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.

I'm still angry about this, I had stuck rigidly to what I thought were the rules, when I found out that piece of shit went to see his mum I went straight to see mine.

Christmas we will be seeing family (who aren't vulnerable) the same as every year because it's guaranteed those in parliament will be doing as they please, I also now read the small print and am aware which parts are law and which is guidance which can be used with your common sense.

Noone where I live even mentioned it afterwards. Seems to be a mums net and a certain area of England.

Move on, its a teenager type of excuse.

Still angry when I think of him and Ferrier

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/30/dossier-alleges-cummings-may-have-perverted-course-of-justice-in-account-of-lockdown-trip

A former prosecutor Nazir Afzal sends file to police and CPS.

It was the gaslighting afterwards, the insistence that it was only guidelines that galled me even more. And if another MP or advisor etc breaks the "rules" this time this will play out in exactly the same way again, we will be gaslighted again.

It was the refusal by him or Boris to apologise or even admit it was wrong that was so galling. One rule for them, one rule for the plebs. Really damaging

And yes the press wernt outside his home until afterwards

More gaslighting.

Christmas we will be seeing family (who aren't vulnerable) the same as every year because it's guaranteed those in parliament will be doing as they please

Id lay money on it!

True

I’m not a Tory voter, but I had been supportive of the government in managing the pandemic up until that point.

The lack of apology and acknowledgement of wrongdoing from Cummings and Johnson, and Johnson’s dogged defence of Cummings, still disgust me. To show such utter arrogance and complete disdain for the British public during a pandemic is unforgivable. Johnson in particular really showed his true colours.

Agree OP - still angry when I think of it. Then annoyed at myself for being surprised by it. It was an ill wind that blew this lot in.

YANBU

He's clearly got some major dirt on Johnson.

@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.

The problem here is that you're conflating how you think people should react with how they have reacted. Not the same thing. While you're entitled to take the heroically optimistic view that people ought not to be influenced by their leaders shitting all over the rules, it's a different point to the one the OP made.

Not moved on. He's the reason people don't comply.

I will never move on. Like a PP I cried actual hot tears of fury when Boris came on and defended him.

It's when he did it. April. Absolute height of lockdown. The time of scampering round the supermarket maintaining distance, the walking in the middle of the deserted road to avoid another person on the pavement, the seeing nobody outside your household. I couldn't go for a run because I was walking the dog once a day. We didn't even drive the two miles to nearest big green space to do so.

We're now being told that you need to isolate if contacted by the app for some glancing contact with anonymous person. Cummings worked with half a dozen confirmed cases, his wife had symptoms, he went home and then returned to the office. This was all before the jaunt.

And then the ridiculous tweets from the cabinet, he's a good father, he's only doing what good parents do. I will never forgive them that. Especially you Rishi Sunak. I live near DC and vaguely know a good friend of his who lives two streets away (weirdly, he has friends). It's bollocks that he needed to go to Durham, he just was too self important to think that he should stop working in order to look after his own child.

It absolutely did destroy public compliance. We were told by those in charge that only idiots followed the rules, clever people with common sense did what they wanted.

My favourite simpering Cabinet tweets were the ones from the Attorney General. The rest of them merely looked pathetic, but she actually undermined her office.

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.

the press only turned up after his Merry jaunt was found out. So that excuse is rubbish.

Well I don't believe that - I've just checked the press and these articles were published just 5 days before Dominic Cummings left for Durham;

"No 10 denies claim Dominic Cummings argued to 'let old people die'."

"Downing Street says Sunday Times report on PM’s aide is ‘highly defamatory fabrication’."

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/mar/22/no-10-denies-claim-dominic-cummings-argued-to-let-old-people-die

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dominic-cummings-boris-johnson-coronavirus-elderly-economy-a9417246.html

www.thecanary.co/uk/2020/03/22/claim-that-pms-special-adviser-dominic-cummings-was-callous-about-coronavirus-deaths/

Also, we know that Dominic Cummings' father sought security advice for his son's stay at the time - that's how Durham Police found out that DC was staying at the property.

I agree, his attitude is that he can do exactly what he wants & is untouchable. His actions have lead to total mistrust in the government & too many people not complying with the rules. Boris hasn't the balls to kick him out of his job, the statement DC made on television was an insult to every person who has obeyed the rules & guidelines. I don't know what hold he has on Boris, but it must be a big one.

He might as well have given the middle finger to the cameras & said fuck you I will do as I want, you can't touch me"

It's interesting, because apparently the leading non-Boris Tories mostly despised him even before this.

Cummings should have been given his marching orders. And allowing him on the interview to make utter fools of everyone was a gross insult to all the folk following the rules even at great inconvenience and more.

An apology would have been fine for me Acknowledgement and move on

I remember feeling so frustrated over that weekend about lack of acknowledgment

I am furious about the other ministers especially the Scottish one anyone else would have been arrested !

It was the point when I stopped following the rules to the letter and the point where I started doing what is best for my family (my elderly mum and my DDs) using my best judgement (none of which actually involves doing anything particularly dodgy). Cummings is a disgrace and the whatever goodwill I had for the government (not much to be fair) was lost after this

@dollychopss

I am furious about the other ministers especially the Scottish one anyone else would have been arrested !

She wasn't a minister. I imagine if she somehow had been, she'd have got the sack very quickly! No idea what she thought she was playing at.