AIBU to be so, so angry (sorry, another Dominic Cummings thread)

[ItHappenedOneDay]

I'm so sorry...this has been done to death and my post is quite long. But the latest development just makes me furious all over again.

An amendment today to the Health Protection Regulations mean that relatives are no longer 'childcare': www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-laws-dominic-cummings-lockdown-childcare-relatives-a9542381.html

Therefore, if you are are worried you will be unable to care for your children due to illness, it is no longer legal (if it ever was) to travel to seek help from family as Cummings did.

I must admit, I thought the (very small) silver lining to the whole sorry affair was that it apparently would be ok for my husband and I to call in relatives to help with our toddler should we become seriously ill...Before this, we had assumed that we would have to soldier on and, if hospitalised/too ill to cope, call social services. However, the Government has now changed the law to clarify that family are no longer allowed.

I could cope with this on the basis of the greater good/preventing transmission, were it not for statements by the PM/senior Conservatives defending (and practically praising) Cummings for his actions.

To remind you of a few:

• Boris - Cummings acted 'responsibly and legally and with integrity' and followed 'the instinct of every father and every parent'.
• Gove - 'What's clear is that he didn't break the law, he didn't break the rules, he sought to protect his family'.
• Shapps - 'In moments of crisis, we seek to have our family around us' and 'I think it was a straightforward arrangement which meant they stayed in the same place and prevented the possibility of the child not having support around him'.

However, none of us are permitted to act in this 'responsible' and wholly commendable way, since family childcare is now excluded. Of course the new law cannot be applied retrospectively to Cummings, who continues scot-free. So for ordinary people, the message is:

"Do as we say, not as we do, otherwise we'll arrest you. Your children don't matter like ours do and don't require the same protection and support."

I don't normally get this wound up about politics but they should all be deeply, deeply ashamed. Bunch of weasels. I hope their words come back to choke them.

Please remember when the election comes. It's a long time away.

Why in god's name are childminders allowed to look after children in their homes but family members not allowed?!

I’m agreeing with PicsinRed.

The DC Covid situation is a red herring. This is preventing parents using family for childcare.

Why in god's name are childminders allowed to look after children in their homes but family members not allowed?!

Yep, absolutely. My friend is a CM with four children of her own. So legally now she cannot have her parents round to sit in the garden (would be 8) but she can have an additional 3 children in the house, making a total of 9 indoors.

I am livid.

About the whole case ot begin with. Now with this.

I would quite like to scream.

My mum has provided part of our childcare since I first went back to work. She's not in any of the at risk grounds, under 70 and without her help I am unable to work.

I started a thread about this and got loads of responses from those in similar positions, many of them keyworkers.

It's absurd to set this as law rather than guidelines.

I can't help but think if this effected men or a group people had more sympathy with, there would be protests and someone challenging it legally.

I knew they would!

So many people emailed their MPs to ask if they could travel to isolate. Because BJ wouldn't answer Yvette Cooper when she asked. They haven't been replying to these emails.

Instead they've closed the loophole.

They are getting worse and worse as we meander our way though this.

"They must think we are really, really thick. This amendment simply wasn’t needed.

The wording of the original legislation was clear. “To access critical PUBLIC services, including childcare”.

Public is the key word here. It means childcare provided by the state, not relatives.

They’ve done this to make it LOOK like Dominic Cummings acted within the law - but he never did. He clearly, clearly broke it."

Agreed. More gaslighting - it was always illegal. If you have to access childcare you can cite the Dominic defenses of following your instincts though.

I'm so angry.

I'm a critical worker. 100s of other vulnerable families depend on me being at work every week. I can't be furloughed as I'm public sector.

DP is also a critical worker. His job can not be done from home and is not safe for children to tag along on.

I've coped as best I can on my own for 10 weeks with two toddlers at home doing a shit job of both being a parent and doing my job. I can't do it any more, I have no nursery placement or any other childcare as (young healthy) grandparents previously provided care the days I worked. I'm working double my usual hours due to service need (lots of people in crisis)

My employer and the families I work with need me to be able to start 'getting back to normal'.

So Boris, do I go off sick, or do I break the law?

Its all a lot of incoherent, self serving bullshit.

I too have had a long, waffly email from my MP, clearly a standard letter, explaining that DC is a good boy and misunderstood and everyone needs to make up their own minds.

Trust me, I have.

What a fucking shower.

I think they just want us to work and nothing else

They have changed laws retrospectively before ....................Cait Reilly

Poundland ...........workfare.

www.theguardian.com/society/2013/mar/15/dwp-law-change-jobseekers-poundland

But the fact they were voted in again THREE more times after that demonstrates that a lot of people were okay with retrospective changes to laws...............as long as it only happened to the poor.

It also had a shedload to do with people not being ok with the Labour party or leader that was the only alternative; even lifelong Labour voters weren't prepared to hold their noses.

@itsgettingweird

I knew they would!

So many people emailed their MPs to ask if they could travel to isolate. Because BJ wouldn't answer Yvette Cooper when she asked. They haven't been replying to these emails.

Instead they've closed the loophole.

They are getting worse and worse as we meander our way though this.

Yes it’s pathetic. I wish the newspapers had focused on this instead of the ‘no sex’ angle, which makes it all seem like a gimmick.

YY Redolent Its obvious thats been used as a distraction.

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/dominic-cummings-durham-trip-brits-break-lockdown-rules-a4458521.html

21% followed the restrictions less stringently last week because of Cummings. Well, we knew this would happen didn't we?
Cummings before Country is Boris's motto

I see the words "rules" and "prohibited" are back after the post Cummings use of the word "guidelines" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess they will switch back to "guidelines" when the next MP or aide is caught having an indoor booze up.

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/04/doctor-quits-nhs-over-dominic-cummings-refusal-to-resign-dominic-pimenta-second-wave-covid-19

It wasn’t so much as his behaviour as it was the consequences; the lack of an apology, the clear dismissal of the importance of the lockdown, the doubling down of ministers … After all that time and energy spent during the pandemic this feels like a total betrayal

It was never the case that we could travel and seek out childcare a couple of hundred miles away.
This "loophole" just closes it down so we can't do as they do.
"Do as I say, not as I do."
I rarely get pissed off but this whole Dominic shenanigans has me well pissed off.
Hypocritical.

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/04/doctor-quits-nhs-over-dominic-cummings-refusal-to-resign-dominic-pimenta-second-wave-covid-19

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/07/dominic-cummings-call-for-new-investigation-into-durham-trip?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Wow, wasn't expecting that Helena but it's good to see people aren't letting this go. It was plain wrong and an insult to people.

New poll in the mail shows more damage to project Bozo.

Campaign for new investigation and possible private prosecution:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/07/dominic-cummings-call-for-new-investigation-into-durham-trip

The call for the new investigation includes a desire to look at Cummings's behaviour in London, not just the jaunt to and around County Durham.