Westminster Politics

[711]

Waiting until the PM had refused to act was a smart move.

I've not followed the news for an hour, and on reading this thread my first thought was to agree with you, but then I've looked at the BBC and Sky online and there's feck all about Starmer. Going back through the thread it looks like all he's done is made a short tweet which has had and will have little impact. He should have had a press briefing and put forward his thoughts a lot more effectively than that. He should have made a call that would be headline news, not just made some insignificant tweet.

 

[sun_tzu]

Are they going with the rouge employee or hacked as the excuse?

 

[Acole9]

If you believe that you are deluded. Cummings will stay. It will all be forgotten.

I'm not sure, I get the impression the journalists won't back down. The public's backs are probably going to be up.

 

[Berbaclass]

 

[sammsky1]

Quite a move for ITV to come out so strongly against Boris on this. Just awaiting to see what side Laura Kuenesberg comes out on.

This will rumble on. Wonder if masses will hold noisy protests outside parliament and Downing Street which would then require physical action from police to disperse the public and deny them the right to protest.

This can get messy very quickly of those in dissent play it right and get organised.

 

[Paxi]

My mum would be leaning towards tories, although she's not really into politics and doesn't vote but she's absolutely incensed at this debacle. She's seeing red here cause we've been made to adhere to the lockdown rules and that scruffy wanker just does as he pleases. I'm sure there are a lot of people like that, whatever their political leanings are. Hopefully the pressure will be to great for Johnson.

 

[BobbyManc]

I'm not sure, I get the impression the journalists won't back down. The public's backs are probably going to be up.

I cannot ever recall a time where public outrage has been so united in contempt for the government. Yesterday I felt Cummings would survive because eventually apathy sets in but I'm beginning to sense a serious zeal for some kind of repercussions from this fallout. We have still not even had an apology. People have made sacrifices and they are being treated like mugs in a manner that transcends political allegiances. Of course, more Tories will be willing to turn a blind eye, but it's cutting across the political divide to a significant extent.

 

[Paxi]

Are they going with the rouge employee or hacked as the excuse?

My guess would be a hacked account. Rogue employee would look extremely bad.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I cannot ever recall a time where public outrage has been so united in contempt for the government. Yesterday I felt Cummings would survive because eventually apathy sets in but I'm beginning to sense a serious zeal for some kind of repercussions from this fallout. We have still not even had an apology. People have made sacrifices and they are being treated like mugs in a manner that transcends political allegiances. Of course, more Tories will be willing to turn a blind eye, but it's cutting across the political divide to a significant extent.

I think Steve Baker framed it well, Boris is burning through his political capital. He burnt through some more with that interview. I think more and more people are starting to realise that Cummings is running the country.

 

[sullydnl]

I've not followed the news for an hour, and on reading this thread my first thought was to agree with you, but then I've looked at the BBC and Sky online and there's feck all about Starmer. Going back through the thread it looks like all he's done is made a short tweet which has had and will have little impact. He should have had a press briefing and put forward his thoughts a lot more effectively than that. He should have made a call that would be headline news, not just made some insignificant tweet.

The question is how much and when he wants to put himself in the middle of the discussion. As it stands Boris will be already be all over the frontpage of tomorrow's papers defending Cummings, which is undoubtedly going to be an unpopular position. Although he certainly had to respond to the PM today, I'm not necessarily sure he'd want to change the current headlines in the slightest.

 

[Paxi]

Surely footage like CCTV can be pulled up if a police investigation is launched. If he was spoken to and broken the rules again, and on multiple occasions, then he has committed a crime has he not?

 

[arnie_ni]

Surely footage like CCTV can be pulled up if a police investigation is launched. If he was spoken to and broken the rules again, and on multiple occasions, then he has committed a crime has he not?

Youd imagine that castle would have something wouldnt it?

