So angry about this witch hunt

I don't think one "error of judgment" was made.

Several. Several reasons why he shouldn't be telling us what to do, so he may as well resign.

If he had stayed at home and needed a nanny to come to the house to help look after their son, surely that would have been worse than what he did as the nanny would effectively be going into an infected household.

I can completely see why people are angry but how could he have had back up childcare without breaking the rules?

How many are honest enough to admit that in his situation they would have done the same?

The guidelines did state that with regard to child safety there was an element of leeway.

wildswan 16
I agree with you entirely watching t he interview I was incensed. I cannot believe that a man in his position would not of got help if he needed it. He is laughing at all of us he and the comic Prime Minister> Before you all rush to accuse me of being in favour of the Labour Party, I have voted Conservative for many years I am having a re think

All he needed to say was that he'd made an error of judgement which he now regrets and for which he's sorry.
He needn't have said anything else.
In the course of my career I have seen this apparent lack of flexibity of thought and problems seeing another point of view. His son allegedly has autism

I do think he's being hounded and the media smell blood but that doesn't excuse DC taking us for fools, his story makes no sense to me but hey I'm just a normal human being and as much as I try to see his point of view it simply doesn't add up. Who the hell goes on a very long drive when feeling ill, no one I know. Also there are easier ways of testing your vision than going for a 30 mile drive endangering not just yourself but other road users too. I think the story is bull shit and I can see why the press won't let go, but it doesn't make it right.

I don’t agree with what he did. It made me incredibly angry that he showed absolutely no remorse and was far from contrite, he was arrogant. Poor man my backside. He thought he was special, above the law and the rules. The excuse for the 30 mile trip was laughable. If you don’t see this pair trying to brazen out a clear breach of lockdown rules you must be a picnic short of a basket.

maddyone but don’t you see that none if it is true? You are being led by the nose

jishere I agree with you, that’s the point. But I hate hypocrisy. Anyone can have childcare problems, prince or pauper. I actually think DC did the most sensible thing under the circumstances. We lived 240 miles away from any family when our children were small, so I can see the situation from both sides. The rules did and do allow for emergency situations, ie essential.

trisher I find your comment worthy of the playground.

What i am finding 'interesting' on my local FB page is that the people who posted the most 'What part of lockdown do some people not GET?' threads are now the ones defending Cummings.

An analysis of this sort of thing will make for some really fascinating dissertations down the line.

I'm sure Maddyone after most realise the government haven't been following the rules to the T they are glad that they did help or see their families.
I know one family who had to leave their baby with the grandmother because he fell through so many loop holes that they didn't have enough money to survive on and had to go to work whilst the wife already worked as well.
You can't judge everyone's situation, and lump them together.
A garden, fresh air two metres away it's riskier going to the supermarket.

Ooh one naughty grandma being slated (does she make the rules?) while a prominent influential man is apparently being hounded! At least some of us know responsibility and position demands higher standards. Let's face facts if it hadn't been for the press pursuing this, Cummings would have kept denying everything. It's not a witch hunt it's investigative journalism. It's not the reporter's fault if there's a crock of worms to be uncovered.

The media are not responding to the news, they are making the news. Twas ever thus.

In fact, one grandma was actually encouraging the upset original poster to go to see her daughter, and hug her grandchildren. Hypocrisy!

There’s another thread this morning where a good number of Gransnetters have said they have seen their children and grandchildren in their gardens, and one at least who has has grandchildren to stay in their houses. It’s not the first time I’ve read this on Gransnet either, I’ve seen it all the way through the pandemic. Is this hypocrisy?

Another interesting point Galaxy the guidelines he was refering to was for domestic abuse victims. If that's true then he is nothing but a Dick, oh sorry I meant Dom!

Luckylegs yes that is an interesting point considering other countries in the UK refused to change their slogan.

Grannylaine. “The man made an error of judgement”. Not according to him! If he’d even had the decency to apologise that would have been something

Why didn’t he say he was just popping in to see how the vaccine was coming along?

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/18400944.glaxosmithkline-barnard-castle-enter-vaccine-collaboration-fight-covid-19/

Well said Granny23

I imagine the Stay Alert was drawn up by DC since he’s the ringmaster of this circus.
I don’t think it’s a witch hunt.

Even the Daily Mail doesn’t defend him or Boris.

I don’t know if this has been mentioned but did Boris change the message from ‘Stay Home’ to ‘Stay Alert’ because he realised that this was coming? Another coincidence?

This is not a witch hunt conjured up by the press, it is an outpouring of anger from the Great British Public, which the media are simply reporting. My facebook feeds show equal anger from the right/brexiteers/unionists as from the left/ remainers/ nationalists. The right are angry because their leadership have betrayed them and left themselves wide open to criticism. I have seen many posts from known Tories condemning both BJ and DC, calling for both to resign.

Personally, I find the most distasteful bit of the whole sorry business, is the way that DC threw his son's Autism into the pot, by way of excusing his own idiotic behaviour. Total insult to all who are having to cope with lock-down while coping with/safeguarding family members with extra needs. Those who are condoning this behaviour should read the stories of the struggles faced by those who are caring for family with physical or mental (e,g, Dementia) problems.

tickingbird I agree with your post and frankly I'm shocked at some of the comments on this thread. The man made an error of judgement, sure. He is not a natural speaker and the press conference yesterday was painful to watch, though more so because the press representatives kept on and on with the same questions. It amazes me that so many people know for sure that he could have made alternative childcare arrangements. In my opinion this has absolutely become a witch hunt.

Spot on janeainsworth