Westminster Politics

sullydnl said:
Well it's a Guardian and Mirror story and they're left wing papers, so Cummings would be a prime target for them anyway. You've got to imagine that someone that dislikeable has made enemies in all quarters though. I'm sure there are plenty of Tory-aligned journalists, party members and civil servants quite happy to see him get a kicking.
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100% personal for some journalists. I’m sure they’ve had some horrible experiences dealing with him.
 
MoskvaRed said:
Cummings might go but only because a significant number of Tory MPs can’t stand him.
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I think the hard-core brexit bunch such as bone, Baker and Frank mancois etc are scared that when faced with the economic reality of a hard brexit and the potential that this might hurt election prospects that somebody like cummings might prioritise electability over flag waving and xenophobia... dont think they want to risk that
 
sun_tzu said:
I think the hard-core brexit bunch such as bone, Baker and Frank mancois etc are scared that when faced with the economic reality of a hard brexit and the potential that this might hurt election prospects that somebody like cummings might prioritise electability over flag waving and xenophobia... dont think they want to risk that
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What election prospects, its five years until another GE?

The UK will have been out of the EU for the best part of five years, there is a good chance that with no Brexit bone to chew on, then Bone (forgive the pun), Baker, et al could already be gone from the Tories, their political life's work completed. Doesn't look as though Cummings will be around that long either, he's got them elected, he's now becoming a liability and either he and/or his Boss will probably go before the next GE.

Don't forget the Tories see themselves as the natural party of Power... and there is a good reason for that!
 
The mirror played a blinder here with their two part story. Not only did they ensure Cummings was properly caught out but they also made the entire cabinet look like absolute mugs in the process. Some serious political capital lost here.
 
Jippy said:
Well we do follow them with a 10 or so year lag in most things I guess.
But does anyone really believe this will have any impact on Tory voters, particularly given most will read about it on the BBC or DM, Tel etc...
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You are right, the Brexit battle-ground in the UK changed all that, "I'm, right you're wrong .. oh and you are also an idiot for not seeing I'm am right" is the sentiments pertaining to most political dialogue in the US and here as well. It was hoped by many that one positive coming out of the pandemic, is that people will be kinder to one another... and they may well do so, but inside politics its still the 'one-up-man-ship' game.
All this sniping at opposition figures, about rule breaking etc. when as any politician ever believed ,really believed the rules apply to them? The political figures in and around Parliament, during Brexit and now even in a pandemic situation only see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear. One side is now entrenched in power for five years, the other main opposition hasn't a hope in hell of achieving anything in the next five years except to harass the Government, both are #'electorate free zones' for the next five years.
 
Did the bastard even have the virus at all, or was it just an excuse to feck off on a jolly?
 
Compton22 said:
Admittedly I didn't care much for it until the virtual format was introduced. It's so much more productive and watchable without the childish booing and heckling over ministers raising important questions. I'll be sad to see it go back to normal.

On YouGov's polls, it truly baffles me that people would still vote Conservative. They may not be watching PMQ's but the media is certainly not giving them an easy ride on the way they have handled this situation.
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Are you fcuking kidding?
 
Dobba said:
Peter Bone calling for Cummings to go. Sir Keir still waiting for focus group approval.
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Perhaps Labours focus group can hire cummings
After all he's not a member of any political party... show himself to be pretty good at winning votes and looks like he might be available soon
Plus the meltdown it would trigger would be epic
 
Dobba said:
Sir Keir isn't a danger to public health. Being one of those would require doing something.
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I don't think he actually needs to do anything here. The Tory party are doing a great job of hitting the self destruct button on this one.
 
Dobba said:
Thank goodness that they're doing a great job, we might actually see the back of the cnut, because Sir Keir can't be arsed.
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It's more a sign of being measured, and knowing when to attack and when not to. This isn't a time where needs to add his two pence in. I know that might not sit well with those who believe that if you're in opposition then you vocally object everything that is happening.
 
F-Red said:
It's more a sign of being measured, and knowing when to attack and when not to. This isn't a time where needs to add his two pence in. I know that might not sit well with those who believe that if you're in opposition then you vocally object everything that is happening.
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I'd settle for him opposing anything with any gusto. Even with the ridiculous NHS surcharge he only had the bollocks to go out in defence of migrants in one particular occupation. Yvette Cooper refusing to follow the whip was forgotten as quickly as she did it too.
 
The Government trying to spin this as if Cummings didn’t break any rules. WTF?!?! The rules were very clear at the time to self isolate at your first address. No if’s & but’s.
This is just even more lies & deceit. Politicians have always lied, but since the Brexit campaign started it seems to be becoming a deliberate strategy by some Politicians in the UK to con the General Public.
 
