To think that the Govt response to Cummings saga is worse than the actual breach of lockdown

[HerstoryInTheMaking]

DC broke lockdown twice. I think that this is universally accepted.

This is one thing, its bad but an apology probably would have sufficed and a resignation or sacking would have solved the issue. Done and dusted

However the nonsense about how he didnt break lockdown, how the PM and cabinet ig nore press questions and continuously lie.

As if anyone with half a brain is going to believe he drove 60 miles to test eyesight on what happened to be his wifes birthday.

Its as if the government are treating people as if they are fools this is making it much much worse.

They could have acknowledged the breach of the rules. Instead they have attempted to lie continuously.

Why cant they just admit he fucked up. I can accept that but I cant accept the nonsense being spewed by the govt.

Brilliant question at the briefing today, cleverly not aimed at Matt Hancock, though MH jumped in. About track and trace and if this is an instruction or just a guideline and if people should blindly obey, or was it to use own judgement.

I cannot forgive the arrogance of the government machine at the moment, absolutely disgraceful.

Completely and absolutely agree. This has completely undermined, and corroded trust in the Government, and the likelihood of consensus and compliance with Government 'guidelines' and 'requests', at a time when it is absolutely vital.

And Disquieted1 - beautiful!

Part of me thinks it is to get people to come out of lockdown.

By causing mass outrage, rebellion within the party that could split it in two, plunging opinion poll points and trashing any remaining scrap of respect the country had for this government? It would have been less harmful to Downing St to just announce that lockdown was over. No, if they are covering something up, it's even worse than that.

I want him to resign. I am sick to death of hypocrites.

@furrypesto what do you think they are covering up?

If someone had posted on Mumsnet that they were planning to do what he did, they would have been slaughtered.

I think the only thing they're covering up is their own incompetence.

truepublica.org.uk/united-kingdom/dominic-cummings-a-cover-story-obscuring-something-far-darker/

“ Whilst the current story over Dominic Cummings erupts and boils over around the mainstream media and social media, this government have, in the same week given our agricultural industry away to the Americans, crossed a red-line with a new EU border and are handing hundreds of billions of cash and state assets over to corporations in secret deals – under cover of non-disclosure agreements. The stench of corruption is nauseating if you care to look.”

I agree with you op.

@bogfi I've no idea. And maybe they're not covering anything up at all. Maybe they're just people who think they're above everyone else and they are so out of touch they honestly don't understand the fuss being made. Maybe Cummings isn't the Machiavellian mastermind we've been led to believe and what they were covering up all along was that he's just a regular wanker ( albeit a massive one, in a position of power). Whoops, his cover's blown!

The Gov lying to us, and bloody Michael Gove joking about it, is not tolerable. We’re in a new Tory seat, written to our MP to say we’d never vote for Boris after this

I am definitely not a fan of DC and all the sneaky stuff he does behind the scenes, but if he had just come out said "Sorry I went to my second home. The story would have probably moved on by now. Boris et Al attempting to excuse him is beyond embarrassing.

Absolutely. If he apologised straight away and appeared to have genuine remorse I reckon he’d have gotten away with it. They’re now playing the game of shut down questions and hope everyone gets bored. It is getting boring but if they get away with this then they’ll gaslight the public through every scandal.

The only reason they are all saying he has done nothing wrong is because they have all been told to tow the line by the chief whip. They either all say the same thing, as told to by BOJO and the whip or they leave their position.

I put money on otber front bench ministers, behind closed doors, disagreeing and thinking he should go but they won't say it in public. Unfortunately they just make themselves all look stupid and those that have a glimmer of respect by the public are losing it because they are backing bojo and DC.

Totally agree with you OP. It is the gaslighting of the public by the PM and Ministers that is riling people up. I find it so shocking that they continue to lie and say it was within the rules when absolutely everyone knows it wasn't. If he had just admitted it when the story broke it would have been old news by now. And whining about inaccuracy in the media when by far the most inaccurate accounts came from him and his wife! Galling.

I wrote to my MP (conservative) and have heard nothing back. Guess they know Id never vote for them anyway so no need to bother with me.

I agree with you too op. He should have admitted fault, blamed stress and worry or whatever and paid the police fine.
He’s just managed to annoy and insult everyone because of his attitude and stupid excuses.

Its an absolute car crash and the worst thing about it is that he will get away with it, and will still be in his job with no consequences this time next week, next month, and next year, and people will have stopped being bothered about it

I don’t think he will. This is Johnson’s poll tax moment. If he doesn’t get rid of Cummings, he’ll go down too.

Agree. If I was one of those cabinet ministers having to endure those ridiculous interviews I would feel so humiliated and absolutely livid.

They must absolutely hate DC with a passion

Alsohuman I totally agree. It's going to cost Boris his job.

The problem for the conservatives though is that this provides a lovely stick for the next 5 years.

It sets up a fabulous easy narrative of 'Stay Elite, Save lives' every time one of them gets caught out being a slum landlord, or trousering some extra expenses or whatever. I really do think it could be this government's equivalent of 'back to basics' or the expenses scandal. It's not yet at Iraq War or Poll Tax levels, but a bad Brexit later and who knows...

My 12-year-old Y7 DD is currently reading Orwell’s Animal Farm for English; this sorry saga has been a brilliant insight for her into how power can quickly corrupt - and a reminder for me that history is constantly repeating itself.

Yes, if he'd just given some sort of apology most people would have moved on by now.

It was so badly handled by the PM on Sunday that DC had to go and try and do the job properly on Monday. That in itself is a terrible reflection on the PM, but who on earth would think "you'd have all done it if you were decent parents" would possibly help?

Then they gave him the Rose Garden, he was very late and talked for ages. Just how important is he?

He clearly lied, MPs got furious responses from constituents and still he's untouchable.

So now the big question is why can't Boris afford to sack him? Does he have some terrible scandal (Boris has survived numerous so this one must be huge) or is it that the PM really isn't capable of the job job without him?

Totally agree, I'm incredulous that he's the focus of criticism rather than the Government handling of it. Johnson at the briefing on Sunday was a disgrace, rolling his eyes and huffing when journalists were asking follow up questions, cutting them off before they could come back etc was shocking.

I agree DC could have done a politician's apology at the beginning and i don't think he'd even have had to resign. It's the gaslighting on a national scale that's breathtaking.