To not understand the outrage at Dominic Cummings?

[Wow123]

Please don’t flame me for this. I’m not posting this to be controversial. I am someone who always tries to see the good in people which has been to my detriment at time’s in the past so I’m very well aware that maybe I’m missing something here and being too kind when he possibly doesn’t deserve it.

My understanding is that Dominic Cummings is saying that he only returned to Durham on one occasion which was because he had fears about potentially being unable to look after his child if him and his wife both ended up too unwell with Covid. I can understand the logic in that.

I appreciate the government advice at that stage was to stay home but if he genuinely didn’t have anyone to help with his son, then I can understand his fears and that he was trying to put his child first as any parent would.

My understanding is that a matter of days after, the government did clarify that travelling in the event of needing support with children if you had caught covid was an exceptional circumstance and that travel in that instance was acceptable.

I personally live hundreds of miles from family and don’t have anyone I could ask for help in the local area was I to become unwell with Covid so this does resonate with me.

I understand that there were sightings of Dominic Cummings on other dates in Durham which indicate that he travelled back up there. If this is true, I definitely agree that he needs to be sacked, but at this stage, there is no proof of this.

Am I missing something here?

I can't get too worked up about this. If the trip(s) happened as per the description, it probably was not the wisest decision, but it is unlikely that it was a public health emergency to the level portrayed by some posters.
I am also amazed that some people seem to have an almost religious faith in arbitrary rules set by the government. The same government they consider to be utterly incompetent.

Cummings isn't the sheepdog; he's the wolf. To a sheep a sheepdog is a wolf.

It's made me very angry. I was in the same position as DC's wife. I self-isolated from my family and my DH took over the childcare of our DDs and WFH. We didn't travel across the country in case my DH got ill. (Travelling in the car with your family in the car for several hours is making it far more likely that the whole family will catch COVID-18, putting your family at risk if they do need to help.)

I also don't believe for a moment that DC and his family didn't stop at a motorway services to use the facilities, potentially putting members of the public at risk.

It's a disgrace.

The ROOOOOLs people, the ROOOLS. I haven't even read the rules.

I had to go driving all over town to find shops without hundreds of people outside and with actual bread and milk in them as all the panic buyers sucked up all the delivery slots and stripped the shelves. Was that in the rules, panic buy everything and start using food delivery services that require a service worker to bring you food?

So he was willing to let his parents look after his son if they became to ill therefore possibly passing it onto them
The three of them should have stayed at home and self isolated together no excuses like many other families have had too and who have stuck to the rules to protect other people.The mans a complete tosser

I really don’t understand people who say if he can do it so can I! So go off and infect your parents.... that will show em!

To a sheep a sheepdog is a wolf.

It's looking more and more that he went to Durham for work whilst ill. So didnt self isolate at all.

am also amazed that some people seem to have an almost religious faith in arbitrary rules set by the government. The same government they consider to be utterly incompetent.*

Here we are. The " I'm all casual " crew.

"arbitrary rules set by a government "
crying here😂

Those were our nationwide response to a global pandemic.

Arbitrary Rules 😂😂😂😁😂😁😁

It’s all ridiculous and typical of the Tory haters that MN is full of (I voted Labour btw). Anybody would think he’d personally been responsible for the deaths of 35K people.
I also bet it would different if it had been a mother doing exactly the same thing in exactly the same circumstances.
All this is doing is taking the focus away from more important matters.
And as for the scrum of reporters right in his face....🙁

Here we are. The " I'm all casual " crew.

Ha I know. They always turn up eventually.

Wow, you appoint a director by completing an online form. The days of visiting a clerk with a quill pen and parchment are long over.

So he was willing to let his parents look after his son if they became to ill therefore possibly passing it onto them

There’s that - and the son could have become ill too and it would have been up to the grandparents to look after him at that time.

but it is unlikely that it was a public health emergency to the level portrayed by some posters.

That's not the point. If the many people who did follow the rules had decided that it was reasonable to do the same, then the results for lockdown would have been very different. It's true that one person doing what he did probably didn't make a whole lot of difference to the situation, but many more doing it would have done.

Tory haters? Plenty of Tories are saying the same, 18 conservative mp's at the last count.

But you are right about taking the focus away from other important matters.

Please ensure you register your disgust with Boos for Boris tomorrow evening.
www.facebook.com/events/s/boo-for-boris-tuesday-8pm/1635023729980734/

I also bet it would different if it had been a mother doing exactly the same thing in exactly the same circumstances.

There was a mother there doing it (as would I) and yet it seems she is entirely without agency and the man makes all the decisions! Normally the mother gets excoriated for any childcare decision, that's why I can't take it seriously, it is all about hating this man. Demanding a man is sacked over childcare decisions? Mmmm.

Maddie, hear hear. If this had been a single mother people the same people frothing up would be telling her to do it. Someone might have even offered to drive her under the circumstances!

I think he probably needs to resign but honestly some people are sounding unhinged.

but it is unlikely that it was a public health emergency to the level portrayed by some posters.

This has gone way past the public health emergency.

It's about credible trustworthy leadership

@WatcherintheRye so the rule maker stops being human

@twinnywinny14 do basically you’re annoyed that you complied? I don’t get it. If he hasn’t done any harm what does it matter what he did in the process of doing no harm? Would people also want him to be sacked for doing 75 in a 70 zone?

“A police chief has formally written to Durham Constabulary asking them to ‘establish the facts’ about Dominic Cummings alleged journeys to the area during lockdown.”

“In a statement, he said: ‘It is vital that the Force can show it has the interests of the people of County Durham and Darlington at its heart, so that the model of policing by consent, independent of government but answerable to the law, is maintained.“

Just been published in the metro.

Bathroom what a single mother would do is irrelevant. It’s not even that he did it it’s that Johnson has backed him. If he had said it was a mistake I was in a bind, fine.

I don’t even want him to resign because Johnson is too weak to continue without him, and it would be even more of a shambles than it is.

I swear I’m one of only about 0.1% of the population that genuinely couldn’t give a shit what anyone does.
To lose precious time getting your knickers in a twist about everyone else is madness in my opinion.

Wow123 did you join MN just to post this? Why havent you responded to any messages?

We were told to stay at home and the majority did just that, sometimes at great cost to themselves.

I think Mary Wakefields article was a entirely a work of fiction. I think they fancied a jolly for his mum's birthday and a nice trip out for MW's birthday (Barnard Castle) and then spent 6 hours yesterday trying to construct excuses.