Cummings on Sage?

QQ, anyone who is prepared to put profit over their country and before people’s lives makes me sick to the pit of my stomach. Left, right or centre politics is irrelevant.

Quiz, it's gone beyond Brexit now pet

I would suggest you don’t put money on that bet quizqueen - you’ll be out of pocket.

I bet if DC was the biggest Remainer in the world, none of you would bat an eyelid at what he involved with!!!

according to todays papers ,two of Cummings mates are on SAGE as scienticfic advisors,one who only qualified 2 years ago and one who already got a £250 MILLION contract from the government ....jobs for the boys?

David Davis (former Brexit Secretary) said "There is a thing known as the Heisenberg principle, which means that you can't observe something without influencing it"
Worrying times indeed
The government needs to uphold transparency and honesty and I am far from convinced that they will do so

Quite SirChenjin

We are going along with the science that Dom deems is appropriate.

Cummins is no shrinking violet. It's hard to imagine any meeting where he has just taken the role of observer. The full minutes must be published. The plea that we are just going along with the science has never sounded more hollow

There is absolutely no reason why Cummings should be at a SAGE meeting, apart from as an observer, perhaps.

From the article:

"Former chief scientific adviser, Sir David King, said he was shocked to discover there were political advisers on Sage."

"David Liddington .... de facto deputy to Theresa May .... said 'I'm not aware of any minister or special adviser, ...., ever having been involved in the scientific advisory panels..."

"Other Sage participants told the Guardian that the Downing Street afvisers were not merely observing the advisory meetings but were actively participating is discussions about the formulation of advice"

Cummings is not a scientist. Repeat; not a scientist. He has no place on the panel. Nor any right to be formulating scientific advice.

I really don't think that some tory supporters have any idea about what is and is not appropriate for Cummings to have involvement in.

Bloody Boris shouldn't be there, either.

DC is a SpAd. Of course he should be there. If Boris isn’t.

I was concerned about the amount of power and influence Alastair Campbell had but Dominic Cummings seems to have taken it to a whole new level.

I wonder what history will make of this period. It will make interesting reading.

We effectively have a PM who has handed everything over to his chief adviser who has always been running things. It's the end of democracy really. Boris is the front man and Cummings is pulling the strings.

God knows maizie

Who is going to make them do that?

Will there be any probing questions about this from the journalists at this afternoon's press conference?

Will any of tomorrow's papers run critical articles on it?

Already the BBC has had Cumming's wife on R4 Today telling us about his battle with covid-19 and what a nice man he is. Why on earth should that be even considered as a news item, unless to deflect attention from the more critical story about her husband?

There are no checks on this government. They are free to do whatever they want.

The Government has to come clean over this and very soon.
Preferably today and then publish all the minutes of the meetings that Cummings has attended.

Strange times when I find myself agreeing with Davis

David Davis
@DavidDavisMP
· 4h
We should publish the membership of SAGE: remove any non-scientist members: publish their advice in full: and publish dissenting opinions with the advice.

Guck!!, guv. Obvs.

Of course one would indeed hope that the meetings were conducted properly, but with Cummings attending he will be fully aware as a result of the advise that was put aside and therefore able to advise Johnson of the other possibility other than the advise given to the government by SAGE.

It therefore becomes a political choice rather than action based on scientific advise.

This will blow up in Johnson’s face, as previously he could say it wasn’t me guck it was the scientists what advised it.

He can no longer do that.

The chief government advisor on what has always been an independent group giving independent advice.

So public can no longer be confident that the advise from SAGE is unadulteratedly independent.

Cummings is behaving way above his pay grade and ability, and we are being poorly served.

Which advice, Hetty?

Well, it looks as though it's the nonscientist's advice!

Since when have scientists been in agreement?

That, to me, is about as nihilistic statement as 'all politicians tell lies'.

Who do you suggest we take notice of, then?

Since when have scientists been in agreement? I'm irritated every time they mention 'scientific advice'. Which advice?
There's a choice of advice. They sound like they're talking to small children.

We noticed Chris Whittie was looking a bit frazzled edgy uncomfortable at the briefing. It made me nervous about the science too. Also they keep changing the charts why? and China are no longer on the Global chart