Westministenders: Reployed back to No Deal Planning

[RedToothBrush]

Now Covid-19 is over (yeah I know right) lots of civil servants who were switched from brexit no deal planning to covid-19 planning have been switched back to their original remit.

For some reason this doesn't exactly fill me with confidence.

We've also seen yet another doubling down on the EU not being flexible and how they need to make a deal. And lots of rhetoric about being serious about no transiton planning.

Remember we have something of a deadline looming at the end of next month.

So before we are even out of this crisis, the government have lost interest. Today's press conference was an eye opener - Van Tam openly said that the time taken to get test results was too long and wasn't good enough yet and meant track and trace wasnt still operational despite it being such a crucial factor in being able to go into the next phase as planned on 1st June.

Another deadline we won't make - the Manchester Nightgale still has patients and the local authorities in the NW are going mental. So the government is playing more silly buggers over blame and villianising the evil workshy teachers. Noting the government guidance for teachers on how to teacher children at home says fuck all and the guidance on reopening schools makes a Theresa May dog ate my homework style document look positively well thought out, in terms of practicality. (Not even going to touch on the question of whether its safe - the whether its workable one is more important).

I guess that means things are getting back to normal at least.

A recession looms, but workers rights are now fair game and fully in the government cross hairs - as we see from a lack of PPE for the 'heroes' and the attacks on the teachers. As well as the carers who were sold down river. That'll be the ununionised carers...

Taking back control.

Have you noticed how all the coordinated MP responses are about "caring for your wife and child"? As though everyone else, who has stayed away from theirs because they care, doesn't care quite as much as the Tories do about family? All those people who have missed funerals, birthdays etc clearly didn't care as much as this twat and his twee wife.

Lots of tory press seeming less than thrilled with BJ and Co atm.

Here's an interesting thread about Cummings by YouGov's Chris Curtis:

Chris Curtis @chriscurtis94
Just spoke to @SkyNews about why I think the accusations about Cummings WILL be the sort of story that cuts through with the public and why this will be politically difficult for the government.

Some thoughts...

1 - The public really don't like Cummings. Before all of this, just 14% had a favourable view of him, 45% unfavourable. He was even in negative territory among Conservative voters.

Normally this doesn't matter too much, but he's not an ideal person to be front and centre.

2 - Goes without saying, but the public hate anything that sounds like public figures acting "hypocritically" or not following the rules that they ask the rest of us to follow.

3 – It comes at a time when there is already a gap opening up between the public and the government over lockdown policy, with the public thinking they are moving too fast. This could build into a narrative that those at the top don’t care enough about public health.

4 - The public have loved to judge others during this crisis. While almost everyone says they have been following the rules, they are constantly upset/angry because there is a perception that others aren't.

Lots of people replying saying that this story is a Westminster bubble obsession. Obviously, the public always pay less attention that we all think to politics.

But if this isn't the kind of thing that cuts through with the public right now, then I'm not sure what would.

The media follow a story that will make them the most money, and they have done this in recent years by finding the thing that most outrages the public. They will chase something which they think annoys people. They try and lead public opinion but they also try and follow it as well.

Cummings himself knows that people hate hypocritical leadership and leaders that think they are above the rest of the population. He used this to frame Johnson as being different to this. We all know this wasn't the case, but the media played on it because it sold papers.

In terms of it being a Westminster Bubble Story, the problem is there is NOTHING else going on at the moment, so people are taking more notice of politics than they might normally cos there is fuck all else to do.

As Curtis says, if this doesn't cut through, nothing will.

BUT

Nothing has stuck on Donald Trump, so why should we believe anything will stick on Cummings and Johnson?

I'm confused now though - because if your family looked after your child while you were ill why on earth would you then publish tips for other families on how to cope in a national publication? Just to ask a disingenuous question. Why would you do that?

The Cummings family are not like the plebs. They are above that. Cummings believes in eugenics and that intelligence (and therefore life chances) are primarily genetically based - he thinks that those on council estates can not be improved by education.

Why do you think Mrs Cummings would say something like that?

Tish pish! 'Caring for wife and child'.

He was sticking two fingers up to everyone who has made sacrifices - large and small - for the good of the nation. That's what.

More Tory press. If you're an arrogant twat on the way up...

Iain Martin
@iainmartin1
This is the bit in politics where someone under attack in a scandal needs to be able to cash in good will generated by years of being nice or at least respectful to colleagues etc...

Be interesting it it emerged that Cummings told one story to the police, and another is being peddled to the press.

Re JHB as a "hard hitter" ... I was trying (clumsily, it was a rough night) to point out that she does pull a lot of traction with a certain demographic.

And Tim Montgomerie's tweets and retweets are a refreshing change . Clearly, a lot of people really dislike him.

Cummings has become the story

he's toast

YIPPEE

And Tim Montgomerie's tweets and retweets are a refreshing change

In the FB post I nicked the JHB tweet from, there were ones from TM too. I just CBA to post the lot

I can just see a subset of arch Brexiteers of the future bemoaning how if only Cummings had been at the helm Brexit would have been an unmitigated success... I think he will go now but come back, like a nasty rash, later.

