to think Dominic Cummings should go/thread 2

[SophieB100]

New thread to continue previous one, hope you don't mind original OP!

Firstly it was DC went to his parents for child care.

Then when there was a backlash about possibly infecting elderly parents the story was changed that he went to Durham because his sister/neices could provide childcare.

Now it is because he needed specific childcare because his child is autistic.

What a load of utter bullshit and people are seeing through it. The story isn't going away and it's going to become more about Boris and the cabinet minister defending the indefensible.

All I am hearing from the government is;

"Under the lockdown rules, we are all equal"

"However, we the Government, are more equal than you"

(Apologies to George Orwell)

Another being why the big secret? Why not say yesterday. It's no good for relationships with disabilities charities and his disabled public if they appear embarrassed about admitting a child is autistic.

Sorry itsgetttingweird but that's BS, it's not embarrassment, what it is is nobody else's business and he certainly has no need to justify his sons difficulties to a rabble of press on his doorstep (or anywhere else).

that's an excellent point but how is the solution to transport the entire covid household up the country, for someone (presumably a family member, as it could have been in London) to HAVE to come in, as the worry was they would be incapacitated? What was it about Durham that meant no one had to go in the house?

The entire household being 3 people in a private car to isolate in completely separate accommodation within the grounds. People keep mention MW's sisters being around the corner, that's a fair point but you can't have them coming in and out of the house to look after him, he would have to go and live with them and if they do only live around the corner chances are he has never needed to spend the night their before, he is after all only four years old.

there

Ok, I accept maybe not embarrassment if I agree with you. But maybe a realisation that if autism if the reason that as 1:100 people approx have autism in this country he - again - isn't special and needing to break the rules all those other families stuck to. Because we were told we had to.

And anyway. Specific childcare needs was excuse no 4. So there's doubt over whether this really was the reason - or even exists as an actual reason.

itsgettingweird my condolences on having that massive git Suella Braverman as your MP

Then when there was a backlash about possibly infecting elderly parents the story was changed that he went to Durham because his sister/nieces could provide childcare.

When you say the story was changed do you mean the official story was changed or the journalists changed their story because they didn't know the facts?

Clav, if we had been told the facts on Friday maybe the backlash wouldn't have been as bad? Doesn't help the people that have SEN children that didn't break the rules to suit themselves does it?

There are people housebound with their severely disabled children, partners and parents. Possibly having one child with additional needs does not mean ignore the rules and do as you please.

Even the amendment to the rules on 9th April stated that people with autism (and their carers) could travel further afield for exercise - meaning travel further to somewhere quieter. It did not say anywhere about buggering off 260 miles because it might suit you better even if you have the virus. Nor did it say then come back to London and then go back 260 miles as and when you want because it's your birthday.

Clav hopefully Boris will lauch an enquiry so we can get to the facts.

I think, and it’s only my little old (controversial) opinion but, he is an intelligent man, he knows the rules, I believe he had exceptional circumstances and he did what he did with approval. Now he will sit back and let the media (and a large section of the left) do their best and shoot themselves in the foot in the process(again).

I could of course be very wrong but I’m not going to work myself into a frenzy over it, I’ll take a back seat and see what happens.

It makes no difference to how I see this if DC's DS is autistic. DH and I have 2 adopted DDs of 11 and 8 and DD1 has SEN and they both have attachment issues. When I became ill we apparently could have driven across the country to self-isolate near my DSis's family or my BIL's family, in case my DH got iii.

We didn't. I self-isolated from my family, as my DH has asthma and I didn't want my DDs to catch the virus. Sadly DD2 did catch the virus, and was ill for 4 days. We weren't in lockdown then in early March so we wouldn't even have been breaking any rules at that time, but I still wouldn't have wanted to infect my loved ones. The idea of travelling elsewhere to self-isolate wouldn't have occurred to us.

What DC and his wife did was in effect guarantee hat his wife and DS would catch COVID-19, so how the hell was he safeguarding him at all? Children usually aren't badly affected by the virus, but this certainly isn't guaranteed.

That is still a massive kick in the teeth to those who have lost loved ones, not been able to see them, attend their funerals etc. His circumstances were not exceptional. He helped set the rules and he should have abided by them.

You seriously think this is about the left frothing?

@whocanibe2day
From today's Sun:
^Last night The Sun was told just three Tory MPs were defending No10 on their backbench Whats-App group — out of 200-plus.

They were ex-party leader Iain Duncan Smith, Sheryll Murray and Andrew Mitchell.^

Stormzy it's not about having a controversial view. They'll be hundreds and thousands of others who have broken lockdown and actually never gave a shit about following the rules who couldn't care less if D.C. remains or not.

