General discussion on current situation

[groom]

Those of us who feel strongly one way or the other about the Cummings situation are advised to write to our MPs, no use wasting all our energy on here even though I'm the first to enjoy a good rant 


Put it in writing so they can get an accurate picture of the public's feelings (whatever they are). Just address it to your MP, House of Commons, London or better still email them then it can't 'get lost in the post'


Pat

Done that already. My MP was interviewed after the PM backed DC and was, to quote a friend "Obviously spitting feathers." She spoke about the number of people in her constituency who had to manage children while they were sick, and referred to the 14 year old who died alone as his parents weren't allowed to visit him. I wrote to congratulate her and asked her to keep up the pressure! 

[BushInn1746]

Deleted

[jillruss]

Good for her - though she'll probably find she's out on her ear very soon!

In a way, its just as sickening as listening to DC justifying himself listening to the self serving little toadies sorry, Tory MPs who are appearing on tv one after the other, absolutely convinced that DC was entirely in the right and pretty much turning him into some kind of martyr for having to put up with us all disbelieving him!

Did you see the way Tigger Hancock cut off Laura Kuenssberg and Robert Peston today when the questions were being asked? How very democratic!

This government is devoid of shame  - a well placed apology might (just might) ameliorate the situation but I doubt it. They've lost the people and from now on its going to be an uphill struggle for them, although I'm sure they think it will all blow over in a day or two.

[mazi]

That's not an answer, Mike. I was referred to the eye clinic at the RVI by my GP when I had eye probs. I'm sure DC would have been sent to see them immediately.

Anyway, this is an interesting piece from a former Attorney General:

https://www.jeremywright.org.uk/news/dominic-cummings

(Add - small print so wear your specs    )

Oh that’s an interesting link,  I wish I’d read it before, you are after all my guru.
I shall pay more attention in the future, tho not necessarily always agree 


Mike

[roopat]

Those of us who feel strongly one way or the other about the Cummings situation are advised to write to our MPs, no use wasting all our energy on here even though I'm the first to enjoy a good rant 


Put it in writing so they can get an accurate picture of the public's feelings (whatever they are). Just address it to your MP, House of Commons, London or better still email them then it can't 'get lost in the post'


Pat

Done that already. My MP was interviewed after the PM backed DC and was, to quote a friend "Obviously spitting feathers." She spoke about the number of people in her constituency who had to manage children while they were sick, and referred to the 14 year old who died alone as his parents weren't allowed to visit him. I wrote to congratulate her and asked her to keep up the pressure! 

Well done, Groom! 

[arthurk]

I'm not at all impressed by the impression DC has made over the past few days, and while I can understand his reasoning for heading north, that's about as far as it goes. I can't, like Boris, say he acted out of a parent's concern so everything's good, but I would have to say (and I would have expected a decent person to have admitted) that the motives were good, but on that occasion he made a bad call.

One thing I saw pointed out in a BBC article but I don't think has been mentioned here, is that on the day he ran out of Downing Street because his wife fell ill, later when she felt better he went EDIT: is said to have gone back to work in Downing Street. Yet the advice has always been that if you live with someone with suspected COVID-19 symptoms, the whole household should stay at home for 14 days - not go back to work after a couple of hours. (Or for that matter drive to the other end of the country the next day.) Hmmm.

The BBC article is at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52784290 - it assesses a number of aspects of the affair against the guidelines.

[Guy Etchells]

Also, he has admitted driving a 60 mile round trip 'to test his eyesight'.  That is not acceptable even in normal conditions.  If you consider your eyesight is not good enough to drive, get your eyes tested or do not drive.  These are the rules we ALL abide by. 

Rishile

This is one of those edited parts that changes the meaning of what was said, yes earlier he said that when he was very ill he thought the illness affected his eyesight but he also said he became very weak and at one time he could not stand, his wife talked to him about the wisdom of driving back to London so they decided to take a short drive to see if he could safely manage to drive back.
That to me means the main reason for the test drive was to see if he could cope with the rigours of driving not to check his eyesight.

It is very obvious that there is a lynch mob in media circles out for his head and they are going to take this opportunity to attack him no matter what the truth is.
Cheers
Guy

This is from the transcript:

On Sunday 12 April, 15 days after I had first displayed symptoms, I decided to return to work. My wife was very worried, particularly given my eyesight seemed to have been affected by the disease. She didn't want to risk a nearly 300-mile drive with our child, given how ill I had been. We agreed that we should go for a short drive to see if I could drive safely

How has the meaning been changed? 

As I wrote "That to me means the main reason for the test drive was to see if he could cope with the rigours of driving not to check his eyesight." Particularly as he later (after he had said they had returned home) also stated "...We agreed that if I continued to improve then the next day, we should return to London and I would go back to work."
In other words he and his with were concerned about his general health not just his eyesight, his eyesight could easily be checked by reading a number plate from 20 metres (66ft), the standard police check, but his concentrating spacial awareness etc really requires a short drive which from what he said about half an hour one way equates to roughly 12-15 miles on ordinary roads.
Cheers
Guy

[Guy Etchells]

Those of us who feel strongly one way or the other about the Cummings situation are advised to write to our MPs, no use wasting all our energy on here even though I'm the first to enjoy a good rant 


Put it in writing so they can get an accurate picture of the public's feelings (whatever they are). Just address it to your MP, House of Commons, London or better still email them then it can't 'get lost in the post'


Pat

I have already emailed Sir Keir Starmer about the 6 MPs I mentioned, if I get a reply I will give the gist of it on here
Cheers
Guy

[Jomot]

But Durham to Barnard Castle is about 25 miles and 40+ minutes, so hardly a 'short drive'.