to think Dominic Cummings has to go?

[RoosterPie]

Dominic Cummings apparently travelled to his parents house while meant to be self isolating due to covid symptoms.

Given what happened with Neil Ferguson and Catherine Calderwood, AIBU to think his position ought to be untenable?

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/22/dominic-cummings-durham-trip-coronavirus-lockdown

@MaybeNew people moved ONCE and stayed put.

That is totally different to making TWO round trips. With covid19.

Well it says in the scotland rules that you can travel to move house..

No fan of Dominic Cummings but this is ridiculous. In my office alone, there are 5 families who went to stay with one of the parents. They all drove at least a good couple of hours out of London. If I had had somewhere to go, I would have done the same. Almost 60% of the single adults went back to their parents.

But presumably these single adults were symptoms free and went there at the beginning of lockdown with the intention to stay there for sometime, not just casually driving up and done the A1 at leisure when the mood took them irrespective of having covid 19

@Piglet89 been a litigation solicitor 15 years so while I’m very impressed by your law degree and subsequent practice, the fact remains your post which I replied to wasn’t a good point. You asked which category of reasonable excuse it fell into, I pointed out it wasn’t that simple as the list isn’t exhaustive. As a lawyer, you’ll know that’s a simple but important point. Not sure why you’re so defensive but good luck to you 🤷🏼‍♀️

A four-year-old is still a child and no child should be used to excuse their parent's disgraceful behaviour

My local Tory MP for Thanet Roger Gale has just said he thinks DC should be sacked.

"There is a degree of hubris and arrogance about this... we all have to abide by these rules......he's broken those rules and he has to go".

First time I've ever agreed with Roger Gale.

So it was Dominic Cummings' father who contacted Durham police and not the other way round?

"the statement from the force on Saturday differed from its previous response over what officers spoke to Mr Cummings’ father about."

"The initial response to the allegations on Friday said officers explained to Mr Cummings’ family the guidelines around “self-isolation” and reiterated the “appropriate advice around essential travel”.

"But Saturday’s statement said officers provided advice about “security issues”.

"Durham Police has not yet clarified what this means and if this is the same as guidelines around self-isolation and avoiding non-essential travel."

"The force’s updated statement read: “Following a significant number of media inquiries over the weekend, Durham Constabulary can add the following detail."

“On Tuesday, March 31, our officers were made aware that Dominic Cummings had travelled from London to Durham and was present at an address in the city."

“At the request of Mr Cummings’ father, an officer made contact the following morning by telephone."

“During that conversation, Mr Cummings’ father confirmed that his son had travelled with his family from London to the North East and was self-isolating in part of the property."

“Durham Constabulary deemed that no further action was required. However, the officer did provide advice in relation to security issues.”

"Grant Shapps said the conversation Mr Cummings’ father had with Durham Constabulary did not relate to his son’s travel from London."

"He said: “I think it was, in fact, Mr Cummings’ father who contacted the police, not the other way round."

“And it was in reference to security advice, which you’ll appreciate the family don’t want to go into–not about this specific issue.”

www.itv.com/news/2020-05-23/police-challenge-government-over-dominic-cummings-lockdown-denial/

Thank you biggerboat
I have just sent that email to my MP too.

If he doesn't go they've lost what little credibility they could claim to have.

The Scottish Chief Medical Officer was forced to resign because she travelled to her second home after lockdown. And she didn’t even have symptoms at the time.

Wonder if Johnson will show his face to defend Cummings? People still have affection for him (christ knows why) so I think it would probably work.

I can't believe there are people on this thread making excuses for him.

It's a sodding insult to all those people who have been unable to see their families for so long whilst abiding by the rules to keep everyone safe.

@RoosterPie fair enough. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be defensive and do think you have started a really important thread here.

@BiggerBoat1 I have also emailed my local MP. Short of storming Number 10, I just feel so powerless to do anything about this blatant hypocrisy, which very obviously weakens the credibility of the government. It’s surreal - I feel like we’re living in Orwell’s “Animal Farm”.

The timing of this trip was when NHS workers were moving out of their homes or leaving children with friends so as not to spread the disease.
It's a bad look for the government.
Cummings must go or this could be the beginning of the end for Johnson.

Wonder if Johnson will show his face to defend Cummings? People still have affection for him (christ knows why) so I think it would probably work.

I saw a tweet with a quote from Steve Baker MP saying on Sky News this morning that if Cummings does not like you then you’re out. Just looking for it.

The timing of this trip was when NHS workers were moving out of their homes or leaving children with friends so as not to spread the disease.

Quite likely then that some NHS workers drove long distances to deposit their children with friends and relatives.

Final line of this article which I thinks sums it up perfectly: "Dominic Cummings will have the full support of Boris Johnson. Until he suddenly doesn't."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/24/the-weak-defence-of-dominic-cummings-further-erodes-trust-in-the-government

PLEASE write to your MP
no matter how loyal they might pretend to be.
Tell them how you feel
how your parents feel
how your children feel

Get your friends to email their MPs

not petitions, direct emails
www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-your-mp/

Cummings is unstoppable. There have been many in that role before but he is a one-off in the poison goblin mould. He gives me the creeps. Wasn’t he once described as a “career psychopath”?

Clav your quote says "moving out of their homes" not "moving their kids to other homes"

So no, I doubt there driving their kids long distances to others houses and then going to live in hotels and caravans etc themselves.

The fact that he lies of course is not an issue - for Boris. That is Boris’s default position.

@ListeningQuietly I emailed my local MP too, used biggerboat’s email but had to amend it as my MP is Labour so didn’t feel it was fair to ask her to publicly state anything as she has already tweeted.

Yes candi, by David Cameron I think.

Some people are also forgetting the fact that he then allegedly travelled 30 miles from his parents home for a day out, then went back to London then back to Durham.

Final line of this article which I thinks sums it up perfectly

The article in your link also says;
"The chief medical officer of Scotland was impelled to resign for a lesser breach."

It wasn't a lesser breach - she didn't have a reasonable excuse for visiting her holiday home on two separate weekends. If it can be proved that Dominic Cummings went back up to Durham for a pleasure trip that is a different matter.

a lot of people have broken lock down rules, I bet you most of the people on this thread have

I went out for a bike ride the other day and stopped to buy an ice cream half way through my ride (not allowed in Scotland). That is indeed exactly the same as traveling the length of the country while someone in my household has covid, and then a couple more times just for the sake of it, all while being the most senior civil servant in the country.