to see in the Thames.

[Onelife]

Having just heard the the retraction from the lying police one must now be asking oneself is there one rule for us and one rule for the police.

[screwy]

The Police lie.? Unlike the honest press.?

[Onelife]

Top Man!!!

He clearly did what he did for all the right reasons…now the baying press should get off his doorstep and allow him to get on with his job.

[barney]

Yay. Good old Dom.

Not a thought for putting any pressure on the health service in Durham.

What an arrogant prat.

Neither myself or Mrs B are in the at risk category so we’re off to see the kids tomorrow.
Happy days
It’s over

[Gill W]

The things that have struck me is that Barnard Castle was true although Johnson completely denied it yesterday.

Plus, this bit about the child having to go to hospital - that’s completely new, strange that his wife never mentioned that in her account of her lockdown in the Spectator. Completely right, Barney, people were expressly told not to travel to second home in case they put the local hospitals under pressure.

[Manoverboard]

... people were expressly told not to travel to second home in case they put the local hospitals under pressure.

It wasn't a second home but even if it was there would be three extra people for the NHS to deal with ... as opposed to several hundreds who went to the beach at Southend.

[Onelife]

The things that have struck me is that Barnard Castle was true although Johnson completely denied it yesterday.

Plus, this bit about the child having to go to hospital - that’s completely new, strange that his wife never mentioned that in her account of her lockdown in the Spectator. Completely right, Barney, people were expressly told not to travel to second home in case they put the local hospitals under pressure.

Are you doubting this new revelation about his hospital visit with his sick child?

[barney]

His statement has actually made his situation worse and his position is now totally untenable.
It will just go on until he does the decent thing and resigns .
Johnson will sack him if he doesn’t resign.
He was wrong in what he did and this hasn’t Improved the situation.

[Gill W]

The things that have struck me is that Barnard Castle was true although Johnson completely denied it yesterday.

Plus, this bit about the child having to go to hospital - that’s completely new, strange that his wife never mentioned that in her account of her lockdown in the Spectator. Completely right, Barney, people were expressly told not to travel to second home in case they put the local hospitals under pressure.

Are you doubting this new revelation about his hospital visit with his sick child?

I’m saying that it’s strange that this never appeared in his wife‘s account of what happened.

See post 3485 for link to her piece in The Spectator

[Gill W]

... people were expressly told not to travel to second home in case they put the local hospitals under pressure.

It wasn't a second home but even if it was there would be three extra people for the NHS to deal with ... as opposed to several hundreds who went to the beach at Southend.

That’s a straw man. This is about Cummings

[Onelife]

The things that have struck me is that Barnard Castle was true although Johnson completely denied it yesterday.

Plus, this bit about the child having to go to hospital - that’s completely new, strange that his wife never mentioned that in her account of her lockdown in the Spectator. Completely right, Barney, people were expressly told not to travel to second home in case they put the local hospitals under pressure.

Are you doubting this new revelation about his hospital visit with his sick child?

I’m saying that it’s strange that this never appeared in his wife‘s account of what happened.

See post 3485 for link to her piece in The Spectator

I don’t need to look at any link as it is the fundamental right of every parent to do what they think best for their child …. I just think it sad that he has been forced into having to revel personal information about his child...would you?

[Manoverboard]

... This is about Cummings

It is indeed and having changed my mind and watched his statement I would have to say that I am able to accept his version of events and his genuine concern for his four year old son. I still believe that I would have done the same in his situation.

[Gill W]

Are you doubting this new revelation about his hospital visit with his sick child?

I’m saying that it’s strange that this never appeared in his wife‘s account of what happened.

See post 3485 for link to her piece in The Spectator

I don’t need to look at any link as it is the fundamental right of every parent to do what they think best for their child …. I just think it sad that he has been forced into having to revel personal information about his child...would you?

the link gives a complete different version of events, written by his wife a few weeks ago, nothing to do with a parents right to look after their child.

His reason for the journey was ‘childcare’, so, unfortunately, it was relevant to give more detail.