So angry about this witch hunt

I didn't think for one moment there would be, MissA

Even more angry now.

His child is not autistic (that was a lie spread by Tory bots/fake social media accounts presumably to drum up some sympathy) and even if he was it makes no difference. I looked after my profoundly autistic son (still non-verbal as an adult) and his siblings when ill on many occasions. It’s what you do as a parent surely, it’s not exceptional it’s just parenting. I wasn’t well enough to be building palaces out of polystyrene either, or dashing up the M1 come to that.

The lies and misinformation involved in this are shocking. His son is autistic, he wrote about a pandemic before this happened. How can you believe anything he says?

Huh...witch hunt? Why did I do as Boris said, stay home, protect ourselves and others. I have cared for my husband through this time. I did not ask my son to drive for 3hrs to help me as we were concerned about spreading the virus. Whatever the government says now I am tempted to ignore. I am so upset by the arrogance of Dominic Cummings and Boris

Just thought I’d drop it in here, because it’s worth knowing. Another Gransnetter has written on another thread ( I will not name her) that she drove 200 miles to help her son when he had the virus. She didn’t mix with any other people at all so doesn’t consider that what she was wrong. I assume she took food or collected medicine or something since she said she ‘helped’ her son. The general public do not follow the guidelines to the letter by any stretch of the imagination. Many Gransnetters have admitted to having their grandchildren in their gardens. The beaches on a hot day are an out and out disgrace, full of people who are not social distancing. The press outside DC’s home yesterday were also an out and out disgrace. No social distancing whatsoever and no police breaking up the gathering. Some Gransnetters have admitted that they have continued doing their usual childcare because the adult children needed them and had no one else.

Incidentally my two year old grandson had to start at a nursery because his parents are doctors and we could no longer provide childcare. They were told in no uncertain terms and given a choice of three nurseries that were still open, none of them being the one he is due to start in September, at the school where his siblings attend, and is already familiar to him. They also now have to pay about £100 a week for the privilege of being told what to do. And then I read that some other Gransnetters have ignored the guidelines and done what they wanted to do.

Is anyone surprised that I actually don’t care what DC did. I only need to read Gransnet to see some people do what they want to?

If you suspect you have the virus you self isolate where you are.
No excuses. He didn't have to go.
If you think your eyesight is bad you don't drive. It's dangerous.

I don't differentiate between people who selfishly put themselves and their families above mine.

I have been critical from the very beginning, and been told to mind my own business.

As far as I'm concerned, that's exactly what I'm doing.

It is my business if people think their rights trump anyone else's.

Is this Tory head office?

I also would like to say that 2 wrongs don't make a right; I am referring to the journalists who were on his doorstep. just because others are behaving like idiots doesn't excuse him behaving like one.
If he or his wife had symptoms then they should have self isolated , of course any parent would be beside themselves with fear about what might happen , but it's no excuse to do what he did.
I'm trying to be polite in my criticism of his actions but frankly am finding it difficult, so, what part of self isolate didn't he understand? How does driving that distance keep to the spirit of the rules? And BTW , for me, Boris has really shown his true colours in this hasn't he? Is he so needy of this man's advice that he can't do the right thing and get rid of him? Is he really so pathetic that he can't see that he is being played like a fish?

I agree 100% with the original post. The media and BBC are shameful. It's very sad that so many believe their lies. Would you have preferred that DC stay in London ask for help from neighbours and risk many more lives including all the reporters huddling together outside his gate.

Maddyone, I agree with your post.
I am aware of people breaking lockdown rules, in most cases Grandmas helping out with childcare, and would not dream of reporting them, but this witch hunt, whipped up by the Press, is becoming increasingly unpleasant.

Cummings was foolish in the extreme, and I believe his wife is more than responsible for his actions, but I give Boris credit for his loyalty. He also has first-hand experience of the virus, which most of his critics do not.

Well said Lois
Would you have preferred that DC stay in London ask for help from neighbours
Yes Ellie that’s exactly what he should have done. He should also have sought advice from Cabinet ministers or the Cabinet Secretary on the appropriateness or otherwise of his plans, and the probable effect on public morale and compliance with the guidelines, should details of his escapade emerge.
And, having been found out, he should have apologised to the British people and in particular to the NHS staff who are having to cope with very seriously ill patients who have contracted the virus because of the actions of people like him.

Elliegran it's so sad that so many people believe Cummings's lies.

It's true that Boris has first hand experience of this virus, easybee, but can you really be certain that the same can be said of Cummings?

Given how the Cummings' story kept morphing, changing slightly each time holes were spotted in the previous version,
( not to mention his wife's somewhat creative 'story'), I don't think it's unreasonable to question the truth even of that claim!

Curlywhirly it's so sad the so many people believe the media hype.

Johnson has to face a committee made up of the chairpersons of all the select committees today. In that, he will undoubtedly be subjected to some very tough questioning.

However, should Johnson get through such a grilling without any new revelations coming out, or "clangers" being dropped, I believe he will have then weathered the worst of this crisis.

If the above be the case then much of Cummings political survival will have come about due to the total failure of Kier Starmer to in any meaningful way become engaged in this crisis in the way a leader of the main opposition party in Parliament should have done.

Disgusting.

Which bit of the media coverage is ‘hype’ elliegran?

Oh change the record Grandad and give us a break, would you?

Seconded granddad give it a rest.

This reminds me of a piece of graffiti I once saw in Liverpool

‘There’s nothing more Conservative that an ageing Socialist’.

The Tory whips have removed many of the Tory MPs from the committee.

It's not the press that is telling lies. The original story has proved to be mostly true (there being some doubt over the sighting 19th April)

The press isn't whipping anyone. The bare facts of Cummings' actions provoked immediate and genuine fury in huge numbers of 'ordinary' people who had made all sorts of sacrifices to follow the rules not only to keep themselves safe but also to protect their fellow citizens.

If anyone is doing any 'whipping' it is Cummings by refusing to accept that he has done anything at all wrong and appearing to get some sort of perverted pleasure from the anger he has provoked. He has put up a contemptuous two fingers to every decent, caring and honest person in the country.

JaneA. Agree, enough of the Starmer thing Grandad, please.

janeainsworth and Furret, what's up, does the truth of the situation trouble you that much.

I am sure that had Corbyn still been the leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party at this time, these threads and the media would have been full of condemnation of him for his inaction.

However, I have no doubt that Corbyn and McDonald would have been far more upfront than Starmer has been throughout this crisis to become the centre point of the public condemnation of Cummings and Johnson.

Let's face it, they could not have done worse.

Sir Keir said: "This was a test of the Prime Minister and he has failed it.

"It is an insult to sacrifices made by the British people that Boris Johnson has chosen to take no action against Dominic Cummings.

"The public will be forgiven for thinking there is one rule for the Prime Minister's closest adviser and another for the British people.

"The Prime Minister's actions have undermined confidence in his own public health message at this crucial time.

"Millions were watching for answers and they got nothing. That's why the Cabinet Secretary must now launch an urgent inquiry."

Lucca, in regard to your post @07:27, as a Labour movement subscriber for the last fifty-seven years I shall continue to post in regard to the failure of Starmer throughout this crisis as I see fit to do so.

There has been no centre for the criticism of the obvious public outrage in this matter, and that centre should have been seen to be around the Labour leadership.

However, that has not come about, and through that Cummings and Johnson have survived in their political careers up to this point, and now in all probability many days beyond