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?

GetOffYourHighHorse

'Maybe they were upset with him spreading the virus all over their street with no regard for their health?'

When did he spread the virus 'all over their street'?

When he repeatedly left his house while having the virus.
He put all his neighbours in danger!

Is there a bit of projecting going on here?

Says the person who then goes on to project:

Him and his wife could have ended up in hospital with the virus

@ypestis no of course a 4yr old vulnerable child is not an exceptional circumstance my friends' autistic daughter would not get into a carer's car and travel to a safe place without her parents - but we all know better about how to parent other people's children don't we MN.

Him and his wife could have ended up in hospital with the virus, there was accomodation where they could self isolate and family close by if their 4yr old needed caring for. Not a great plan but again, does not warrant both the media and his neighbours harassing and being abusive to his family

In that event, and if the only possible carers were the relatives 260 miles away, you would expect them to put in place an arrangement for a non-infectious person to come and fetch their child. You wouldn't expect them to break clear guidance and put other people at risk on a purely precautionary basis.

that if both parents are ill and there is the welfare of a DC to consider then exceptions may be considered

Dominic Cummings wasn’t ill.

@tawnygrisettes

Nasty spiteful witch-hunt

Anyone else read this in the voice of Gollum? Nasty spiteful Hobbitses...

GetOffYourHighHorse

'them not not take him away from his home, routine and things and drive (in an enclosed space with two sick people) over 250 miles away from that.'

To be closer (while isolating) to family members his ds knew and loved if they were needed.

I would have done exactly the same, however I'm not a government advisor and it's the lapse in his judgement for predicting the outrage that i find more puzzling than the fact he went to self isolate near family.

So you are saying that it’s ok to travel WITH THE VIRUS and visit VULNERABLE family members?
Ffs that is the definition of against the rules and irresponsible.

Durham police quoted as saying- The former chief constable of Durham police has launched a strident attack on Dominic Cummings and the government defending him, branding them self-privileged hypocrites who have damaged the fight against coronavirus at a time of national emergency.
Mike Barton, who stepped down as chief constable last year, said the government’s defence of Boris Johnson’s chief adviser – who travelled from London to Durham after his wife came down with Covid-19 symptoms – was causing extensive damage as police try to get the public to obey lockdown rules.

It is clear he has broken the rules. It could not be clearer. I cannot think of a worse example of a breach of the lockdown rules. For it then to be defended by the government just beggars belief.”
Barton said the rules were clear: that anyone with symptoms of coronavirus should not leave their home.
“What is particularly sad and undermines completely the government position is they seem to be operating in a bubble of self-privilege and denial when they all should be leading by example.

Surely if you're that indispensable you have a Plan B in place that doesn't involve travelling 260 miles and endangering your vulnerable parents?

When I was working with small kids, I wasn't that indispensable, but I had Plans B, C, D, E and F in place. None of them involved this sort of nonsense.

Some people just don't though. As I said above there are claims that the child has ASD.

I have a sibling with ASD. When I was growing up the only person who occasionally looked after us other than my parents (maybe once / twice a year) was my paternal grandmother. There were no neighbours, friends or other relatives my parents asked in my entire childhood.

What if DC had posted on Mumsnet a couple of weeks ago saying my wife and I both have the virus, I am in a job that's really fundamental (eg let's say I'm a surgeon who saves many peoples lives) but I have child with ASD who is only comfortable with one relative. WIBU to break lockdown to go to that relative?

If course there'd be the corona-nazis who'd feel at home in the Stasi hurling abuse, but I think most people would quietly admit that you'd be better off breaking lockdown so you could continue working.

Maybe he should have had a plan B, and I bet he wishes in hindsight he had. But really, should we now be treating another human being like this, is it really such a major transgression?

To be closer (while isolating) to family members his ds knew and loved if they were needed.

The problem with that is that any parent of an autistic child will tell you that it is not the family member who live 260 miles away that their child knows and loves most, because they just won't see them enough. It is much more likely to be the relatives and/or friends who live close by.

The man who coined the 'Stay Home' mantra should have a Plan B.

There is obvious astroturfing and attempts to defend Cummings by interested parties on this site and all over the media.
He just will not accept any criticism whatsoever for any reason.
It’s disturbing.

