BBC: Coronavirus: Dominic Cummings visited parents' home while he had symptoms

[Celerity]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-52779356

Dominic Cummings travelled hundreds of miles from London to County Durham during the lockdown when he had coronavirus symptoms. Mr Cummings and his wife went to his parents' home to self-isolate, a source close to the PM's chief aide told BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg.

The source insisted Mr Cummings did not break official guidance because the couple stayed in a separate building. Labour demanded No 10 provide a "swift explanation" for Mr Cummings' actions. "If accurate, the prime minister's chief adviser appears to have breached the lockdown rules. The government's guidance was very clear: stay at home and no non-essential travel," a spokesman said. "The British people do not expect there to be one rule for them and another rule for Dominic Cummings."

The Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Mr Cummings should resign or be dismissed by Boris Johnson and that it was a "key test of leadership" for the PM. And Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, added: "If Dominic Cummings has broken the guidelines he will have to resign, it is as simple as that."

No 10 declined to comment on Friday night after the story was first reported in the Daily Mirror and Guardian newspapers. Both papers reported Mr Cummings, the former Vote Leave chief who was the architect of the PM's Brexit strategy, had been approached by the police.

snip


Tory bellend needs to get the SACK!!!!

[malaise]

1. That video of him running away from #10 takes on a whole

new meaning - I just watched the details on BBC. Bloody hypocrites - rules are for the peons

[Celerity]

3. +100000

[Celerity]

4. ...

Link to tweet

[janterry]

2. If I and my partner were sick

and I had someone who could potentially look after my four year old - I would FOR SURE consider moving to my parents home ESPECIALLY if they had a separate home for me to stay in.

I don't know how the young child could quarantine before 'moving' buildings - to be cared for by grandparents (that's a real problem) and there are no good solutions.

but I'd still want the child near family. We've written on this board about other mothers who got very sick and could not take care of their children. That's frightening.

I don't know the details of this. But these are hard times and if you have a young child - you have to figure out a way for family to be available if you are not.

[Celerity]

5. UK coronavirus live: No 10 accused of trying to cover up Cummings lockdown breach

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/may/23/uk-coronavirus-live-boris-johnson-under-pressure-to-sack-dominic-cummings-latest-updates



The PM's top aide Dominic Cummings says he did the "right thing" by travelling 260 miles to be near relatives during the coranavirus lockdown - adding that he did not care what it looked like.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-52782913

Mr Cummings is facing calls to quit over the journey, which he made when his wife had Covid-19 symptoms. Downing Street said he wanted to ensure he had childcare if he got symptoms. But Labour said that was not a satisfactory explanation and many people would be angry at his actions. Mr Cummings told reporters he "behaved reasonably and legally" when asked about the trip from London to Durham.

Asked whether it looked good, he said: "Who cares about good looks? It's a question of doing the right thing. It's not about what you guys think."

The Scottish National Party has called for Mr Cummings to quit or be fired - and has written to Sir Mark Sedwill, the head of the civil service, calling for a swift investigation into the incident. Labour has stopped short of calling for Mr Cummings' resignation, saying the government had questions to answer at its daily press conference at 16:00 BST.

A Labour spokesman said: "The lockdown rules were very clear: if you or anyone in your household was suspected of having Covid-19 you must immediately self-isolate and not leave the house," said a Labour spokesman.

"However, the prime minister's chief adviser appears to believe that it is one rule for him and another for the British people.

"This will cause understandable anger for the millions of people who have sacrificed so much during this crisis."

Link to tweet

[janterry]

6. But what else do you do?

I'm a single mother of a now 17 year old. If I get sick she can take care of herself. But when she was little it was ONLY me. I made lots of choices that were really hard. I had no family to watch her.

Ever.

I know the panic of what to do. If he waited to get sick (day 11). Then what? His parents drive up to take care of the child then?

If he just wanted to go on vacation - that's horrible. But the panic of your child. And if you have an alternative? Family?

I don't know. I think this is JUST what I'd do. I'd consider it urgent.

By the same token, I'd not talk to a single person during the drive. I'd NEVER put anyone else at risk. That's the point of self-isolation. So, if he put anyone at risk, interacted with anyone - well, that's the problem.

The drive (IMO) is not.

[The Magistrate]

7. He Should Have Thought Of That, Ma'am, Before He Set Up In Business As a Dickish Twit

If he had not so impressed himself on the British populace as an unfeeling and ruthless presence in government, a specialist in unsavory manipulations from an un-elected position of trust, he would probably not be in much trouble, and many raising a hue and cry over this would look small. His view of persons in the situation you describe as having been your own would be simply that you must bear the consequences of getting pregnant without family or substantial means, and if that meant your child sickened or died, or you did yourself and left her orphaned, that would be just the proper working out of life in this world, and nothing for anyone else to be concerned over.

[malaise]

8. UK police contradict No 10 claims over lockdown warning Durham police say they did contact PM's top

aide over alleged breach of lockdown.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/may/23/coronavirus-live-news-australia-hit-by-60bn-payout-error-as-trump-orders-places-of-worship-to-reopen

[Eid Ma Clack Shaw]

9. He was clearly not that sick. And also had family close by in London.

It was also his mother’s birthday in April.

Families who have been denied the chance to say goodbye to dying loved ones and attend their funerals will be appalled by this.

Furthermore, it turns out that he was spotted in Durham AGAIN, days after having returned to London.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/23/new-witnesses-cast-doubt-on-dominic-cummingss-lockdown-claims

Cummings is an elitist crook whose career has been built on manipulating working class folks into thinking he and his puppets are on their side. In the context of the inept Johnson’s government, he’s basically Dick Cheney but unelected.