If Boris

[cromwell]

It is the job of Her Majesty's Opposition to "hold the government to account", not the job of the media.

They have decided that it is though.

[Kaz]

They're exposing his hypocry, that's good enough for me, and for many who have made enormous personal sacrifices to stick to this lockdown. It's a kick in the teeth for every family who put personal need aside to abide by the rules. Loved ones dying alone, watching family funerals on Zoom, beloved family members locked away by themselves - but hey, yes, let's blame the press.

Never heard of "Don't shoot the messenger" I guess.

[TheOstrich]

As much as I detest the media, I have to agree with Kaz over this.

Cummings flouted the rules, the spirit of the rules, and behaved like a petulant schoolboy when caught and challenged.
Time to call a spade a spade. He's a prat, the vast majority of the British public think he's a prat, (MP's inboxes are reputedly red-hot with indignation - certainly our local Tory MP has admitted his is), and Boris and the Tory sycophants like Gove have lost a great deal of kudos for siding with a prat.

If I'd been fined £65 by the Dorset Police for breaking the lockdown restrictions, I'd be demanding a refund. But that's nothing. As Kaz says, what on earth must those who have suffered real heartache by being parted from their loved ones be thinking at this time?

He won't go, he's too thick-skinned to even care a jot what people think of him, but he's doing inestimable damage to the Tory brand as some MPs are beginning to realise.

It is interesting to look at Douglas Ross MP's twitter feed (the one who resigned). The vast majority of responses are in support of his stance, along the lines of "Respect - you are one of the few politicians who have actually shown integrity" - even if a few prefaced that sentiment with "Ye are a Tory bastard and I cannae ever vote for ye, but …."

[Gal2]

They're exposing his hypocry, that's good enough for me, and for many who have made enormous personal sacrifices to stick to this lockdown. It's a kick in the teeth for every family who put personal need aside to abide by the rules. Loved ones dying alone, watching family funerals on Zoom, beloved family members locked away by themselves - but hey, yes, let's blame the press.

Never heard of "Don't shoot the messenger" I guess.

Absolutely this ^^^

[victor]

Absolutely spot on Kaz

[jenniren]

I totally agree with both Crommers and Medsec on this. This has turned into an ugly witch hunt, the behaviour of some of the rabble baying for blood is truly disgusting, it doesn't reflect well on this country at all

[Suff]

Suff, with all due respect the issue is that one of the most influential members in society was telling 56 million of us to do this that and the other or be heavily fined for not obeying and him then going off and doing his own thing. That's it.

Actually he didn't tell us anything of the sort.

He advised the government not to do that. The government ignored him and went on with it anyway.

Reality check. Cummings is not elected, is not a minister and is not a titled official in any other role than advisor.
So when you are an advisor and the government ignores your advice, are you then beholden to be a better citizen at what you consider total idiocy?

The press has decided to change history for its own ends. It is Cummings who wants to control the press and the media and the government is interacting with the press and the media on his advice. So they want rid of him.

In the meantime testing is now the best in Europe, France and Germany are starting to prop up theic crumbling businesses, the UK economy has not been hurt as much as was feared, key targets are being hit and kept, Russia and Brazil are struggling to control the virus, India is also struggling to control the virus. At. The same time Nissan is closing their Spanish plant but keeping Sunderland (who would have guessed that???)

What has been the main story? Cummings. Because the press want it to be so. Well until the BBC reported itself for lack of impartiality.

Now the story in the Guardian is about how the Tory Party is tearing itself apart over this. Give me a break....

Personally I'm just glad it is leaving the headlines now the police have investigated and said that he would have been turned back, nothing more, like thousands of others.

Although you can thank the whole focus on Cummings for one thing. The lock down, in England at least, is going to end much faster now, because the more leeway the Government gives, the more it will be abuulsed, giving the media far more to talk about than Cummings.

[cromwell]

Oh dear. Cummings "witness" admits to lying about it.
I wonder if this will be leading the news for a week?
I'm guessing probably not.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11748383/ ... -lockdown/

[TheOstrich]

Oh dear. Cummings "witness" admits to lying about it.

Then he should be prosecuted for wasting everybody's time, not least the police ….