DS statement on Cummings is shameful

[SouthWestmom]

Basically I am sceptical about how terrible this could be to get for all of us - the mild illness stuff has been dropped as not helpful to the general lock us all up thing.

Regardless as a law abiding person I've stuck to the rules.

Which I thought meant you had to self isolate if you had symptoms and no, you couldn't go somewhere easier. If you had kids you all stayed in together, relied on deliveries or the local council support schemes and 111 if it was bad.

So I'm sickened by the knot tying in getting Cummings off the hook.

I'm honestly taken aback

A spokesman said it was "essential" for Mr Cummings to ensure he had childcare while he and his wife were unwell.

As a self employed small business owner who has been unable to work, I would have argued it was essential for me too had I know that was ok?

We are pretty sure we had CV at the start of March and we had to manage that without getting help.

I'm the same as you OP where I am of the mindset that the risk to many has been hugely inflated. However driving across the country with coronavirus symptoms (having had contact with someone confirmed) is selfish, irresponsible and a far bigger breach of guidelines than driving somewhere on lockdown to walk your dog.

He needs to resign.

"At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported."

I really don't think it's that part of the story that people are concerned with! Who cares if the police spoke to him or not. He's taking the absolute piss, as usual, because he believes he's untouchable.

I have never bothered to post on a "political" thread before, but this time I feel I should. I agree. I am totally disgusted that Boris has defended this lowlife. You could argue that what he did was far worse than what some of the advisers who did step down did - at least they didn't knowingly have the virus.

I am one of those who is not particularly bothered by the virus and considers that there is way too much hysteria - hysteria often generated by the government and the media! But I am quite clear about one thing - absolutely nobody else in the entire of England or the rest of the UK would have got away with this crap of claiming that a 250 mile journey was essential for childcare. What do they think the entire of the rest of the country did when entire families came down with the virus? They had to manage. And an overpaid lackey lacks the intelligence to work that through or understand the rules that he was involved in creating.

Absolutely shameful of the government to do anything other than demand his resignation, since he clearly doesn't have the good grace to resign as any decent person would.

Utter tripe. His wife, Mary Wakefield, outlined his and her illness in the Spectator.

She said she became ill, threw up with it. He came home to care for her, he went down with symptoms within 24 hours and by day 6 she was concerned enough to start counting his breathing pattern!

They didn't just have mild symptoms or weren't sure if they had Covid. Wakefield felt he should have been in hospital. And they travelled, like that, 4-5 hours in a car....

www.spectator.co.uk/article/getting-coronavirus-does-not-bring-clarity

I think maybe we should all just post this, every day until he goes. He broke the guidelines he helped create. It really is that simple.

It's a fucking disgrace and I hope his horrible head rolls. I'm so sick of this "one rule for the plebs" shit.

Johnson is fucked without Cummings in normal times. He's fucked by his own incompetence when we actually need leadership.
He's clinging on to Cummings in the hope that it will help him politically.
Sense the public mood, you idiot.

Agree with pp. Straight from the ministry of truth.

This was of course at a time when a symptomatic people (let alone those with symptoms) were being told not to travel to second homes etc.

Sheer sodding hypocrisy.

He should have found help locally, with support from local volunteers or by bringing family member to the household when needed. Not by travelling with symptoms to a different part of the country (even if that meant the disruption for the family member, if needed at all, would be less)

He broke the law he has to go. See how long Boris lasts without his puppet master.

It's not like we didn't know before that Cummings is a self-centred self-important guy. There's no actual news here.

All i can picture is that awful image of the family who could not go to their sons funeral! Hate to be so emotive but that is all i can picture.

Absolutely awful. And the bug wigs have all come out on twitter defending him. If it was anyone else they'd be whacked with a fine. It goes against Their own advice where they say you should not leave home for any reason if you are isolating.

It's such bollocks. As already said, if anyone in the household has CV, that person should isolate for 7 days and others in household for 14 days. No travelling to second homes so not allowed to travel from London to Durham even if he did stay in a house separate to parents. (Scottish medical officer got sacked for doing this.) Police report say person they spoke to says someone is self isolating in their house, so mixing of households.

It really is one rule for him and another for everyone else. It's completely indefensible.

I really hope BJ gets asked at both pmqs and the next briefing " Are we allowed to travel 250 miles with members of our family who have covid19 to get childcare from our family?". Then watch the fucker squirm. Because obviously, obviously the answer is no if you've paid any attention to government advice over the past 3 months.

Was the Downing Street statement written by Cummings? I wouldn't be surprised.

He won't go (though he should). Johnson lies his way through life and Cummings is of the same ilk.

Boris is hoping it will blow over.

He has performed very badly and knows by now that the 1922 committee have their eye on him. So have the Tory press.

Cummings is widely hated.

Perhaps he's looking for an excuse to resign. He can claim "I was trying to support my loyal friend and adviser."

@WelcomeToTheNorth no I meant volunteer services for support with deliveries not child care

He broke the law. Simple as!

I find him odious but this isn’t personal - he literally broke the guidelines.

I find it interesting that the statement says “his actions were in line with Coronavirus guidelines” - are they caveating and twisting as if he didn’t but maybe the wife and family did? To also says “Mr Cummings believes he behaved reasonably and legally” seems as if No10 doesn’t believe that.

They’re disingenuous and untrustworthy at best. I really think that whole family’s belief system and actions are dangerous. I wouldn’t trust Cummings or his ilk with big things like policy, or little things (would you trust him to feed a pet?! No!). They’re vile and the lowest reduction of Tory policies (nb I’m a centre leftie but would consider voting Tory if we had more Rishis and less Bojos).

The 'genius maverick' is really just a balding Rasputin

We also have clear precedent - if the scientist resigned, so should creepy Cummings

What the fucker squirm
Or will he go the trumpian route....
'you're rude'
'That's a nasty question'

The pressure will build, taking media eyes off the schools debacle ... then he’ll eventually resign and they’ll re-employ him in some behind the scenes role.

I can totally see why it would be tempting to be near family for support. But unless you think there's one rule for everyone else and another for you, you'd know that this wasn't morally acceptable.
Oh wait.