 

[711]

The question is how much and when he wants to put himself in the middle of the discussion. As it stands Boris will be already be all over the frontpage of tomorrow's papers defending Cummings, which is undoubtedly going to be an unpopular position. Although he certainly had to respond to the PM today, I'm not necessarily sure he'd want to change the current headlines in the slightest.

A staged response, as in by stages? Could be yes, I hope so anyway. I'm not anti-Starmer, I've an open mind on him, I hope he does well.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

I cannot ever recall a time where public outrage has been so united in contempt for the government. Yesterday I felt Cummings would survive because eventually apathy sets in but I'm beginning to sense a serious zeal for some kind of repercussions from this fallout. We have still not even had an apology. People have made sacrifices and they are being treated like mugs in a manner that transcends political allegiances. Of course, more Tories will be willing to turn a blind eye, but it's cutting across the political divide to a significant extent.

outrage in your echo chamber maybe.

 

[Buster15]

Surely footage like CCTV can be pulled up if a police investigation is launched. If he was spoken to and broken the rules again, and on multiple occasions, then he has committed a crime has he not?

Don't make the mistake of trusting the police.

 

[Paxi]

Youd imagine that castle would have something wouldnt it?

Well the motorway will have plenty. Petrol stations etc. There just needs a reason to get this footage - I'm positive its there.

 

[Paxi]

Don't make the mistake of trusting the police.

Well they already contradicted the government so I'm hopeful.

 

[Jippy]

Are they going with the rouge employee or hacked as the excuse?

I guess the heavy make-up was the employee being in disguise.
White text

 

[Brwned]

outrage in your echo chamber maybe.

Don't you think it's curious that they're putting up such a strong defence for an adviser? By strength I mean the amount of effort Boris and his allies have put into it, the argument is pretty weak obviously.

 

[Untied]

Careful what you wish for
Gove and bannon as replacements
Or they might go full on patel and Katie Hopkins...and no no election for more than four years

I mean the Conservatives won on a manifesto promising to repeal the fixed term parliament act without replacing it. The FTP act itself stripped all legislation limiting the durations of parliament, so they essentially won on a manifesto promising indefinite parliaments.

 

[Adisa]

Officially reported to police.

 

[Jippy]

Officially reported to police.

What a waste of time. Durham police already dealt with it and didn't feel it needed action taken.

 

[Buster15]

Yeah, I think that’s a fair take. Thing is, Cummings doesn’t have a leg to stand on. And the fact Johnson has backed him so brazenly just goes to show how in his thrall the upper echelons of the party are.

Totally.
That was just about the most embarrassing speech I have ever seen from a PM.

To say that he was making it up as he went along and was inventing reasons why it was acceptable is an understatement.

Boris should know that when you are in the sh1t, stop digging.
He convinced no one that Cummings was within the lockdown restrictions.
All he did was to confirm what a compulsive liar he is.

And far worse, he obviously knew about this for weeks and did sweet F ALL.

This government really does stink to high heaven.

 

[BobbyManc]

What a waste of time. Durham police already dealt with it and didn't feel it needed action taken.

No it’s a complaint about the second alleged violation of lockdown rules, which the police were not aware of at the time. The trip to Durham that coincided with his mum’s birthday.

 

[Paxi]

Officially reported to police.

Good job. I was just saying that if he is reported to the police, they'll have to do a thorough investigation into what actually transpired. We should have some clarity on this in the coming days and weeks. I suspect its going get bad for Cummings and Johnson.

 

[Paxi]

What a waste of time. Durham police already dealt with it and didn't feel it needed action taken.

Yes but it looks like he broken the lockdown rules on multiple occasions. If he did so after already having been spoken to, then he was commiting a crime, was he not?

 

[Cascarino]

outrage in your echo chamber maybe.

The people in your chamber are happy?

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

The only surprising thing about any of this, is the number of surprised people in this thread. Did you guys really think Boris was going to sack Cummings?

This! The only person getting sacked here is whoever sent that Civil Service tweet. Boris relies on Cummings almost totally.

