Did Boris Johnson just call us all bad parents?!

[Hermagsjesty]

Having watched that briefing I am incandescent with rage, less at what Cummings did - I understand people might have needed to make difficult choices and compromises during lockdown - but at the excusing of it. Why not admit it was an error of judgement and apologise?

I have three children. When my husband and I both became ill with what we believed to be Coronavirus in mid-March, we took turns to watch the children whilst the other slept. I lay on the sofa, feeling the illest I have ever felt, while CBeebies played on loop. We relied on neighbours we barely knew to drop off essentials. We would have loved to lean on family but we didn’t because we believed to do so would endanger them and the wider community.

A succession of ministers - and now the Primeminister himself - have suggested that Mr. Cummings behaved as any loving parent would. But many loving parents did not behave as he did. We struggled and made sacrifices in what we believed was the National interest. Are they now suggesting we just don’t love our kids as much as Mr. Cummings loves his?

[Nosurveysneeded]

"incandescent with rage"

🤣

[Hermagsjesty]

@cyclingmad I made it very, very clear in my original post that it is not what Cummings actually did that I am so incensed by. I explicitly said I understand different families make different decisions. But to to describe his actions as having integrity really sticks in my throat. Do you honestly not think it sets a dangerous precedent to suggest we can flout whatever rules we like, if those rules go against our parental instincts?

[Underhisi]

NaturalBornWoman I thought it might be that but loads of others are in the same position and they have been expected to get on with it.

[ShinyFootball]

This is really interesting.

I was on the 2 Cummings threads yesterday and they were overwhelmingly against his actions and very very angry.

The mood seems to have done a180 in 12 hours which I find interesting but somewhat peculiar.

[Fedupwiththemedia]

Just curious why there wasn't a witch hunt when Stephen Kinnock visited his father to wish him a happy birthday during lockdown.

[Unescorted]

You had the luxury of having your husband present to watch the children whilst you were ill

So did Dominic Cummings and his wife. The time line they are trying to tell us is responsible is. DC'S wife get ill - they drive to Durham from London so his parent's can look after the 4 yo child. At that stage they had one parent poorly and the other well. Unless the PM and his ministers were telling us a load of cobblers.

[Jolonglegs]

I'm really angry about this. I have a few friends in similar circumstances, and they just had to manage. I know Cummings is a devisive character, and many people are looking for anything to slag him off, but he's really way out of line on this. And don't get me going on Johnson's arrogant treatment of the issue at todays briefing. Arrrrghhhh...

[chomalungma]

I am sure there are many families who were ill with Covid 19 and stayed at home, following the rules.

I think we will hear their stories this week. A lot of their stories.

[pontypridd]

ShinyFootball - the mood hasn’t changed on Twitter. The anger has intensified.

Perhaps there are bots on here. Set by Mumsnet itself maybe?

[Inoneminute]

Beacuase Kinnock wasn't in charge of the message Fedupwiththemedia ?

Yes it's wrong not to follow the rules but to not follow them when you are actually in charge of delivering them is quite another thing.

[Michaelbaubles]

I think there are some bots on here. Of course rage is an appropriate response. The government doesn’t believe in the lockdown which it imposed in the public. Our lives have been seriously curtailed for months and we’ve followed it thinking we were doing the right thing, and all the while they’ve been laughing at us following the rules, because they didn’t think they were important enough to follow themselves.

[VicSynix]

Because Kinnock wasn't ill, didn't stay for some time at his aged parents, and apologised when he realised that he shouldn't have done it? So a completely different set of circumstances, but nice try.

[DioneTheDiabolist]

Cummings was part of the SAGE meetings. He helped draft the rules. He knows more than most parents about the dangers. He has more resources than most parents and he flouted the government rules while other parents put their DC at risk of infection and neglect and were not with their children as their children died.

[jugglingbeans]

If he called us bad parents then all I can say is that he's expertly placed to judge as he has much personal of experience of being a bad parent.

[cyclingmad]

Of course one rule for one another for a different person....kinnock broke the rules as much as many ppl have so dont treat certain ppl differently. Be fair and consistent

[Hermagsjesty]

@Fedupwiththemedia Kinnock apologised.

[BlackberryCane]

Just curious why there wasn't a witch hunt when Stephen Kinnock visited his father to wish him a happy birthday during lockdown.

It's already been explained quite comprehensively why the Stephen Kinnock situation is entirely different, even if you don't think he should've done it, so I'm going to focus on what relevance you think witch hunts have here?

[B0bbin]

Totally agree OP.

[DeeCeeCherry]

How many kids does BJ have? I've forgotten. Maybe he's spreading himself around various households too so, he's not bothered. Besides he knows he has enough of the nation in his hand to get away with anything. He won election because he had enough people voting for him - & the non-voters helped him on his way too.

A couple of colleagues were going on about this yesterday, yet they both voted Tory. I put my earphones in sharpish.

I don't see the point in complaining. It's not as if Tories are being any different than they normally are. & Even if Cummings loses his post he will certainly be there in the background so what odds

[BeforeIPutOnMyMakeup]

@Fedupwiththemedia

Firstly Kinnock wasn't advising the government on its pandemic policy.

Secondly he made his screw up before he was appointed a shadow junior minister for something you have to Google to find out.

If Cummings resigned within 2 weeks he would be back working for another cabinet minister and within 2 months back working for the PM. If you resign you can be rehired, if you are sacked you can't be.

[Hoppinggreen]

He didnt call us bad parents, he called us gullible fuckwits

[burritofan]

Jesus, the Tory voters on this thread love licking the boot. What will it take, BoJo himself spitting in your nanna's face?

OP, I'm with you. As for the posters saying "he didn't say those specific words that you're a bad parent, though?", can only assume they've got coronavirus of the brain.

[user1498647726]

I agree with OP, it's the unavoidable message of their defense, which they haven't quite realised the rage this will induce. My nhs front line working wife did not see our two year old for two months as she mixed our to protect us. But the one that really is boiling my pi** are those poor parants who's 13 year old died without them, and they couldn't go to his funeral :Cummings must go

[Fleurchamp]

@Fedupwiththemedia Kinnock isn't advising the government, it looked like he kept 2m away (still broke the rules but he wasn't on a mini break) and (as far as I am aware) didn't have Covid19.

For me, it is the fact that they knowingly went all that way with the virus. They must have had to stop en route. The advice was STAY HOME.

As a PP said either were very ill and couldn't look after the child - in which case they wouldn't be well enough to drive - or they were well enough to drive and so didn't need help with childcare.

I also find it very hard to believe that no one in London could help them and the only option was to drive 260 miles. Utter crap. They live in London, there are volunteers tripping over themselves to help there, plus I have read they have close relatives within a couple of miles.

He needs to go and take Boris with him.