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 honestly couldn't give a shit. I'm not surprised, but also not particularly bothered. Im pretty sure the only person I know who hasn't flouted the rules is me.
I think there are bigger stories than this.

I am going to leave this here: twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon/status/1264573806040973318

Ordinary citizens flouting the rules are not on government’s payroll and formulating government policies on covid.

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.

The guidance, which he was closely instrumental in formulating, very clearly told people not to do that. He has family living close by. It is simply not credible that he had no other alternatives. He put other people in danger by choosing to undertake a journey which would necessitate fuel and loo stops, and on which he risked needing help if he broke down or had an accident.

But perhaps the worst aspect is that he and Johnson are trying to blag their way out of it and to claim that he was somehow better and more loving than other parents who don't do this. It really is despicable.

If I was in DC's position, I would choose to live in a self-contained part of my parents' property 264 miles away in case we became unwell enough to care for our young child rather than with relatives close by who probably don't have a separate self-contained area. If we both became very ill, I wouldn't want to risk my asymptomatic child passing a deadly virus on to other family members.

Just think about this for a moment.

If you are both well enough to care for your child it really doesn't matter whether you are near other family members or not.

If you are both too unwell to care for your child then relatives are going to have contact with your "asymptomatic" child whether you are living in a self contained apartment on your parents' land or in your own home.

It is irrelevant.

And frankly, travelling across the country while unwell "just in case" is insane. The sane thing to do would be to stay at home. If you both become too unwell to cope then at that point you phone someone healthy and ask them to come and collect child.

*the main point about the driving is that if he was well enough to drive he quite clearly didn't need childcare help

at that point yes, but if you don't know how the disease is going to develop, you have to go while you are well.

I understand why he did what he did, and would have probably done the same myself.

But that doesn't mean I think he shouldn't resign.

I don't like the braying mob though.

He visited a castle 30 miles from his address

This part isn’t true - Barnard Castle is a place, not an actual castle.

Irrelevant. He travelled 30 miles at a time when we were told not to make unnecessary journeys.

And he's not even vaguely apologetic about the hypocrisy of it.

I think this is really a key fact. The ongoing sense of entitlement and elitism.

The President of Austria, a country which has managed COVID a lot better than we have, was caught violating the COVID restaurant curfew after lockdown had already been eased.
He ‘fessed up, apologised, said he was confused by the new rules but got it wrong and has offered to pay any fine the restaurant owner incurs.

Net result, the Austrian press is full of Boris and Cummings today instead of their own President.

I honestly couldn't give a shit. I'm not surprised, but also not particularly bothered. Im pretty sure the only person I know who hasn't flouted the rules is me.

The difference is that he was heavily involved in making the rules. A case of do as I say but not as I do. Very arrogant and hypocritical and it totally undermines the rules.

If I thought I had Covid-19, the last thing I would do is travel (risking the general public) and stay with my loved ones (risking my family). I am fairly sure I don't have it now, and yet won't see any of my friends and family, just in case I pick up the virus en route and inadvertently give it to them.

When you don't share a household with someone, the best way you can show your love right now is to stay away. Call them, text them, stay in touch, but don't see them in person.

There are plenty of people who are willing to help in London (which is where DC lives). People here would happily deliver cooked meals every day, pick up and drop off prescriptions and pick up and drop off any other essential prescriptions. I know this, because I actually live in London and have witnessed all the incredible mutual aid groups springing up, as well as the solutions from official channels.

As for childcare, there were two parents - most parents take it in turns to look after their kids when they're both ill. And by look after, make sure they're safe and plonk them in front of a screen until they feel human enough to properly look after them.

Although, in this case, they weren't even ill at the same time - his wife was ill. He could have looked after them.

What does he think single parents do?

Why does he think spreading coronavirus to another part of the UK is acceptable?

Why is he being so evasive and rude to the media?

I think his behaviour is awful, and it's awful that Boris has defended him so. The press briefing was a shambles. At least one of those two men has to go.

