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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not understand the outrage at Dominic Cummings?

999 replies

Wow123 · 25/05/2020 08:08

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
sleepingpup · 25/05/2020 19:32

Whilst a few realistic adults like me look on exasperated.

😂😂😂😂😂😁

What evs Edwina. You're so clever.

Strangerthantruth · 25/05/2020 19:33

This entire thread treats her as if she is completely without capacity or agency in her own life. Disgusting.

Peregrina · 25/05/2020 19:33

Someone in today's paper said that it's not a question of Right or Left. It's a question of Right or Wrong. Absolutely true.

PickUpAPickUpAPenguin · 25/05/2020 19:33

I'm surprised that this question was posted but I will assume that OP wasn't on MN when COVID started. At the time everybody was hyper focused on not making unnecessary car journeys because if we broke down or had a crash, we'd be using precious resources.

I assume that none of the press today were parents because as a parent I can't help but wonder why he didn't do what us mere mortals do and struggle in front of the tv whir dc had too much screentime and good deliveries for a few days. He obviously had to drive back to London quote quickly so that 250 mile journey for 14 days isolating was not reasonable at all.

Imagine if we all ignored advice to use community hubs in an emergency and moved around the country just in case we got ill. Someone driving to him if they couldn't cope was clearly within the rules and the least risky solution.

If press were hounding him and making him feel unsafe before he left London then was anything really different when he got back? Did he not consider Mary and son staying in Durham if safety was an issue?

SharonasCorona · 25/05/2020 19:34

Take DC out of this. Insert a single parent with this scenario who has parents with a farm. Forget about politics for a moment. Honestly would you have done similar? I would have...

No I wouldn’t have. I had the opportunity to go to the Isle of Wight and I wouldn’t go because I knew it wasn’t fair to potentially subject their hospital to me. And Dominic subjected his family on the local hospital.

Justnot · 25/05/2020 19:34

Family outing on his wife’s birthday to test his eyesight? Yeah right.....

SharonasCorona · 25/05/2020 19:36

This entire thread treats her as if she is completely without capacity or agency in her own life. Disgusting.

Bullshit. He’s the driver, he takes responsibility to drive with dodgy eyes, he doesn’t get to blame his wife.

wrinklin · 25/05/2020 19:37

Twitter says Mary Can drive

Maybe they split the driving, maybe she's better at keeping the 4yo entertained, maybe she's timid about motorway driving. Who knows? If its such a big deal, maybe one of the journos should have thought to ask, but they didn't.

PickUpAPickUpAPenguin · 25/05/2020 19:38

Take DC out of this. Insert a single parent with this scenario who has parents with a farm. Forget about politics for a moment. Honestly would you have done similar? I would have...

There was a point when Jennie Harries said now is the time to consider whether or not to change households because you're a couple living apart or whatever. It would have been acceptable for Mary and their son to relocate at that point. DC is a key worker who obviously had to stay in London so I think staying in Durham just for 14 days was not a reasonable arrangement.

Justnot · 25/05/2020 19:38

He doesn’t seem that brainy right now does he?! He didn’t think anyone would notice? Or there would be evidence? Doh

WeAllHaveWings · 25/05/2020 19:38

Take DC out of this. Insert a single parent with this scenario who has parents with a farm.

Totally different scenario,but no I wouldn't as a single parent have driven 260 miles with coronavirus symptoms not knowing how bad it would get on that 5hr journey or if my 4 year or I might need a pee/be sick again en-route. I would have asked for help locally as that would have been safer. Not comparable to DC actions.

thisenglishlife · 25/05/2020 19:39

Some won’t believe anything the Conservatives say so so be it.
Get a grip. This is bigger than right vs left. What about all the angry Conservative voters? What about angry floating voters? What about the people who followed the rules, no matter the personal cost?

lilgreen · 25/05/2020 19:39

Oh @wrinklin you really love him don’t you?

Pennypie · 25/05/2020 19:40

Take DC out of this. Insert a single parent with this scenario who has parents with a farm.

Completely agree.

PickUpAPickUpAPenguin · 25/05/2020 19:41

It's possible that the car is a "company car" so Mary isn't insured to drive it but it sounds like a massive drama for a family of 2 adults and 1 child.

SharonasCorona · 25/05/2020 19:41

Angry conservative voters are being called ‘backstabbers’ on Twitter. This is the puerile thinking of many.

SharonasCorona · 25/05/2020 19:43

I’m insured to drive my husband’s company car and we aren’t even a chief spad and the granddaughter of a baronet.

MitziK · 25/05/2020 19:44

Have you ever messed up an interview question?

No.

Because I tell the truth.

merrymouse · 25/05/2020 19:47

Take DC out of this. Insert a single parent with this scenario who has parents with a farm. Forget about politics for a moment. Honestly would you have done similar? I would have...

DC is not a single parent. However, the question is not whether we can feel sympathy for his predicament, but whether he broke the rules.

He clearly did.

However, rather than ask him to apologise, the government has retrospectively rewritten the rules and trashed their strategy to lift lockdown.

All because Mr Cummings can't bear to apologise to the press.

It's not as anyone could make him resign. All he had to do was protect the integrity of the lockdown and admit that he made a mistake.

Eskarina1 · 25/05/2020 19:47

I think the reason no-one is discussing his wife is that she is irrelevant. She had no involvement in setting the rules and doesn't have a work commitment to be absolute in following government guidance. She made her choice as an individual not a public figure and our prime minister isn't lying for her (which must make a change for him)

merrymouse · 25/05/2020 19:48

What about the people who followed the rules, no matter the personal cost?

What about all the people who will now break the rules because they have been told that if you have children, they don't really apply.

CoachBombay · 25/05/2020 19:49

To the posters implying single parents should have relocated or moved in for lockdown with relatives, that would massively impact their benefit claims! Same as moving in with a partner for those single parents.

I'm with you OP, I can't get worked up about it. Rich man, with rich family have large property available for family to isolate in, in an emergency.

I'm not rich but even I have my mother's granny flat open as a option to self isolate in as a single parent should the worse happen 🤷🏻‍♀️

SharonasCorona · 25/05/2020 19:49

She’s irrelevant in so far as she’s liar as well. Her employer should sack her.

PickUpAPickUpAPenguin · 25/05/2020 19:49

I am gobsmacked that someone who is supposed to come up with strategies and answers to difficult situations thought that this complicated solution was the answer.

Up and down the country parents cope with being sick and having to look after a child. If he'd posted on here we would have said to lie down on the sofa and wing it. Use takeaway delivery and let the child have tv and screens most of the day for a few days etc He has the luxury of being able to call on London relatives or ask office interns to bring food ffs

lilgreen · 25/05/2020 19:51

I think asd is a feature and I’m not talking about his son.

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