If the Daily Mirror really cared about the impact on public behaviour ...

[blinkinheck]

... they would never have published the Dominic Cummings story.

I'm listening to the Daily Mirror Political Editor on the Andrew Marr show. She said the story isn't about attacking "the Westminster Bubble" and they care only about the effect his behaviour will have on the public's willingness to stick to the lockdown. What sanctimonious bullshit! It is publication and sensationalism of the story, whether true or not, which is responsible for whatever damage is caused. Otherwise, having had a quiet word with the police, they could have simply left them to deal with it.

Disclaimer: I'm not a Brexiteer. Didn't vote for Brexit or the current Tory regime. I'm just calling out media hypocrisy.

Cummings has made it his life's work to criticise a fictional "elite" to advance his very frightening political beliefs. If it now turns out that he regards himself as part of an elite that is above the laws the rest of us are subject to (and he probably drafted/signed off for fuck's sake), the whole media should be holding him to account.

It's terrifying how so many English were taken in by his Leave campaign and have now swallowed the Tory line that the media are somehow unpatriotic in doing their job. Have a good hard look at yourself OP.

They did publish it. Then they claimed they weren't publishing it for political reasons, but only because they cared about the impact. That is the hypocrisy.

No OP, the hypocrisy is this government implementing not just guidelines but laws relating to everyone staying at home apart from very specific exceptions (key workers, shopping for food and medication, exercise), and isolating completely (i.e. not leaving your house for any reason) if you have Covid symptoms, which Cummings did, and then thinking they themselves are above those laws. That is the hypocrisy.

If the government cared about the public's behaviour they'd come down hard on Cummings. He should be used as an example, instead he's now an excuse. I've not seen my mum for months can I invite her for some childcare, maybe I'll invite my dad at the same time and pay him to clean something

And it wouldn't be the first time Cummings and this government think themselves above the law. The arrogance of him and the contempt he so clearly has for everyone is breathtaking.

I get that you think publishing might not have been in the public interest, @blinkinghell as it might encourage undesirable behaviour.

Any thing to say about the advisability of travelling with some who who was showing symptoms of COVID-19, when the country had been yd to stay at home?

Hi Mary!

Wondered when you’d pop up after that embarrassing pack of lies you wrote about you and Dom in the Spectator.

I have no problem with the Mirror or any other media running this or any other true story. The consequences of the story are irrelevant.

What I have real objections to is when any media outlet suppresses a story because it may be bad for their favoured political parties or their sponsors, advertisers or owners. If the editor or top management of The Mirror had done something similar, then not only would this not appear in the Mirror, it would not appear in The Sun either due to newspapers operating a "gentleman's agreemaent" that they spike such stories.

Mary! Long time, no see! Tell me, how was your birthday?