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Original poster

Why aren't there angry posts about Tim Matthews admitting he made up Dominic Cummings sighting?

319 replies

NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite · 31/05/2020 08:58

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8372911/Boris-puts-Dominic-Cummings-chance-one-witness-admits-sighting-aide.html

Tim Matthews has admitted he made up a sighting of Dominic Cummings at Barnard Castle for a joke. It wasn't a very funny joke. I haven't heard anyone laughing about and why has it taken until now to admit it was a lie?

OP posts:
ddl1 · 31/05/2020 12:37

'If Dominic Cummings was a Labour advisor, they would be falling over themselves to defend him and support his care for his family. They would rage at the angry, threatening and and politically motivated hounding of his home whilst his wife and 4 year old were inside.'

The media and others were pretty ferocious in their attacks on Labour advisers who overstepped the mark, such as Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson, and earlier, Lady Falkender. Not everything is a party-political issue!

FliesandPies · 31/05/2020 12:38

I barely remember anyone mentioning the second trip. The verified trips were enough on their own.

Quite

Hopeisnotastrategy · 31/05/2020 12:39

If Tim Matthews has made false statements about this then he is an utter sleazebag and I hope he is sued or prosecuted.

Knowingly telling lies about any other person to get them into trouble/ more trouble has no comedic value whatsoever. It is the lowest of the low.

Witchend · 31/05/2020 12:40

If it is the truth, then wouldn't it have been better to say what had happened - rather than refuse to comment on the Barnard Castle allegations.
No one would have changed their beliefs anyway. Once something like that is in the papers, their believers will not believe it given any amount of evidence to the contrary and their detractors will believe it even if they saw with their own eyes it was impossible.

MockersxxxxxxxSocialDistancing · 31/05/2020 12:40

Did someone mention Labour?

This is how it's done:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52867324

Barnabyboyo · 31/05/2020 12:44

Mumsnet believes anything if it fits their agenda. The fact this guy lied and they are still defending him shows this. It’s a disgrace.

Go hound the Labour MPs who broke lockdown.

FliesandPies · 31/05/2020 12:44

Cummings made no secret of the fact that he didn't like or trust the media. So they wamt to destroy him. See also Meghan Markle

I don't doubt there's an element of that - he tried to exclude certain sections of the press from No.10 briefings, probably assuming that the others would just bow down to him because they wanted to remain 'in'. Instead it caused a mass walkout of journalists from all sources in support of their colleagues.

You talk as if there's no story here, 'nothing to see' but this story is massive! A key member of the government, one of the people responsible for introducing the lockdown rules, blatantly broke those rules. Instead of apologising he has doubled down and the rest of the cabinet and the PM has been dragged into it causing a far bigger story and much much more damage.

Yet here you are bleating on in his defence and looking for anyone else to blame - what a waste of your energy.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 31/05/2020 12:45

Which bit?

The affair with a married man

The meeting during lockdown

Or the jump before being pushed?

Not sure holding up a home wrecking strumpet as a paragon of virtue will work well.

(Yes, that was a deliberately 1950 esque comment)

FliesandPies · 31/05/2020 12:46

If Tim Matthews has made false statements about this then he is an utter sleazebag and I hope he is sued or prosecuted.

And should the lying sleazebag Dominic Cummings also be prosectuted?

FliesandPies · 31/05/2020 12:47

Go hound the Labour MPs who broke lockdown

Done. Now back to Cummings.

itsgettingweird · 31/05/2020 12:49

He went to Barnard castle. That's not disputed.

It doesn't matter who did or didn't see him there.

He was there. He shouldn't have been.

NeverTalksToStrangers · 31/05/2020 12:50

@itsgettingweird

He went to Barnard castle. That's not disputed.

It doesn't matter who did or didn't see him there.

He was there. He shouldn't have been.

This.

Plus the whole he didn't-stay-at-home thing.

itsgettingweird · 31/05/2020 12:53

What annoys me most about that is that it accuses left swingers and anti Brexit voters jumping on the saga.

I've seen loads of people say they didn't and that's why they're disappointed and also loads of Tory MPs against it.

Opinion polls are what matter most.

