Perhaps The Apologists For Mr Cummings ...

[sunny-dave]

... would like to find some excuse for this second breach of lockdown - after he was well and back at work - and when (presumably) the 'childcare' emergency was no longer valid reason?

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/dominic-cummings-ignored-coronavirus-lockdown-22075857

[gness]

The big lie? There was no alternative. That was unbelievable.

[JimF]

Johnson hasn't got the balls to sack Cummings.

[jim360]

Going all in. Like I said, there's a clear reason for this. If Cummings weren't vital for Johnson's Brexit strategy he'd have been out the door today.

Disastrous decision, especially when it isn't a party line issue any more and especially when holding the confidence of the country and the people is vital.

[sunny-dave]

Cummings must know the location of a lot of buried bodies - what an astonishingly abject performance by Boris.

He’s finished as a credible PM - the long knives will be out in the 1922 committee room.

[weecalf]

That’s it b or is has spoke

[anneasquith]

Be interesting to hear from Boris fan club on AB Re this decision .

[douglas9401]

"He’s finished as a credible PM"

He was never a credible PM, Dave, just everybody's mate when face-to-face and a back-stabbing shyster at any other time.

Boris is only interested in Boris.

[wiltsman]

When Boris commenced his statement this afternoon I thought from his opening comments he was going to say that Cummings had no alternative than to go. But no, he's staying put!

Sorry Boris, but you've now lost any credibility you might have had.

[weecalf]

None elected running country aye sure tell us about it

[wiltsman]

Does this now mean that any ordinary person who acted as Dominic Cummings did and were fined, will they now have their fines returned?

[Spicerack]

It's frightening to see so many slavering boneheads in one place.
Must be the last throw of the spite from the Remain losers.

[Ken4155]

"Cummings staying." You missed a trick, there, anneasquith. Should have been "Cummings, not going." :-))

[gness]

I hope so, Wiltsman...but listening to so many members of the police force.....working and retired....I feel for them trying to do the job Boris and Co. instructed them to do.

[jno]

it's not them who perturb me, wiltsman, so much as the people who were forbidden to attend their child's funeral. They've paid a dreadful price for obeying the orders dished out by shysters who couldn't be bothered themselves. (Let's not forget that Boris himself must have fallen ill through the sort of contact he told others to avoid.)

[douglas9401]

We're not out yet, Spicerack.

Why would you believe that your tousled hero is going to come through on Brexit when history shows his lack of acquaintance with truth and straight shooting.

Wouldn't surprise me if my wages were paid in Euros in a few years time. :-)

[wiltsman]

Just thinking. A couple of weeks ago the Government removed part of it's very visible slogan, STAY HOME to read STAY ALERT. Was this because they were aware of the backlash against Dominic Cummings that was about to break? It now makes sense to me, as many people were querying why the change was made in the first place!

[andy-hughes]

Spicerack - // andy-hughes 'Peter - // Andrew ( long name) you and I agree dont we?
on Dom that is? //'

//My name is Andy, thank you//.

And Marr, who PP was obviously talking about, is called Andrew. //

Except he wasn't - as his apology in the post following yours makes clear.

Since this off-thread nonsense is nothing to do with you anyway, perhaps you should avoid increasing it by refraining from posting incorrect comments.

[andy-hughes]

As I see it, the defence mounted by Mr Johnson of Mr Cummings' actions is simply not sustainable.

Leaving aside the emotional guff about 'instincts' - if Mr Cummings did act in order to provide 'child care' when he drove to near his parents' house - why did he not receive it?

As I understand it, there was food delivered by Mr Cummings's sister and her daughter, his niece - surely that level of 'care' could have been provided in London, either by Mr Cummings' brother, or his wife's sister who it appears, both live close by.

Failing that - they must have at least one friend who could deliver food for them, since this appears to be the only 'care' they received, without driving the length of the country to get it.

That does not begin to address the aspect of leaving the car for petrol and / or toilet breaks, and thereby putting innocent people at risk.

I am amazed at Mr Johnson, and his, and his government's messages about social distancing, staying safe, and so on, are likely to be met with howls of derision from the nation as a whole.

[tomus42]

Boris has blown most of the credibility that he had. He must be so desperate to hang on to Cummings that he thought that was a price worth paying.

[andy-hughes]

In view of Mr Johnson's robust defence of Mr Cummings, he must have received some copper-bottomed assurances that the media are not going to find anything else that is going to come back and bite Mr Johnson on the behind and leave him looking like an idiot.

If I was Mr Johnson, I would not be quite so sure of my friend's assurances, given his flagrant disregard for the lock-down rules which his friend was instrumental in formulating.

Interesting times ...