Sre, Boris

Welcome to MN Wow123 🙄

If I was in DC's position, I would choose to live in a self-contained part of my parents' property 264 miles away in case we became unwell enough to care for our young child rather than with relatives close by who probably don't have a separate self-contained area.

Why would living in his parents house be safer than their own flat?

His brother or sister could drop food off and in the very unlikely event they were both incapacitated at the same time (which didn't happen) the risk of the child going to another family member is the same in London or Co. Durham.

We'd all choose a house in the country over a flat in London- the point is that was illegal.

You've got to wonder what Dominic Cummings has got on BoJo.

In one way I sort of agree with you ,he was in Government, and his wife was ill ,he needed Childcare .Many people will say he should have taken time off himself to look after his family .However he is running the Country with Boris, so its not exactly easy for him to drop everything and find a replacement ,as it would if he were working in a Factory or whatever .That said he still flouted the rules ,and doesnt seem to be sorry or issue any apology which might go down better with Joe Public!

Welcome to MN Wow123

There have been a lot of these new poster politics threads recently. They all seem to be in support of the same political party.

People have always hated the “let them eat cake” mentality - one rule for us another for you. It never goes down well (see French Revolution)

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.

It’s a total lie though, regardless of logic or rule-breaking. He travelled at least three times, once for a jolly, and early didn’t travel for childcare. He deliberately told two whopping lies when he got caught because he thought it’d ameliorate the situation, not realising the press had proof of multiple trips. He put his own reputation above the credibility of the government.

And his behaviour has to be put in context. He’s essentially running the country despite being unelected, he has already torn this country apart over Brexit, thousands died because he was advocating for herd immunity and pretty openly espouse letting older and vulnerable people die to protect the economy.

Read his blog. The man is literally a psychopath.

Hi new poster Wow123 👏 interesting start.

Wrong site if you think you won't get a flaming

Hope you are wearing your hard hat

"If Cummings been in a real emergency, his mum terminally ill or something like that, whereas it appears he didn't want to be ill in charge of a child. Something most of us have no choice but to crack on with."
He is a senior political advisor. He is a key worker. His wife became ill and he was needed by Govt to carry on his extremely important role. He wanted to ensure that he could carry on doing that job so took his wife and child to a self-contained part of his parents' property where, in the event that it was needed, they would have been able to provide childcare. In the event, they were not needed.
However, he also became ill with the virus at the same time as Boris Johnson, the person he works for.

Also DC's uncle, Sir John Grant McKenzie Laws, was gravely ill in hospital with Covid-19 at the time DC took his family to his parents' property. He died on 5th April.

I think he did the right thing in ensuring his family were isolated from others but that if anything did happen to his wife and/or him, his child could be cared for by other family who they know.

Some MNers on another thread have mentioned Social Services would have taken care of his child. Who in their fucking right mind would even consider SS when they have the set up DC had? What would SS have done? Placed his asymptomatic with a family who could then have caught the virus?

IMO he definitely did the right thing. I'd have done what he did.

Jeeze, you'd have thought that he was personally responsible for Covid 19 by the reaction of some people. It's a politically motivated shit show and the media are gouging themselves on it.

The fact that your first sentence is “Please don’t flame me” indicates to me that you understand perfectly, OP.

Do you understand now OP, or do you need a bit more help?

I have travelled this long journey with dc many, many times - I cannot imagine that he wouldn't have needed to stop at least once - especially if his wife was ill. - Speaking for myself, when I have mucus or cough I am more likely to be or feel sick - & I would need to stop. Even if he somehow manged the 4 hour journey without stopping, which I doubt, he couldn't have guaranteed that he have might needed to, especially as he had symptoms & if he had symptoms wouldn't he have been less safe to drive.
& when he went up there if he or his wife had needed more intensive treatment they would have spread coronavirus to an area which at that time had a low level.
Anybody else who did this would have been consider irresponsible - anybody else as a mp or a MEDICAL advisor would have either sacked or moved from their position & their behaviour would have been criticized