For me it's about the fact that every excuse and reason given is still not an exceptional circumstance. Still not a circumstance that the rest of us were allowed to break lock down for.

No apology. No recognition of the anger of the British public and the feeling of distrust.

None of the empathy about how this will be for us all anymore.

And on top of that there was the article in the spectator that Mary Wakefield write and published herself that is not a true account of the situation. And implies a very different situation - essentially they were locked up in London. Also that it was DC himself who was extremely poorly. When government have said it was her and they travelled in case he also got ill.

An apology. A recognition of the British public's sacrifices. A clear response about why he did it (doesn't have to be personal information) would have helped - on Friday.

His circumstances were not exceptional

You have no more idea than I do, I’m speculating as are you.

You seriously think this is about the left frothing?

I think this is about two left leaning papers who have an intense dislike of DC.

I think this is about two left leaning papers who have an intense dislike of DC

I disagree. I think it is about someone who was instrumental in writing rules which the rest of us had to follow, flouting those very rules and being defended by his pathetic boss for it

I work with SEN students - it's my job.
I love it. I worked with students and families for 15 years, from year 1 to year 11, across primary and secondary.
I totally understand the difficulties with a lot of students, and can totally understand that an autistic son would need specific childcare from a person they knew and trust.

But that Cummings needed to drive 260 miles to access that is laughable, and quite honestly an insult to parents of all children, autistic or otherwise. These two parents worked, full time. Who was looking after their son day to day? Was he at a specialist nursery daily? If so, who looked after him before and after, in the evenings? Mum and certainly Dad don't have 9-5 jobs - so they had childcare. But we, the people who do have to juggle and rely on family and live in the real world are supposed to accept that this entitled arrogant man had no option but to drive 260 miles to access appropriate childcare, because that was the only option available to him.

That is absolute bull. The aunt and niece could have gone to them. They know this. We know this. And Boris Johnson knows this. Or they could have relied on the usual familiar childcare that they have in place for their son.

Instead they have used their son in a way to evoke sympathy for breaking the law. It's the Emperor's New Clothes: we can see the reality, the media sees the reality, the majority of the cabinet sees the reality.

Meanwhile, many people who struggle with children, with additional needs or otherwise have spent months worrying about a virus and the impact on them both mentally, physically and financially. They've put the love of their friends and family first by staying away, to protect them. When they needed to reach out, they resisted and just got on with it. Mums and Dads, Mums on their own, Dads on their own, we all made sacrifices. That Johnson had the audacity to say that Cummings acted "as an responsible father would" is incredulous: any responsible father would have followed the rules, and cracked on with it, getting help in at the family home if and when it was necessary.

And Boris Johnson has now given us all a very clear message: We don't matter. He needs Cummings more than he needs to protect us from the virus. He has gambled hugely, and we all know it won't pay off. You don't gamble with peoples lives Mr Johnson.

It’s not clear that it’s true:
mobile.twitter.com/jimwaterson/status/1264838102817873922

It doesn’t matter whether his circumstances were exceptional or not. He broke the law while expecting us all to not break the law.

From the Mail -
"Four of Boris Johnson's top scientists accuse him of trashing their efforts to get public to obey lockdown after he gives under-fire Dominic Cummings his backing over trips to Durham."

Looked at two of the four -

Susan Michie, professor of health psychology at University College London is a member of Independent SAGE not the official SAGE.

"August 2018 - Susan Michie, Communist Party member and ex-wife of one of Jeremy Corbyn’s closest advisers, donated £14,000 to Corbyn’s Labour Party, according to Electoral Commission records."

www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/the-londoner-communists-14k-labour-donation-a3905511.html

Psychology professor Stephen Reicher, University of St Andrews - sub committee of SAGE also tweeted in April;

"You don't have to like Johnson or his government (and I don't)..."

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8353025/Boris-Johnsons-scientists-accuse-trashing-efforts-public-obey-lockdown.html

The Daily Mail, some Tory MPs and Piers Morgan can hardly be described as left frothers.

The Daily Mail, some Tory MPs and Piers Morgan can hardly be described as left frothers.

My point being that we tend to believe that all scientists are independent and apolitical - they are not.

Clavinova I heard Peter Bottomley complaining about the 'lefty' Susan Michie yesterday. He sounded lame and desperate and so do you.

Surely Cummings must know you're in trouble when the Guardian and the Daily Mail agree you should go?

What is it advisors usually say when they resign "I've become the story"? Over much lesser stories than this.