to think Dominic Cummings should go/thread 3

[SophieB100]

Third thread!

Chillipeanuts - that was my exact reply to him!! I knew he’d be useless but but had to at least try.

Janis, I hope you've gone back. It is their actual job to let us know what they think about such things.

Sorry, Janus

I did go back, he’s an utter Tory twat and I hate him! He hasn’t replied to me, no surprise there. Not sure what else I can do?

the provision was designed for very vulnerable children, primarily those of women leaving abusive relationships or looking to get their kids out of the home.

Not just in those circumstances -

"What childcare options are there for parents who develop coronavirus symptoms?" ...

"However, if a parent or guardian shows coronavirus symptoms and is unable to adequately take care of the children in their household, self-isolating for seven to 14 days may not seem like a feasible course of action."

"At the government’s daily press conference on 24 March, England’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries spoke of the “exceptional circumstance” of an adult unable to care for a young child during the pandemic."

“A small child clearly is a vulnerable individual, so in this case, although we are encouraging everybody to stay in their own households–that’s the unit with the same risk of exposure–clearly if you have adults who are unable to look after a small child, that is an exceptional circumstance,” Dr Harries said.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/coronavirus-symptoms-parents-children-childcare-dominic-cummings-a9529481.html

We do: at least you had a reply. I got a generic “because of the circumstances and level of correspondence in this unprecedented situation, I have decided to prioritise helping the vulnerable“

Aw, bless him.

Or “I won’t answer difficult questions, thank you and goodbye”.

Chilli, please ask him to give some examples of what exactly he's doing, this week, to help the vulnerable and how much time is being dedicated to it

Fortunately, I live in one of the few Lib Dem constituencies and this was the reply from Sarah Olney MP (Richmond).

Not sure if this has been reported already;

“Idox can confirm that Alice Cummings, Non-Executive Director is not sister to Dominic Cummings and is of no known relation to Dominic Cummings,” the company said in emailed remarks."

"The company added: “Idox can confirm that it has not been involved in any way with the NHS’ COVID-19 track and trace app.”

www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-cummings-sister/fact-check-dominic-cummings-does-not-have-a-sister-working-for-the-it-solutions-company-idox-idUSKBN2322VB

"A small child clearly is a vulnerable individual, so in this case, although we are encouraging everybody to stay in their own households–that’s the unit with the same risk of exposure–clearly if you have adults who are unable to look after a small child, that is an exceptional circumstance,” Dr Harries said.

The big hole in that is the phrase "If you have adults who are unable ..." If she had phrased it as "If you have no adults that are able..." it gets Cummings into a world of difficulty because he would have had to explain why he couldn't have asked the willing nieces to come and help, and how come he couldn't find anyone to help, even a paid nanny, closer than 260 miles away.

The problem is, that the second version of the relevant wording makes much more sense. There is absolutely no sense in the government telling us that we can go driving round the country if we have coronavirus; there is plenty of sense in saying that we can, exceptionally, ask a healthy person to do so to help us out.

Inoneminute

I would if I didn’t know I’d get a stock answer written by, signed and sent by a PA🙄

@Clavinova If they had both become so unwell they couldn't have looked after their child nobody would have blamed them for a friend or relative coming to stay or taking the child away.

The problem is that Cummings spun a load of hypothetical scenarios. Now we are all engaging in these scenarios and how likely they are etc.

None of this is relevant. His child didn't need to be cared for when he broke lock down.

It would only be relevant if he was apologising for not following the rules and explaining the thought process and fears that had led him to do so.

Clavinova - would you like to explain how a parent who is fit enough to drive the length of the country is too ill to look after a child?

I've not even had a pathetic generic reply.

Our darling Attorney General won't even acknowledge my anger towards to situation, ask her what position she can take as attorney general as the piece are now involved, answer whether she's retracted her support in light of police involvement and her position. Oh and to confirm if the stay at home with symptoms leaflet she sent me yesterday actually means that!

JudyCoolibar

Another interesting question asked by Michelle Hussein this morning. He is the PM’s senior adviser. If he was concerned about driving, why didn’t Downing Street send a car?
Hadn’t even occurred to me, tbh. Which is why Michelle was interviewing Robert Jenrick and I was not, I suppose

There were also exceptions allowing people with coronavirus symptoms to leave their property to buy food and other essentials if they didn't have other options - with the advice that they should avoid contact with other people as much as possible.

@JudyCoolibar but isn't the point that they were able to look after the child? It is irrelevant what might or might not have happened in the future. It wasn't reasonably foreseeable that they wouldn't have been able to look after their child either given their age group. Only a possibility of something that might have occurred.

Clavinova - would you like to explain how a parent who is fit enough to drive the length of the country is too ill to look after a child?

No, but the guidance also says you should 'plan ahead'.

Clav that's great quotes. The only problem is it wasn't an exceptional circumstance. Neither parent had Cv when they travelled. They went to a second home to isolate. There was no risk to a small child. No more risk - at the point they moved - than any other family in the uk with no symptoms when were explicitly told to stay at home and stay in primary residence. And it doesn't state anywhere that non essential journeys are forbidden except where you need to test your eye sight.

He had a way out of this weeks ago. He could have responded to the media weeks ago and simply said there was a risk due to threats at home and he moved his wife and child with intention of returning himself to do his bit. But within hours of arriving developed symptoms himself.
Not necessarily within the spirit but far better than allowing the shit show that's followed and people finding out things like his eye sight trip coincided with his wife's birthday. His emergency trip coincided with his mums birthday.

@solieltoday I really like Sarah Olney. And just think it could have been Zac.

So are you now going to try and tell us that the nearest shops to Islington are in Durham, Clavinova?

You are of course right, Grapefruits - the issue of their being unable to look after their child never arose. Even if they argue that they didn't know that and travelled on a precautionary basis, it still makes no sense when there were other alternatives available.

hey @Edwina May so the only alternative to that complete shower of lying , contorting cabinet tying themselves in knots and throwing public health instructions to the wind whilst trying defend the joke of a story Cummings fed its "simpering, dimwit MPs" ?

No I think not.

that bunch of arrogant, untrustworthy school kids acting like they can just lie their way out of this are not the only answer to fucking getting us out of the Economic shit.

The "worst economic crisis in living memory " is exactly why DC should be have resigned. He is a complete distraction to the crisis we are in. Yet in this Alice in Wonderland situation THE PUBLIC are expected to overlook the situation rather than HIM withdraw from it. As per ordinary times.

And Edwina, I prefer my economic saviours trustworthy.

Why didn't anyone ask DC or cabinet about ARPA?

@Clavinova planning ahead would be calling relatives and friends to make a plan about emergency child care help if needed.