I know I should have "moved on" but Cummings...

[1stV45]

I do think the government's handling of that sorry business is, in large part, responsible for where we are now.

I know there were always rumblings of complaints about "others" not following the rules but ever since we were told people must do what's right for their families it seems widespread. Before that the majority were complying and there was a general feeling of at least wanting to be seen to do the right thing. Even now with tightening restrictions, lots of people just simply seem to be saying they're not prepared to do it. People who want to stick to things to the letter face derision.

I don't understand why he didn't just say "I made a poor decision, I was wrong" which would have enabled him to stay in his job and everyone to move on, instead of that ridiculous justification which lead everyone to question why they had been stupid enough to follow the rules.

I get the feeling, from taking to colleagues and what's going in on SM, that it doesn't matter what the restrictions are, there won't be enough people sticking to them to make a difference. And I do think Cummings was the turning point.

[1stV45]

I'd love to know what he has that makes him so indispensible to the government.

[PicsInRed]

@formerbabe

I think what he did was nothing compared to Margaret Ferrier. I also think he got a much worse time from the media than she did.

Yes, Cummings, Ferrier, Fergusson's married lover ffs, Carrie's jaunt to Europe right after Boris had a good gripe about being so poor FFS and plenty more.

Just a comedy of bananas, the lot of them.

[Mycatismadeofstringcheese]

Oh and although he denied it, the alleged second trip on 19th April was never properly investigated.

I think that’s why he was so late to the event. Confirming / negotiating what the police knew and would investigate.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2020/aug/06/prove-dominic-cummings-did-not-make-second-durham-trip-no-10-urged

[MushMonster]

I do not know the full list of his virturs, but neck of toughened he has for sure!

[Hayeahnobut]

What the government did that weekend was gaslighting. Thousands of us who have been in abusive relationships reminded of that horrible feeling, that you know what is true, but your abuser keeps telling you you've misunderstood, stupid little girl.

That feeling has stuck with me ever since. But this time I knew that most of the population also saw the truth. Ever since then I've done what I think is best for myself and others. Sometimes that doesn't fit with the rules, but I trust my own judgment, not that of the gaslighting government.

[Dastardlythefriendlymutt]

Yes everyone I know cites him when they say the rules are are a suggestion and they can make an exception because they have their own reasons or common sense, or exceptions for mental health and child care that are not provided for. In another words people feel they can justify anything because common sense is a valid reason for not following the rules

[1stV45]

It's not only that they feel justified in using common sense, it's that directly after the Cummings debacle the PM told them to use common sense. In fact, they were made feel stupid for not having done it sooner.

[Orcus]

@Hayeahnobut

What the government did that weekend was gaslighting. Thousands of us who have been in abusive relationships reminded of that horrible feeling, that you know what is true, but your abuser keeps telling you you've misunderstood, stupid little girl.

That feeling has stuck with me ever since. But this time I knew that most of the population also saw the truth. Ever since then I've done what I think is best for myself and others. Sometimes that doesn't fit with the rules, but I trust my own judgment, not that of the gaslighting government.

Yes. And this is why the people who tell us that it shouldn't make a difference, that people are responsible for their own actions etc, are so badly missing the point. We know what happened to government approval ratings at the time of the Cummings saga, and there's no evidence the trust has ever returned. That's just how it is.

[AngelicaElizaAndPeggy]

You're right, he was an utter fuckdoodle back then and he remains a prize shitvessel now. That the govt claimed he was acting as 'any responsible father would' broke the faith for so many of us. I loathed him then and I loathe him now- he must have some serious dirt on Boris for him to have escaped being sacked. Either way it made Boris look like a fool and he hasn't been able to claw back that credibility with so many of us.

I reckon there will be Barnard Castle jokes yet to come this week.

[1stV45]

Exactly, it doesn't matter if it's "right" or not that people don't follow the rules, the effect of that business was that far increased numbers didn't and don't. People can say they're wrong to behave like that but it doesn't change the fact that large numbers are doing it.

[SerendipityJane]

@1stV45

I'd love to know what he has that makes him so indispensible to the government.

In the absence of specific denials, and given the demonstrable criminality of the cabinet, it really is a case of "take your pick".

I am sure when the history of this is all written - 100 years from now or so, the list of things the UK government got up to that weren't criminal crooked or corrupt will be a very short one.

[HarryLimeFoxtrot]

My mother refers to him as “Demonic Cunning” - and she usually doesn’t have a bad word to say about anyone.

