Betting on new PM.

[Lyonspride]

Everyone knows the virus was started by the Russians and their best pal Donald Trump, in cahoots with Dominic Cummings in his secret underground virus lab near Barnard Castle.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Yes, I agree, fascinating. Usually I find that the terminology of these papers makes understanding difficult, but this one is written in a style that 'Nature' magazine has used a lot to render esoteric matter more easily grasped by the lay people.

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

Been having this conversation about Cummings with a few friends. The press coverage is useless, and in my opinion focusing on entirely the wrong thing. The drive to Durham isn't the issue. He was using the exceptions, and using them reasonably in my opinion, but he did do several things which in my view deserve the sack. Now in this I'm assuming his statement is 100% true, and ignoring the press coverage itself. 

 

The first, and biggest point for me, is that after he rushed home to attend to his wife who had come down with suspected coronavirus symptoms, he went back into the office. Then later that night, went home, picked his family up and drove to Durham. This absolutely did break the rules and put others at risk. 

 

The second is the driving. I don't feel I need to say more about this. I haven't heard anyone claim it wasn't a stupid move, both the short test drive, and taking on a 5 hour drive while not feeling 100% well. 

 

Now those two things could be put down to poor judgement "in the moment" but the fact that he now stands by them in a statement and claims that he did nothing at all wrong in any of this says to me that this guy shouldn't be advising anyone, much less the PM.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

The proverbial straw that breaks his 'innocent' image for me (accuracy caveats still in force) is his claim to have written warnings about corona virus in his blog 'last year'. The alarm bells rang immediately because the only commonly acknowledged corona virus last year was the common cold. It now is being alleged that the blog in question did, in fact, warn about pandemics, but reference specifically to corona virus was edited into it in April 2020. That is not only bare faced dishonesty, but insulting to the intelligence of the audience. 

 

Even I, the Man on the Clapham Omnibus of legal legend, have muttered darkly about overuse of antibiotics and the absence of any developments of new ones, would sooner or later lead to a bacterial pandemic of far worse world-wide danger than a one degree C rise in global temperatures. But what do I know...

[Blatman]

4 hours ago, AndrewOBW said:

Then later that night, went home, picked his family up and drove to Durham. This absolutely did break the rules and put others at risk. 

 

Show me which part of the Coronavirus restrictions this broke? I've posted ;links to the the law several times. Show me exactly which clause he would breach so that a court could render a guilty verdict beyond a reasonable doubt.

It is allowed to leave for medical and work reasons along with care of family. If he had been separated and had a child he would have been allowed to drive the length of the country to collect or deliver his child as part of shared custody and he could have done that every day if he so chose. The press and the SJW's may not like it probably because they now realise they had more freedom than they realised so they're not as smart as they thought themselves to be, but they need to get over themselves...

 

4 hours ago, AndrewOBW said:

The second is the driving. I don't feel I need to say more about this. I haven't heard anyone claim it wasn't a stupid move, both the short test drive, and taking on a 5 hour drive while not feeling 100% well.

 

That test drive was idiotic. Saying it out loud was an idiot doubling down. He should have kept his trap shut. But we've all driven to and from places with a cold whilst hopped up on Lemsip/Sudafed/Day Nurse or whatever. Let he who is without sin and all that... 

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

8 minutes ago, Blatman said:

Show me which part of the Coronavirus restrictions this broke?

 

Sorry, I didn't type that very clearly, but you've only quoted half of the paragraph, so have quoted me out of context there. The bit I have issue with is the trip back into work before going to Durham. Once he was in contact with his wife, who was at this point a suspected case, he was required to isolate himself. Returning to work was breaking the rules. I have no issue with the drive to Durham itself. 

[Blatman]

Required to self isolate by what part of the Coronavirus act? It was a guideline, and a bl**** good one. But it was never law.

[Arm]

The country and world is in crisis situation and some  people including the media are more interested in playing politics. It truly saddens me. I hope one night they wake up and realise what was the point. If Cummings goes it won't be the end, they will move onto the next hate item . Its pathetic.

I can't add any more to the thread

[Alan France]

Exactly right @Arm 
 

I wrote to Sky News regarding an article on PPE. They quoted a story of a supplier of PPE who was complaining they had offered to supply millions of items of PPE but the Gov had not got back to them.

 

I looked at the company accounts, net asset worth of minus and no record of having supplied any PPE EVER.

 

The media just reports against their selected agenda and doesn’t appear to validate anything.

 

I think it started with Brexit.

[Blatman]

2 hours ago, Alan France said:

I think it started with Brexit.

 

I think it started with Guy Fawkes...

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Jesus Christ! 

[Blatman]

Adam and Eve...

 

I guess what we're saying is that it would seem to be difficult to trust almost anything. Everyone has an angle...

Thankfully I am a cynical misanthrope so lockdown has been a hoot     

[Captain Colonial]

15 hours ago, Blatman said:

That test drive was idiotic. Saying it out loud was an idiot doubling down.

 

Did he see this?

[DonPeffers]

Cummings probably didn't see the sign as was in a wood allowing his 4 year old to have a wee.......the same 4 year old who had previously had a cast iron bladder and managed a 5 hr drive London to Durham without any wee stops.

 

If Blatman is quoting out of context, is he considering a career in journalism?

 

Ash, the reason things get political in UK, USA and elsewhere is when it is perceived that the respective Government is failing or ignoring the public.

 

When Starmer suggested the idea of a Government of National Unity to tackle covid-19 I was very much against it viewing the situation that a recently elected Government with a majority of 80 and many very bright MPs could do the job alone.  I am no longer sure I was correct.

 

A Police Commissioner when asked how 14 day quarantine and track and trace self-isolation would be policed said he didn't know and thought it might be impossible.

 

 

[Captain Colonial]

3 minutes ago, DonPeffers said:

When Starmer suggested the idea of a Government of National Unity to tackle covid-19 I was very much against it viewing the situation that a recently elected Government with a majority of 80 and many very bright MPs could do the job alone.  I am no longer sure I was correct.

 

At least they'd be united in their ineptitude and inability to do the right things at the right times.