 

[Kentonio]

Yes but it looks like he broken the lockdown rules on multiple occasions. If he did so after already having been spoken to, then he was commiting a crime, was he not?

He’s too high up in government to commit a crime. Those are for common people.

 

[Jippy]

No it’s a complaint about the second alleged violation of lockdown rules, which the police were not aware of at the time. The trip to Durham that coincided with his mum’s birthday.

Ah ok. It's only a fine at worst though isn't it? Much as I'd love to see a pissed off Durham police really go for him, I don't want to get my hopes up.

 

[jeff_goldblum]

The last few days has made me certain that Cummings' knowledge of skulduggery in the Leave campaign includes something that has the potential to destroy Johnson.

 

[TheGame]

Werent the Brexiters were moaning about unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. Where is their outrage here?

 

[SteveJ]

The last few days has made me certain that Cummings' knowledge of skulduggery in the Leave campaign includes something that has the potential to destroy Johnson.

What could possibly be dubious about a Prime Minister who will - literally - play you at tennis for a £50,000 'donation', especially if you happen to be a Russian government representative?

 

[jeff_goldblum]

What could possibly be dubious about a Prime Minister who will - literally - play you at tennis for a £50,000 'donation', especially if you happen to be a Russian government representative?

To be fair, that sort of thing has been in the playbook of both parties for a couple of decades now. Didn't the Tory treasurer take a bullet for Cameron a while back over donors being rewarded with private dinners at dining street?

 

[SteveJ]

To be fair, that sort of thing has been in the playbook of both parties for a couple of decades now. Didn't the Tory treasurer take a bullet for Cameron a while back over donors being rewarded with private dinners at dining street?

Yeah, true. May used to entertain arms dealers...which is one of the few times I'd feel sympathy with them.

 

[phonics_tid]

From my perspective, I couldn’t give a toss about Cummings or what he did. What really enrages me though is the way that these soulless politicians (Hancock, Patel, JRM, Gove etc.) have rallied around him.

For me, it’s not just Cummings position thats untenable but every single one of them that have come out in public support of him. This isn’t left versus right, remain versus leave, this purely comes down to the integrity, trust and moral compass of those that clearly do not deserve to be in the positions that they are in. An absolute embarrassment that the public is getting treated like this by elected officials.

 

[Spark]

Ah ok. It's only a fine at worst though isn't it? Much as I'd love to see a pissed off Durham police really go for him, I don't want to get my hopes up.

Didn’t the poundland May try to sound tough the other day in the press conference for those breaching the lockdown? £1000 fines or something.

I’m hoping for more quality journalism this evening and over the coming days that further contradicts the bellends supposedly running this country.

 

[Buster15]

From my perspective, I couldn’t give a toss about Cummings or what he did. What really enrages me though is the way that these soulless politicians (Hancock, Patel, JRM, Gove etc.) have rallied around him.

For me, it’s not just Cummings position thats untenable but every single one of them that have come out in public support of him. This isn’t left versus right, remain versus leave, this purely comes down to the integrity, trust and moral compass of those that clearly do not deserve to be in the positions that they are in. An absolute embarrassment that the public is getting treated like this by elected officials.

Hear hear to that.

 

[SteveJ]

Five(!) members of the SAGE subcommittee have now registered their disdain for the government's response, and for the way its members have ignored the committee's advice.

 

[VP89]

The cabinet ministers can all feck off with that until they grow a pair and publicly call out Boris or resign.

Agreed, I ignore all the tweets about cabinet members or MPs being disgruntled. Means feck all.

Ah ok. It's only a fine at worst though isn't it? Much as I'd love to see a pissed off Durham police really go for him, I don't want to get my hopes up.

Well from Police sure, it's a fine. But the damaging impact we'd hope for is for them to publish that he was indeed fined for breaking the lockdown rules and we'd let Downing Street do the rest.