Yeah, Starmer not immediately jumping in and allowing the Tories to accuse him of politicising the story has clearly taken the heat out of the issue, as all the frontpage headlines today demonstrate. If only he had done something to divert that attention onto himself instead.

I mean there's no way Labour could have criticized Cummings otherwise.



It's just like that famous Napolean saying, "always interrupt your enemies when they're making mistakes". Top notch political analysis as always.
 
Cummings will be gone soon enough, the scruffy cnut. The ministerial layer of the Tory party are a bunch of gutless tossers. This government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis has been nothing short of catastrophic. You’d love to watch it all unfold were it not for the thousands and thousands of corpses.
 
Feed Me said:
Cummings will be gone soon enough, the scruffy cnut. The ministerial layer of the Tory party are a bunch of gutless tossers. This government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis has been nothing short of catastrophic. You’d love to watch it all unfold were it not for the thousands and thousands of corpses.
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I think Boris will chop him, but with a promise to find him a new role in six months time, a role where he can advise just the same but keep a very low public profile, no twittering or press statements or the like.
 
711 said:
I think Boris will chop him, but with a promise to find him a new role in six months time, a role where he can advise just the same but keep a very low public profile, no twittering or press statements or the like.
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Yes, I think you are spot on. Our politics is littered with such instances. People like Cummings are unflushable turds.
 
Feed Me said:
Cummings will be gone soon enough, the scruffy cnut. The ministerial layer of the Tory party are a bunch of gutless tossers. This government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis has been nothing short of catastrophic. You’d love to watch it all unfold were it not for the thousands and thousands of corpses.
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I certainly agree with you on the handling of the Corona virus has been catastrophic.

On of the most important jobs of a government is to look after and protect its people.

And yet, our relatively small island is responsible for over 10% of the global deaths.
Even though it had all the warning and all the experience from places like China, Italy and Spain on which to base its response.

My concern though is the way that the government finds it so acceptable to lie and deceive and pretend that they are doing a 'world leading job'.

Come on Britain.
Wake up and take notice.
 
Labour would be well advised to keep their mouths shut and let the Tories destroy themselves, because who knows what their own ministers may have been up to.

The optics of them taking the moral high ground on this, only for it to then be revealed that Diane Abbotts been out dogging, or something, during lockdown wouldn't be great.
 
Dobba said:
Peter Bone calling for Cummings to go. Sir Keir still waiting for focus group approval.
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I remember, not that long ago, when the 'centrist' members of Labour were declaring themselves to be the grown-ups and I laughed hard when their true colours were shown.

But let's not go down that same road of trying to sabotage the other wing of the party. They have doomed us to another 5 years of tory rule, that is clearly on their heads, but whoever came in after the stitch-up was always going to have to tread a very fine line. Attacking Starmer over every tiny thing right now is simply going to prolong the recovery of the politics of the left in this country.
 
Maticmaker said:
What election prospects, its five years until another GE?

The UK will have been out of the EU for the best part of five years, there is a good chance that with no Brexit bone to chew on, then Bone (forgive the pun), Baker, et al could already be gone from the Tories, their political life's work completed. Doesn't look as though Cummings will be around that long either, he's got them elected, he's now becoming a liability and either he and/or his Boss will probably go before the next GE.

Don't forget the Tories see themselves as the natural party of Power... and there is a good reason for that!
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Four. It will be May 2024.
 
Starmer piling on could make the Tories close ranks. I don't think he needs to.do anything for now. He has asked for a cabinet investigation. Not much more he can do.
 
Flying high said:
I remember, not that long ago, when the 'centrist' members of Labour were declaring themselves to be the grown-ups and I laughed hard when their true colours were shown.

But let's not go down that same road of trying to sabotage the other wing of the party. They have doomed us to another 5 years of tory rule, that is clearly on their heads, but whoever came in after the stitch-up was always going to have to tread a very fine line. Attacking Starmer over every tiny thing right now is simply going to prolong the recovery of the politics of the left in this country.
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Seconded. I believe Starmer should have made his presence felt by now but I can see the wisdom in taking a backseat.
 
PM's 'position' is lying on a sunbed every weekend.
 
Does sound like the government may actually call an inquiry, which unfortunately is an astute method that will allow them to take the sting out of the story for now - and in the political lexicon we all know an ‘inquiry’ basically means a cover-up/delay it to the point people become apathetic.
 
DavidDeSchmikes said:
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I predict he'll announce something unexpected to draw attention away from the Cummings thing. Will have to be a feelgood one, maybe allow all relatives to meet, or meet outside in larger groups, or expect pubs and restaurants to reopen in three weeks or something. Actually allowing relatives to meet might draw attention to Cummings rather than away from him, but some sort of 'good news' item anyway.
 
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