To think Dominic Cummings needs a clip round the ear?

[MoltoAgitato]

I mean, really, who does he think he is? He looks like Chris Evans’ scruffier older brother (with apologies to Chris Evans) and behaves like someone who wasn’t allowed into one of those dining societies at Oxford and is now extracting Revenge of the Nerds. And what’s with the privately educated, Oxford graduate bemoaning the high numbers of privately educated Oxbridge graduates in the Civil Service? A complete lack of self awareness to realise he is the problem.

I do think that the Civil Service will have him for breakfast though.

I’m a bit worried the civil service won’t have him for breakfast though. Boris seems to be giving him free rein and he seems to be wielding a lot of power.

The bloke is a total arsehole.

Here’s his post:

dominiccummings.com

It’s grandstanding to provoke the Civil Service and gain popular support for shrinking the State and deregulating the employment sector. Just more provocative nonsense because most points in his odd post would be illegal anyway.

I’m an Oxbridge graduate AND a weirdo/misfit who climbed their way out of a hell hole, and I wouldn’t work for him if I was on fire and he had the last bucket in Britain.

He referred to a woman as a “girl” in that post. Bleugh! Bleach my eyes.

And Boris will give him free rein so Boris can stay in bed drinking red wine while Cummings does all the work and bullies the interns.

To be fair the civil service does need over hauling. And I don't think it's even remotely possible for them to have him for breakfast. I'm not a fan of the man, but to be fair it's only based on media perception, but as said, the civil service, and many other government instituions are long due an over haul and they aren't in a position to have him for breakfast or any other meal

Bluntness100

Do you agree with Cummings’ hiring practices?

But does Cummings know enough about the civil service to be the one doing the overhauling?

I love Dominic Cummings and secretly fancy him.

Think he's clever and original.

I don't understand how he can do this. It's not exactly "fair and open competition" if you apply to a Gmail address and some bloke decides if you're weird enough to work for him.

I can't be arsed reading the whole thing. He comes across as a total egomaniac, from the contrived disheveled look to the flowery language.

The failings of the civil service in recent years have a lot to do with the 18% manpower cuts since 2010
and the fact that civil service pay even for highflyers is vastly lower than in business
They can't attract or retain enough of the most talented

Cummings sounds like another of those people who feel the grownups are against them,
who have fabulous dreams but no real plans

That's ok when it's just that weirdo down the pub
Not so good when he's mates with a lazy fucker of a PM who hands over power

I’m not a particularly violent person but have a very strong urge to take Dominic Cummings behind the bike sheds and beat him up. I’d totally back myself too (despite being 35 weeks pregnant).

Hes really not as clever as he thinks he is judging by the standard of his written English.

Yes, the civil service needs overhauling.
There’s a fuck-ton of excellent, experienced project management people in this country they could hire to get stuff done, but a) they don’t, and b) those people wouldn’t walk into that cesspit because they know exactly what would happen when they did 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I note that he has project managers on his hiring list.

I wouldn’t apply for that job, and that’s not because of Dominic Cummings......

Growingboys

I think he thinks he’s clever and original.
How unattractive is that?

Dominic Cummings is one man, with maybe a few allies, agains the entire Civil Service manchineel, which he’ll need to harness their own demise and implement his plans. I don’t fancy his chances - people can be bloody minded and obstructive when they put their minds to it.

It’s deeply irritating the way he ponces about in scruffy clothes - look at me! I am so edgy and alternative and so much better than everyone else because I THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND WEAR A PUFFA JACKET! No, you’re just a less original Kevin the Teenager who managed to make it out of his bedroom.

I agree with Biscuit Barrels.

I think some of his points are valid - especially about moving jobs every few years, it means that experience is lost. But some jobs in the civil service are very plum jobs and would never come free if people weren’t forced to move....

@thejollyroger -
I’m an Oxbridge graduate AND a weirdo/misfit who climbed their way out of a hell hole, and I wouldn’t work for him if I was on fire and he had the last bucket in Britain.
You just made me spit my tea out laughing.

Yes, agree he is the problem. Wouldn't want anyone of average intelligence in the civil service, eh? Government shouldn't represent a cross section of the population, just, you know, the elite. Jesus wept.

OP - I'm not sure it's helping your case to point out how bloody minded and obstructive the civil service can be!!!

I think he’s sexy & edgy and very refreshing.

Love him

Cummings comes across as one of those people who use overly complicated sentences to try and bamboozle people/distract people from the fact they haven’t actually got much to say. People who know what they’re talking about will use clear, concise language as they want to get the message over to as many people as possible.

I’ve no doubt he’s academically intelligent if he went to oxford. I’m just not convinced he knows what he’s talking about.

gower4 Fair point!

I don't understand what he's on about at all. The way a government works is to have a political class work alongside a civil service. Politicians can be from any background and can bring lots of different perspectives but the civil service have the expertise to enact. So is he proposing appointing civil servants on the basis of political opinion rather than expertise? It's a bit mad.

So is he proposing appointing civil servants on the basis of political opinion rather than expertise? It's a bit mad.

Exactly. The basic strength of the Civil Service is in its neutrality, but it’s got to be a frustration to an ideologically-driven government that wants to shrink the State, so he wants to hire sympathetic, naive young people who will work themselves daft for him, and who can be fired at his tiniest whim.

I guess it must annoy him that we have laws and stuff.

Exactly. I don’t see how he has the power to hire/fire or make substatitive changes to the Civil Service, other than by virtue of having BoJo’s ear.