SecretSpAD · 31/05/2020 12:55

'If Dominic Cummings was a Labour advisor, they would be falling over themselves to defend him and support his care for his family. They would rage at the angry, threatening and and politically motivated hounding of his home whilst his wife and 4 year old were inside

I was a labour advisor and also a Tory advisor. I was told, in both cases, under no uncertain terms that if I was even perceived to put a foot wrong or allow myself to become the story - I'd have to go.

Alsohuman · 31/05/2020 12:56

@ITonyah

It’s got fuck all to do with Brexit

I respectfully disagree.

You can disagree as much as you like with or without respect. It’s nothing to do with Brexit. Given that Brexiteers claim to be so keen on democracy, I’m astonished that they’re so complacent about the country being run by someone who’s never even stood for election, let alone received a vote.
StormzyinaTCup · 31/05/2020 12:57

It’s got fuck all to do with Brexit and everything to do with the hypocrisy and arrogance of those who are running the country. There’s no advisor of any political shade who I’d defend on this or the subsequent behaviour which has just put two fingers up to the electorate

It's got everything to do with Brexit but cunningly disguised (or not) as nothing to do with Brexit. Some people can see it and some can't/don't want to.

itsgettingweird · 31/05/2020 13:00

Curious I wasn't biased. I listened to what DC had to say. I judged him on that.

There was also talk of a May 10th trio as someone asked Laura K from BBC to ask about it during briefing (asked on Twitter).

I think this didn't become anything because people don't always believe what's said.
The issue most has and have is that he thinks possibly being ill and having a 4yo is an exceptional circumstance in the middle of a pandemic and he took a non essential journey.

He didn't haven't say it was to test fitness to drive. That was his own stupidity and what opened him and government up to ridicule.
He knows we knew it was MW birthday that day.

He treated the public as stupid and it backfired.

Hopefully lesson learnt .

Walkaround · 31/05/2020 13:02

Stormzyina - oh yes, like other advisers to Government who did resign was all to do with Brexit, too. Oh, hang on - no, it's only to do with Brexit when DC refuses to resign Hmm. Apparently even during a pandemic when a consistent public health message is vital, it’s still all to do with Brexit!

HeddaGarbled · 31/05/2020 13:02

Has the story been removed from Mail Online?

NeverTalksToStrangers · 31/05/2020 13:03

@StormzyinaTCup

It’s got fuck all to do with Brexit and everything to do with the hypocrisy and arrogance of those who are running the country. There’s no advisor of any political shade who I’d defend on this or the subsequent behaviour which has just put two fingers up to the electorate

It's got everything to do with Brexit but cunningly disguised (or not) as nothing to do with Brexit. Some people can see it and some can't/don't want to.

Wtf.

DC broke the rules of lockdown. He should have resigned because of this. Like others have done. Instead, he didn't even apologise. And bojo is making up excuses to keep him. Inexcusable.

He just happens to have broken the law several times before. Whilst this proves he has a disregard for the rules etc its irrelevant atm.

MsSafina · 31/05/2020 13:06

It now appears that the teacher who grassed up Cummings himself made a 300 mile journey to pick up his daughter from London.

itsgettingweird · 31/05/2020 13:06

Vdb do you have any evidence for the fact the media were camped out side his house? --During lockdown and managed to not see him pack up and go to Durham?

Any evidence or sources that actually state their child has special needs? And not just some twitter thread that later got deleted.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 31/05/2020 13:07

@Walkaround

Stormzyina - oh yes, like other advisers to Government who did resign was all to do with Brexit, too. Oh, hang on - no, it's only to do with Brexit when DC refuses to resign Hmm. Apparently even during a pandemic when a consistent public health message is vital, it’s still all to do with Brexit!
Weird isn’t It

To be fair the ‘its not about brexit’ seems to be coming more from people getting angry/annoyed/vaguely irritated on here

I don’t give a shit what the reasons the media have for Being pissed at Cummings

But personally my problem with the Cummings debacle has literally fuck all to do with brexit

I don’t ascribe motives to anyone else

Alsohuman · 31/05/2020 13:07

@MsSafina

It now appears that the teacher who grassed up Cummings himself made a 300 mile journey to pick up his daughter from London.
I think it was Berkshire and he did it before lockdown.
Alsohuman · 31/05/2020 13:08

But personally my problem with the Cummings debacle has literally fuck all to do with brexit

Mine too. That’s a ship that sailed at the end of January anyway.