The harrassment towards Diana and Flack, all forgotten about now eh!

Strangely enough, Diana wasn't harassed on social media. Dragging Caroline Flack into this is verging on the realms of desperation.

He lied about the police advice given. Boris lied about what the rules were at the time.
They both have undermined the hard work and sacrifices that 90% of the British public have made.

People are angry at DC because he broke the rules then lied and then got the PM to lie to us. DC can make this stop by resigning. The public is not bullying DC. They are justifiably angry that their elected government seem to be willing to risk the lockdown for one man. We are rightly angry and confused at how this can happen in a democracy in the middle of a pandemic.

Please can we stop the comparisons with Princess Diana and Caroline Flack. It seems really desperate and disrespectful.

no of course a 4yr old vulnerable child is not an exceptional circumstance hmm my friends' autistic daughter would not get into a carer's car and travel to a safe place without her parents

What’s this got to do with anything? I didn’t say DC’s child was not vulnerable. I said that the exceptional circumstance of two sick parents did not apply here as DC was not sick. I don’t know why people have to make stuff up to make their argument look more convincing.

Now the police are having to explain on the radio that the govt have lied about events in Durham. People that live there are pretty unhappy about it.

ypestis

So your support Cummings but don’t agree with lying or spin?
Right that’s credible.
About as credible as all of the lies and excuses coming out of no 10 right now.

Basically if it's ok when someone in the household is already ill to go and move location in case both parents end up hospitalised, then clearly it's totally fine for every single parent of a disabled child to move in with their parents or friends whenever it suits them

And it's clearly ok for anyone with mental health problems to go visiting family in case their mental health collapses

What if DC had posted on Mumsnet a couple of weeks ago saying my wife and I both have the virus, I am in a job that's really fundamental (eg let's say I'm a surgeon who saves many peoples lives) but I have child with ASD who is only comfortable with one relative. WIBU to break lockdown to go to that relative?

But Cummings didn't have the virus at the time he travelled, so this is irrelevant.

If he had posted on here saying he was worried about the possibility that he might get ill and the only person he could leave his child with was 260 miles away, this is the sort of response he would have got:

• I'm in that situation, DH and I coped by taking turns.
• You can't travel that sort of distance, the guidance is clear and you'd be putting your own child and other people in danger.
• I'm in that situation but I'm a single parent, I've coped. If I had to go into hospital I guess I'd have to call on social services.
• Have you really not got one single friend or relative less than 260 miles away who could help?
• Even if you get ill, you probably won't get so ill that your child has to go to someone else. Why take him away from his home and familiar surroundings just on the off chance?
• You need to get your relatives to come down and fetch your child, don't travel up there yourself, you have to self-isolate.

And much more along those lines.

@wow123 as you are obviously BJ.... give your head a wobble and sack Tosser Cummings ffs.

my friends' autistic daughter would not get into a carer's car and travel to a safe place without her parents

And? Where does it say that that applies to Cummings' child?

DC on TV in 30 mins to make a statement. Let's hope he does the right thing this time and resigns. I can live in hope.

@JudyCoolibar - pps suggesting the child be taken into care by a "hub" that offers isolation. Keep up.

I'm in that situation but I'm a single parent, I've coped. If I had to go into hospital I guess I'd have to call on social services.
Have youreallynot got one single friend or relative less than 260 miles away who could help?
Even if you get ill, you probably won't get so ill that your child has to go to someone else.

@JudyCoolibar are you the same as everyone else? should everyone think like you?

you probably won't get so ill probably, crystal ball at the ready. The child comes first, every, single, time. A child is a minor.

Maybe he should have had a plan B, and I bet he wishes in hindsight he had. But really, should we now be treating another human being like this, is it really such a major transgression?

When you have been heavily instrumental in drawing up laws and guidance that say this is a transgression then yes, the same laws and guidance apply to you. And you can expect your action to be treated as a major transgression when you (a) lie about it; (b) try to suggest that the guidance you helped to draw up doesn't say what it very clearly does say; (c) fail to apologise; (d) jeopardise your government's entire coronavirus strategy by suggesting to the public that they can ignore it if their instincts tell them to do so.