to think Cummings is being blackmailed?

[randomer]

Why now? Why has it come out?

He’s an arsehole but we’re dealing with folks who are sold on the idea of Brexit, austerity, closed borders and ‘taking back control’ ... top wanker being defended by other wankers. Completely unsurprising.

The hypocrisy is shocking, the press and the Tories were enraged over Dr Calderwood and basically forced her resignation for travelling 30 miles for one night and healthy and not in contact with others, yet this odious man is being protected and excused.

Lol @ 'witch hunt'

A witch hunt? For reporting on what someone did wrong?

No not quite, I think certain elements of the media and politics have wanted rid of Cummings for a while and they are using this to go after him and have his head.

If he’s broken the lock down he’s broken the lock down. I’m on the fence about whether he was concerned about child care and having Covid so decided to isolate in a guest house, the rest there has been erroneous reports Ie the police questioned him and this appears untrue. So it’s hard to see what’s real here and what’s not. Because the person who sis the police questioned him swore blind they did and they didn’t. The guest house is clearly true,

Clearly the media have dirt on him they waited till Downing Street defended them drip fed in oops he did if before.

I don’t really think it’s about breaking lockdown rules, that’s naive, I think certain elements of the media and politics want him out and they now have the ammunition.

It’s clear Boris is very close to him and trusts him, it’s also clear he’s very good at what he does, I do wonder if that’s why they want him out.

So yeah for me, sure he broke the rules, sure that’s reason enough for dismissal, but I think this is about much more than that, I think it’s a witch hunt because certain folks want Cummings gone. I think there is more to it than what we see.

It could only look like a witch hunt if you didn't understand what the term meant.

Yes his family

he shouldbe gone- the other advisors who broke lockdown far less seriously were compelled to resign- hancock was outraged by ferguson- but hancock is not outraged by cummings- its fine when cummings does worse...and repeatedly.

they are putting their colleague/boss over the country's health policy and its atrocious. revolting behaviour from all of them.

Peter Mandelson also knew where the bodies were buried!!!

And Euclid? Great whataboutery there. If you want to see a witch hunt look at how Michael Foot, Jeremy Corbyn and now Keir Starmer have been treated.

The left and right wing media appear to be equally appalled at Cummings. I'm sure those who didn't like Cummings in the first place are happiest about the scandal, but he obviously flouted lockdown rules and the backlash doesn't seem to be partisan.

Calling it a 'witch hunt' seems baseless.

the rest there has been erroneous reports Ie the police questioned him and this appears untrue.

The police are standing by their original claim that they spoke to him.

The police confirmed they spoke to his father. DC and the govt gave a very specific denial ie the police did not speak to DC about his trip to his parents. But the police confirmed an office spoke to DC's father by telephone. They didn't think they had to take further action but they knew DC had travelled to his parents.

The worst they managed about Starmer so far is that he bought his mother some land for a donkey sanctuary. The bastard!

It’s clear Boris is very close to him and trusts him, it’s also clear he’s very good at what he does,

I would dispute the former but not the latter.

Which is why I think this is more about him wanting out. Wouldn't be the first time the alleged 'career psychopath' has taken time out. Give him time to think up a few catchy slogans or three

no, i dont think so. he'll get away with it.

brexit is his baby- he will make gazillions from it and be the peoples hero, him- the unelected bureaucrat, against the nasty 'metropolitan elite'

I don’t really think it’s about breaking lockdown rules, that’s naive, I think certain elements of the media and politics want him out and they now have the ammunition

Well, DC gave them that ammunition!
this isn't some minor infringement, such as he exercised twice in one day! he travelled to and fro london and Durham, whilst infected, to see his parents at a time the (majority) rest of us were keeping to the letter of the law and its spirit.
Any politician, from any party would be crucified for this, an elected MP could be asked to stand down, its nothing to do with him being Cummings, more to do with him being a self centred moron.

I’ve got one - Let’s stop paying Dominic Cummings and find the NHS instead!

i bet cummings thought it was cool but when the other resignations came out and the anger- that must have been unsettling.
his wife wrote about and spoke on the radio about their terrible experiences- poor dom so ill, so lovely - no mention of toing and froing to grandparents.

fund

It’s coming out now because they want it to. I posted a while ago about when the media would tip from fear inducing MUST STAY HOME to ok now you have to think about going out. It’s starting to tip and this is one method. Make everyone angry, find a rule maker who is also a rule breaker. Out them. I’m cynical I know but I don’t believe a word that comes out of their mouths

Backing him has cast serious doubts on Johnson’s judgement. Watching Shapps having to come up with unconvincing answers to the press questions today was embarrassing, he was squirming and Harries was far from amused. They’re now trying to make the scientists complicit in their lies.

Cummings undoubtedly knows where the bodies are buried and he’ll try and take the government down with him. Because there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll have to go. Just what we bloody need, a mortally wounded government in the middle of a national crisis.

Apparently, whilst in Durham he travelled 30 miles to a ‘popular tourist town’. Bag of shite.

I'm a journalist (not one working on the story though). Takes absolutely ages to stack up big stuff like this. The two papers in question will have been working on it for a while. The answer to "timing" question is usually "as soon as they could - but it took forever to get legal sign off"

It could only look like a witch hunt if you didn't understand what the term meant

Exactly.

I must say, I do wonder whether the change from the "Stay Home" slogan to the idiotic "Stay Alert" one wasn't aimed at forestalling problems like this. If the Tories had any inkling that the news was going to come out, they probably realised that Johnson or Hancock conducting press conferences about it at a podium with a "Stay Home" sign on it would make them even more of a laughing stock than they are already.