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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think Dominic Cummings should go/thread 4

999 replies

SophieB100 · 27/05/2020 14:10

New thread to discuss the cummings and goings of the PM's chief adviser.

Previous thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3919707-to-think-Dominic-Cummings-should-go-thread-3

OP posts:
Thread gallery
15
Egghead68 · 30/05/2020 09:50

This was sent to constituents by a very right-wing Brexity MP this week:
There has been palpable and understandable anger from people, contacting me, who believe that double standards have been applied. I recognise that much of the outrage has come from people who have never contacted their MP before and are bitterly disappointed with the behaviour of a senior member of staff serving the Government.

I am sorry that this has so adversely affected such a large number of people who are trying to do the right thing at this testing time.

Since the start of the pandemic the Government’s message has remained simple but blunt. This has meant an increasing number of people have suffered distressing and heart-breaking situations of a sort not seen in this country in recent times.
Dominic Cummings made decisions that he believed to be in the best interests of his family and the welfare of a child was at the heart of this. One interpretation is that Dominic Cummings behaved in accordance with the rules but took advantage of the detailed exemptions to reflect his family’s situation as he saw it.
I am not going to defend Dominic Cummings’ actions, however - for many of us - it appears that this was certainly not in keeping with the spirit of the Government’s message and that his actions should result in his dismissal or resignation.
The Durham Police have now issued a statement saying “Durham constabulary have examined the circumstances surrounding the journey to Barnard Castle (including ANPR, witness evidence and a review of Mr Cummings’ press conference on 25 May 2020) and have concluded that there might have been a minor breach of the regulations that would have warranted police intervention. Durham constabulary view this as minor because there was no apparent breach of social distancing.”
“Durham constabulary does not consider that by locating himself at his father’s premises, Mr Cummings committed an offence contrary to regulation 6 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020."
I have received hundreds of messages from constituents, mostly from those who are angry that Mr Cummings has retained his job. I have passed my views as well as those of constituents to the Prime Minister as the decision for his continued employment remains with him.

Alsohuman · 30/05/2020 09:53

Goodness, that’s refreshingly honest Egghead. Well done that Tory MP, it’s good to see some of them show some integrity.

PigletJohn · 30/05/2020 10:03

@Egghead68

The number of "confirmed cases" is unreliable and always an underestimate, because we aren't testing enough. We don't know how many tests are actually carried out, because this number is concealed, though it's possible we are now testing more people who there is no reason to suppose are infected.

In a month's time, the number of Excess Deaths will be a better indicator of how the number of infected people today is changing.

Egghead68 · 30/05/2020 10:21

@pigletjohn the KCL numbers aren’t just based on tests, but also on reports from their own symptom tracker. Of course they are only an estimate and, in their case, are only for people up to age 69 I believe.

FliesandPies · 30/05/2020 10:31

Lol - why would they bother wasting their time?

If you don't know that the role of your MP is to engage on matters that concern you then you clearly don't know or don't care about democracy. All those desperate grinning face emojis and attempts to make people feel their anger and determination are futile and such an obvious clapped out scheme.

Even if they did work here it's already much too late out in the wider country. Bozo is exposed, Cummings is notorious, the Tories are on the slide and any decent Tory MP's are trying to distance themselves from their leader. And there's nothing you can do about it.

FliesandPies · 30/05/2020 10:34

Just occurred to me - are MP's still having surgeries of some sort? People could back up their emails with verbal complaints?

ZaZathecat · 30/05/2020 10:37

Mumra thanks for putting my feelings into words.

Roussette · 30/05/2020 10:38

Lol - why would they bother wasting their time?

Why do you think?
Do you want to live in a dictatorship with Government not answerable to anyone.
I would've thought you understood politics better than that...

sleepingpup · 30/05/2020 10:38

Lol- why would they bother wasting their time

Lol - you don't understand what MPs do?

Roussette · 30/05/2020 10:39

It appears not!

Egghead68 · 30/05/2020 10:42

@Alsohuman this was from an MP really not known for their integrity. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Peregrina · 30/05/2020 10:56

DB wrote to his new "Red Wall" Tory MP, and got an answer critical of Cummings. Those MPs must be fuming - they have won the seats from Labour after decades if not a century of them never having a Tory MP and in one week, Johnson and Cummings ride a coach and horses through their efforts.