[StillWeRise]

@1stV45

I'd love to know what he has that makes him so indispensible to the government.

exactly this OP!
I am still angry and I absolutely agree that Cummings totally blew any benefit of the doubt people might have been willing to give the government. It was an absolute cruel insult to those who were not able to sit with loved ones as they died.
If we had almost any other PM you care to name I might think that Cummings knew of a secret adulterous affair or illegitimate child or corrupt handling of public funded contracts....but....
he must know something but how bad must it be???

[VaggieMight]

I'd love to know what he has that makes him so indispensible to the government.

I figured he's the one who can get decent coke.

[Blibbyblobby]

It basically boils down to this: if you need people to trust you, follow your leadership and obey your laws, it’s best not to make it obvious you are taking the piss out of them.

[Sarahtops]

@jessstan1

I don't like Cummings but his situation was press intrusion outside his house all the time and even getting into his back garden so he made a decision to get away somewhere he and his family would be safe with no intruders. I don't think he did anything terrible. The regs are there for our protection but we sometimes have to use our initiative. In his position I might have done the same. I'm sure some did and nobody knew or if they did, they were understood.

Of course not everyone has a place of safely to run to but that's life.

Actually his neighbours have come out and publicly stated this is bollocks. At the time he had Covid, there was no interest in Cummings and there was no hordes of press outside his home.

[Callipygion]

No, that’s right, the press only turned up after his Merry jaunt was found out. So that excuse is rubbish.

Either way it made Boris look like a fool and he hasn't been able to claw back that credibility with so many of us.

Err, some of us didn’t think he had any credibility in the first place!

[Orcus]

@Callipygion

No, that’s right, the press only turned up after his Merry jaunt was found out. So that excuse is rubbish.

Either way it made Boris look like a fool and he hasn't been able to claw back that credibility with so many of us.

Err, some of us didn’t think he had any credibility in the first place!

True!

But what's interesting is how badly the Cummings situation played with his own voters. It's not news that people who already knew Boris was a useless piece of shit continued knowing that while he ably demonstrated it. It was remarkable though that dozens of his own MPs signed a petition calling for Cummings to go. And there's plenty of mileage left in this one yet.

[ferntwist]

I agree, it was a key turning point in the national mood. He has a lot to answer for.

[Letmegetthisrightasawoman]

I'm so glad it isn't just me feeling this way! I remember watching the press conference and feeling really stupid that I'd been taking the rules so seriously. And then the realisation that we were collectively being held for mugs. We had understood the rules properly but were now being tricked (aka gaslighted) into believing that we'd got it all wrong.

I can't help it, but that Friday afternoon marked an irreparable shift in my attitude towards the rules. I've just stopped worrying as much about following the rules to the letter. I can't help it and I wouldn't consciously break the rules, but I have completely lost track of what they are. I'm going to find it very difficult to muster up the motivation to do another lockdown from Thursday.

[StealthPolarBear]

Completely agree. The justification of using his instincts and being a responsible parent was a slap in the face to all parents who had been ill and struggled on. The fact he side stepped very important questions showed us his contempt for us, and the government's contempt for us too.
I continue to be absolutely furious.

[friendlycat]

I completely disagreed with DC, his ridiculous press briefing and lack of punishment ie sacking. But I do also think it’s a really lame excuse that because he behaved appallingly that it makes it ok for others to break rules because he did. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

I find it very irritating to read the amount of people especially on this forum who constantly bring up his behaviour to justify their own. It’s almost become a convenient excuse. But just because somebody jumps off a cliff is no reason for others to follow.

No excuses he should have been sacked, but it just goes to show how much our Prime Minister depends upon him that he needed him to stay in post rather than dispensing with him. Sad reflection on the government and it won’t ever be forgotten, but really it’s also a sad state when people try and justify their own rule breaking by citing those of that utterly contemptible person. They condemn him, disobey the rules, try and justify why but actually they are no better than him.

[echt]

You're right, he was an utter fuckdoodle back then and he remains a prize shitvessel now

Outstanding invective. It's funny because it's true. :o

[Dastardlythefriendlymutt]

@1stV45

It's not only that they feel justified in using common sense, it's that directly after the Cummings debacle the PM told them to use common sense. In fact, they were made feel stupid for not having done it sooner.

You are right. I remember during the whole debacle a single mum saying she suffered through COVID on her own and had to drag herself up to feed her toddler and she was so delirious some days she cannot even remember some of the days. She didn't seek help from her family for childcare because of the rules.

But as Boris said - Family First and Common Sense. You can't really blame anyone for taking the guidance as guidance given the who Dom Cum saga

[SunflowerTree]

I’m still angry about this too. You’re definitely not the only one!