To think that Dominic Cummings DID break the rules?

[LumaLou]

The day after reportedly developing coronavirus symptoms, Dominic Cummings and his family travelled 200 miles to self isolate.

While I can understand the desire to be near family, AIBU to think they should have isolated at home?

Many families in the UK have faced situations where sticking to the rules has at best inconvenient, at worst traumatic. They have managed to do so with less of a support network and less resources at their disposal than the Cummings family.

BentBastard

I think his actions could come under either of these exceptions in view of his essential job position - his young child is a 'vulnerable person' and he couldn't easily work from his London home without childcare.

*to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
*travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home.

I expect plenty of people have done what he did, the difference is they don't have reporters lurking outside their homes and following them everywhere.

No they haven't! That's the point! People in some instances haven't been able to go across town to visit elderly relatives, never mind driving miles along the motorway. In some instances, people have been juggling work, young children and virus symptoms. It's one rule for the public and another for DC.

If there are valid mitigating circumstances then why doesn't he come and make a clear statement about them and answer press questions in a transparent manner?

Inconsistency from Durham police;

"However, 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”.

"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/

"I think his actions could come under either of these exceptions in view of his essential job position - his young child is a 'vulnerable person' and he couldn't easily work from his London home without childcare.

to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home."

Clavinova, you must do yoga to manage a stretch like that! Also, those exceptions don't apply when you or household member has symptoms

I think his actions could come under either of these exceptions in view of his essential job position - his young child is a 'vulnerable person' and he couldn't easily work from his London home without childcare.

*to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
*travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home.

Travelling for work purposes doesn’t mean taking the scenic route via Durham.

Nor does providing care for a vulnerable person mean taking your kids to stay with the grandparents. If he was well enough to drive 260 miles he was well enough to look after his own child.

I think he broke the rules , he was seen twice on two different trips up there wasn't he? And he should have asked for local or official support rather than travel over 200 miles. Surely for government officials who need childcare there is a contingency plan in place?

The child is 4, typically long past potty age

There's no such thing as a typical child . My DD peed into a potty in the car when she was six.

Nor does providing care for a vulnerable person mean taking your kids to stay with the grandparents. If he was well enough to drive 260 miles he was well enough to look after his own child.

His sister and nieces offered to help apparently - they live in another property on the grandparents' land. We are told there are three separate properties - that may turn out not to be the case of course. Would you expect Sadiq Khan, for example, to carry on working with a recently turned 4 year old running around and a sick wife in the next room? I'm not keen on Sadiq Khan either but I would make the same allowances for him in that situation.

Boys do have an advantage in the car - I always had a plastic bottle

But he still broke the rules whether he stopped or not. There was absolutely no need for that drive, thousands of families especially single parents just muddle through illness as best they can.

Of course he did but he has always been the sort of person who believes the rules don’t apply to him.

You’d think Bojo’s hospital stint would have woken him up a little and he’d have forced him to resign but he obvs can’t survive without his catchy slogans.

According to his wife's Wikipedia entry they had "special dispensation" from the UK government to travel.

I'd love to know how one qualifies for a special dispensation in a case like this.

Fair point (potty age) - I think there’s a general attempt by the government though to try and make the child seem even younger and defenceless than he is - thinking specifically about Twat Mancock’s tweet referring to him as a toddler 🙄

Yes he broke the rules
His mum is also 71 years old
Shame on him and shame on the government for backtracking and trying to protect him

His sister and nieces offered to help apparently - they live in another property on the grandparents' land. We are told there are three separate properties - that may turn out not to be the case of course. Would you expect Sadiq Khan, for example, to carry on working with a recently turned 4 year old running around and a sick wife in the next room? I'm not keen on Sadiq Khan either but I would make the same allowances for him in that situation.

Doesn’t matter who volunteered - you don’t travel whilst infected or self- isolating.

As for not being able to work whilst looking after your child - bloody hell, everyone else has had to suck it it up. I’m currently wondering how I’m going to manage working outside of the home in the summer hols without childcare - can I drive dc to stay with a grandparent? Obviously can’t leave them on their own as they’re a child and therefore vulnerable.

And shame on the government in saying that the police did not speak to DC
Its on record that Durham police visited him and his family on 31st March
Are the government accusing the Durham police of lying?
How low can they go?

It’s a ridiculous situation that when hundreds of people are still dying from covid Boris is spending his time trying to protect his friend. He definitely needs to rethink his priorities.

Yes he broke the rules. If he had any decency he should resign.
I also think all those MPs and cabinet ministers who defended him should resign/apologise.

And shame on the government in saying that the police did not speak to DC. Its on record that Durham police visited him and his family on 31st March.

The police have changed their statement - they didn't visit - it would appear that Dominic Cummings' father contacted them and they telephoned him back - inconsistent all round - read to the end.

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

Whether it is the law or not, surely most reasonable people whether they were/ are for or against the lockdown can agree that the advice/ guidance/ rule to stay at home when symptomatic ( except for a.medicsl emergency eg to go to hospital) is pretty much the one rule we should all abide by without exception

Yes he broke the rules. Absolutely disgraceful. Even worse his wife had virus symptoms, they should have all been isolating. Basically they just wanted to go visit the parents for support...Over 250 miles away!! It's toe curling watching Grant Shapps defending him. He should be gone.

rule to stay at home when symptomatic

You were actually allowed out to buy food and other essentials back in March if you had no one else to help you - another exception at the time.

Well, to contradict my earlier post, I suppose, as the PM's right hand man (and the PM being in hospital) it's conceivable that he received special dispensations. The idea that the higher echelons of government are keeping the country running solely via Zoom is a bit ridiculous I suppose.

And I suppose I could understand the mindset of "I wanted my wife and child to be looked after so I could concentrate on looking after the country". BUT why the day trips if that was the case? None of the scenarios ring true on the scant information we've been given.

And IF he had special privileges, then why not state that from the outset? And even in those circumstances, surely it's still not safe to travel when you are actively symptomatic, or you are with someone who is? (And surely you shouldn't be risking the health of your elderly parents? )

None of it adds up.

It’s a gated property so I presume police buzzed at the gate and organised to make phone contact.

It's completely unacceptable. Not to mention that his wife wrote an article about their 'coronavirus hell', glossing over the awkward little fact that they weren't in London the whole time. Colour me shocked.

They have relatives who live mere streets away, if they needed someone to supply childcare. But no, they had to get in their car and bomb the 260 miles up to Durham while the rest of us plebs were stupid enough to obey the rules.

But hey, rules (and indeed laws) are for the little people, it seems. Not for the likes of Dom. He's special.

@YappityYapYap
Can a child sit in a car for 4/5 hours without needing to stop for a pee? Depending on time of trip he could have slept the whole way. And being a boy, a pee against the back wheel in a lay by entirely probably, thought its really no big deal holding a 4 yr old girl over a patch of grass in a lay by either. So a pee stop doesn't necessarily mean services etc.

Can you drive 264 miles in a larger car without once having to get fuel either before you go or during the journey? Unlikely. Complete and utter crap. what kind of crap cars are you driving that cannot manage 200 miles out a tank? - or are you one of those ones that only ever puts £10 in at a time? Or panics the minute the gauge comes off full thinking you're in imminent danger of running out? My large 7 seater is perfectly capable of 600+ miles out a tank so i could have done the trip there and back with fuel to spare, and that range is nothing unusual either.