Aaaaaannndddd, 3, 2, 1 Hancock's been leant on

Matt Hancock
@MattHancock
·
21m
I know how ill coronavirus makes you. It was entirely right for Dom Cummings to find childcare for his toddler, when both he and his wife were getting ill.

yorkshirebylines.co.uk/kuenssbergs-impartiality-under-fire/

The revelations yesterday about Dominic Cummings’ apparent breach of the lockdown rules, travelling 250 miles to his parents’ home in County Durham while experiencing the symptoms of coronavirus, has sparked a flurry of activity on Twitter about the impartiality of the BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg.

(contd)

he's toast

Don't bet on it.

I know how ill coronavirus makes you. It was entirely right for Dom Cummings to find childcare for his toddler, when both he and his wife were getting ill.
Indeed
but they were a danger on the roads undertaking that journey .....
maybe they should both be charged with driving without due care and attention

PLEASE let there be CCTV of them at Leicester Forest East on the bridge having a snack PLEASE

I am outraged about Cummings swanning off to Durham while my family was at home, unable to visit my dying father in law, unable to ask anyone to look after the children while I comforted my grieving husband, trying to support my mother in law from a distance, and when family were unable to attend the funeral. We followed the rules and did all those things because no matter how difficult we are responsible human beings, not self serving, high handed twats.

However, I still have the niggly feeling that the public are being manipulated. Its suddenly just come out despite being several weeks ago and he knows it will come out eventually and knows exactly what public reaction is likely to be. Yet Dom keeps his job which presumably will serve to make him more un-toppable, exceptionalism is touted as being ok, its a hot bank holiday coming up and it all seems part of way we are being nudged to gradually ignore lockdown rules. Not sure if this is to keep the virus passing through the population (herd immunity) or to bring more people round to the idea that we may as well get back to normal?

This guy was, apparently, going to be discussing this (and defending him) with JHB today. Even he says this though

Alex Deane
@ajcdeane
Having met Dominic Cummings, I find it completely believable that he could not find someone in a 200 mile radius to help him.

Mockers
Meanwhile, probably still infected Boris wants to go to Washington to meet the maskless fool, which might end up in a good way.
D'you promise?

Pulling up tiles here and was thinking how much Dom knows about the future beneficiaries of Brexit. He is too important to let go at this point and too much of a loose canon not to spout off to the press if he feels in the least bit hard done by (fragile ego). Best the Tories can hope for is some freak sailing accident that can be passed off as a suicide and reframe it as #BeKind #ClassicDom

Cummings future is almost entirely in the hands of the media (tomorrows front pages will be interesting).

They have the power to make him the story every day next week, if they wish. This completely pissing on whatever the government wanted the message to be. Unless Boris were to suffer a C-10 relapse, or produce another baby Boris, the government are all out of stories that could supplant the man fast becoming known as Dominic Goings (if any tabloid journalists are reading you can have that for free I'll even spell it out for you DOMINIC GOINGS )

The Cummings and Goings of Dominic ?

Given that even the Torygraph has gone very cool on the Tories of late, it could be an interesting week. Shame it will obscure the back to school debate (Teachers refuse to return to school in case Dominic Cummings is there ...).

I wonder if this is some sordid little angling for a quid pro quo over those peerages ?

I know they are not a likeable pair, but even she must have some family and friends nearby-even a work colleague. I am willing to bet she has a lot of friends who worry about her in lockdown with that.

When the 1st June date slips or there is a schools uturn, you want a distraction.

Best the Tories can hope for is some freak sailing accident

Are Spinal Tap still looking for a drummer ?

( Choked on vomit ... but they weren't sure it was his. You can't dust for vomit ... )

RTB I'd happily take Dom's head on a plate to hide the back to schools that no one I know was going to send their child to anyway U-turn

Sorry, late to the party with this bit (I am more of a lurker on these threads, as I am not smart enough to post anythign useful)

but this: I would just like the 'recipe' for the vaccine - if it turns out to work - to be shared worldwide with no thought of making a profit from it. Not just for altruistic reasons, though those are important, but because this virus needs to be tackled globally.

Didnt work well for insulin :(

Indeed RTB. Freak gardening accident also likely given I don't imagine he has used anything in a shed before, preferring to have an underling for such tasks.

Maybe I was a bit too resigned earlier. I did think Ferguson's public stoning was a bit OTT. Was trying to be fair.

I'm not suprised they've doubled down, as expected. Sunak and Hancock are pathetic lapdogs they really are.

It makes absolutely no sense that we are allowed to cross the country for childcare. I'm exhausted, my mum usually helps me out lots esp when I'm on nights

I am also thinking of the number of desperately sick (or dying) patients I've had in A&E recently and telling their family down the phone they can't come in. we make exceptions if someone is actually dying then and there, but only for one family member and even then it's been difficult

I keep thinking of all the desperately isolated elderly or vulnerable patients I've met recently who haven't seen anyone in weeks or months and how hard they've been finding it

But it's one rule for us and another for our overlords, I see