Roussette · 30/05/2020 11:32

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/29/dominic-cummings-borish-johnson-tories-election-trust?CMP=share_btn_tw

From the article...
'in a major crisis we need an effective government, and now we don’t have one. There is a deeper loss too, even if it is less tangible. In those first few weeks of lockdown, there was a rare spirit of collective endeavour and solidarity – the sense that, while it was hard to be away from beloved friends and cherished family, it was necessary and, above all, it was not a hardship borne alone. We were all in this together. That, beyond gratitude to carers, was what so many were expressing every Thursday night at 8pm.

Cummings and the defenders of Cummings have ruined all that. They’ve made too many feel like mugs for taking their deprivation so literally, when really it was only ever optional. Beyond the political fallout and the effect on public health messaging, this is where much of the current anger comes from. Together, we had created something precious in the midst of all this death and sorrow – and those in charge have made a mockery of it.'

That sums up why I am so angry about all of this...

DuncinToffee · 30/05/2020 12:02

The worrying side effect of this Cummings affair seems to be the rushing through of easing lockdown.

Scientists are worrying
amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/29/covid-19-spreading-too-fast-to-lift-uk-lockdown-sage-adviser?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&__twitter_impression=true

Roussette · 30/05/2020 12:23

Totally agree. This is a political decision by Boris to divert criticism from the DC situation.
I, for one, will be doing nothing different with regard to lockdown because of this..

Deaths yesterday across Europe:
Spain 2
Italy 87
Germany 24
France 52
Turkey 28
Belgium 42
Sweden 84
Portugal 14
Ireland 6
Poland 13
Romania 13
Hungary 8
Netherlands 28

UK ... 324

So Boris is prepared to sacrifice lives in order to cling on to DC.

bobtrain · 30/05/2020 13:09

@Roussette

Totally agree. This is a political decision by Boris to divert criticism from the DC situation. I, for one, will be doing nothing different with regard to lockdown because of this..

Deaths yesterday across Europe:
Spain 2
Italy 87
Germany 24
France 52
Turkey 28
Belgium 42
Sweden 84
Portugal 14
Ireland 6
Poland 13
Romania 13
Hungary 8
Netherlands 28

UK ... 324

So Boris is prepared to sacrifice lives in order to cling on to DC.

Strange though. Sweden didn't introduce much in the way of a lockdown. Didn't they keep bars open etc. Or do I have the wrong country. Weren't they criticized by Denmark and Norway?.
Egghead68 · 30/05/2020 13:13

Sweden had the worst outbreak in Scandinavia, I believe.

It has a lower population than the UK and I understand that many Swedes informally locked down/social distanced heavily despite no formal lockdown.

PotholeParadise · 30/05/2020 13:16

Bobtrain, maybe that's why they're the second highest in that list you just quoted?

PotholeParadise · 30/05/2020 13:18

Oh, sorry third. Regardless, not a ringing endoresement.

chomalungma · 30/05/2020 13:19

Sweden has a population of 10 million - so 6 times smaller than the UK.

Roussette · 30/05/2020 13:23

Sweden pushed for its people to take personal responsibility. Maybe that's easier to do with a small population (10M) compared to ours (68M) but deaths per capita are very high and only yesterday Norway and Denmark are opening up to each other, whilst excluding Sweden.

FliesandPies · 30/05/2020 16:34

There's more to tell about Sweden than just 'oh they didn't do lockdown and it was ok'

There was a lot of political dissent in Sweden over it and people took their own protective actions, seeing what was happening elsewhere. It is also a far smaller population, like NZ, and that is a distinct advantage in limiting the spread.

itsgettingweird · 30/05/2020 16:35

Prof Van Tam is being great on daily briefing. Very clear and excellent explanations.

Media are questioning why the sudden release before it was planned etc!

StealthPolarBear · 30/05/2020 16:45

I was just thinking that. His explanation of having to self isolate as a contact is sincere.
Although what was his pants saying? Very odd!

MockersxxxxxxxSocialDistancing · 30/05/2020 16:48

"Tearing the pants out" of something - to undermine its purpose fatally by applying it selectively.

I wonder if he was being cryptic?