So angry about this witch hunt

Parliament is in recess Granddad or hadn’t you noticed? The story broke after they broke up.

And Kier Starmer has spoken - I saw him on TV even if you didn’t. As others have said he is playing a long game and giving them enough rope to hang thenselves.

Call yourself a Labour supporter? Just because your favoured candidate didn’t get elected as Leader then the least you can do is stop trying to undermine the one who was democratically elected.

Grandad Perhaps Sir Keir has, in my opinion wisely, judged that Cummings and Johnson are digging their own graves and don’t need any help from him.
Let’s hope so.
Personally I admire his restraint. I’ve never voted Labour but if he is in charge at the next election I probably will.

Well said JaneA

And in some ways Jane it will actually be another nail in their coffin if both hang on. A nail that Starmer will, oh so gently, tease out in future.

Kier Starmer who has recently given Stephen Kinnock a job in his Shaow Cabinet.?The same MP who drove from Wales to visit his father on his birthday despite no emergency,and plenty of people available to drop shopping off at his parents.Granted a different scenario altogether and not displaying symptoms,but at the time something thousands of us would have loved to do but didn't, and completely against lockdown advice at the time.
I'm not a Guardian or Mirror reader,and I was angry when I heard about DCs behaviour.But I'm equally angry with the hypocrisy of the lot of them.From the Scottish Health Minister, Stephen Kinnock and DC.But the scenes of those journalists all squashed together makes me angry too.

Anyone who looks back at British politics in recent history will realise that opposition leaders build their reputations on what they say and do in times of government troubles.

That is how they build their stature to be recognised as a future Prime Minister. No opposition leader gets recognised or even remembered for what they did not do.

At times of opportunity they must take it, not sit back and let that opening pass by.

Starmer has given a television interview in which he indicated that Cummings should go.

As someone else said he shows restraint and intelligence.

A class act

I suppose if you do nothing that can be construed as a class act as there is nothing you can fail on. ?

Cummings behaved badly. He broke the lockdown rules he was involved in writing. Two professional parents with a four year old will have back up child care plans, they do not need to drive almost 300 miles just in case they need help.
To use phrases like 'welfare' and 'safeguarding' in his circumstances diminishes the legal meaning of those words.

Mothers fleeing domestic abuse were the kind of group who could legitimately have left their homes. I find it impossible to believe he and his wife don't have emergency child care available in London. Professional, successful people who don't have child care in case of illness. When this virus struck, key workers all over the country were ensuring they had cover 'just in case'.

He returned to Downing Street after going home to his wife, who had the virus.

His hour long monologue typifies this man, who clearly believes he is above the rules that apply to ordinary folks

He's a public servant. Bringing the organisation into disrepute is a disciplinary offence. He has no shame.

Summed it up perfectly Iam64.

Yes one of the most sickening aspects of this is he was using the part written for those facing domestic abuse.

Totaly agree Silversurf.
Bj last week,Megan the week before along with Prince Andrew.
Who will it be tomorrow eh ?.
Watch this space.

Starmer is indeed a class act. Unlike Cummings and Boris.

I don't think much of Stephen Kinnock and I think what he did was stupid and he was even more stupid to post a photo of himself on social media.

However, from reading posts on GN, it seems some people have been doing exactly the same all the time and some others have even condoned it.

It's interesting that over the last few days Kinnock's name has been trending on Twitter. Cummings has not, even though there have been thousands of posts. Presumably the bots and trolls have been busy.

growstuff yes to get Cummings trending people have had to resort to misspelling his name. I don’t begin to understand it, but presumably Cummings has tried and failed to prevent his name from trending.

Grandad Sometimes the best, and right, thing to do is nothing.
But it takes a wise and courageous person to recognise when those times are.

Callistemon
I understand exactly what you are saying when you replied to me, and I have total empathy because we all have suffered many privations during the lockdown. I have been unable to visit my 92 year old mother during all these weeks of lockdown because she lives in a second floor sheltered apartment with no balcony. The nearest I have been to her is to stand in the grounds and phone her and she comes to the window and she waves to me. For part of that time she has been unwell, not Coronavirus, and the nurse visited, but I didn’t, I followed the rules.

What I don’t like is hypocrisy. I complained in a different thread about five builders working in a garden at a house opposite to mine, operating no social distancing whatever. I was told in no uncertain way by Gransnetters, that it was not my business. I also noted that beaches and promenades were chock a block with people at the weekend again and I noted the pack of press outside Cummings house yesterday. To make no comment on these activities, and even tell me that what others do is not my business, well that’s hypocrisy.

Excellent post Iam64. Another fail in his story of why they made the journey, was the way he harked on about he thought advisors were going to be tested and if he tested negative he could return to work knowing his wife and child were being cared for. Even if he tested negative he would still have been subject to the 14 days isolation so that doesn't hold water at all. Is he so ignorant of the rules or does he just consider himself so important they don't apply to him?

The latter janipat.

I, also, think it’s despicable the way this man is being hounded. I don’t have a strong allegiance to DC or BJ but I am really hoping DC stays. The brexiteers hate him obviously and many of the media. It is a witch hunt and I’m praying Boris stays strong and refuses to sack him. It is not for media hacks to dictate who gets sacked or not.

The brexiteers hate him ????

tickingbird I too am puzzled by your reference to brexiteers hating Cummings.

But that’s irrelevant anyway.

The media are not dictating that Cummings be sacked. They are voicing & reflecting the disquiet and anger of many of us.

Many ordinary people of this country, including many Tory voters (a cabinet minister has just resigned) feel that their trust in Government has been betrayed.
It is fundamental to the stability of our democracy that although citizens may disagree with the actions & policies of a government, they should feel that they can trust them to do the right thing in a crisis or emergency.

That trust has now been broken and the country is poorer for it, and possibly in a dangerous place.

Of course Boris wants to keep him but the damage simply has already been done. All his proved is that he is elitist and lots have followed the rules to the latter, even isolating from each other in other rooms or still nursing their children whilst ill. But these tiny guidelines have saved this man, so tiny lots and lots of people who needed extra help wasn't aware of.
We have listened in anticipation to what BJ has to say, his big speech utterly confusing! And now he would be lost without DC that's obvious.
But I switch off.....because they have proven themselves to be what they are useless.
If BJ was to give a speech about masks: 'Wear one, yes you should wear one. But then again avoid public transport. So no need to wear one whilst walking or cycling that's if you can cycle or walk to work. But hopefully you will drive and won't need to wear one unless you are giving someone a lift. Maybe therefore don't give anyone a lift, let them walk while you drive! In fact do whatever you want because I'm no good at making rules and my side kick is busy!'

Spot on janeainsworth

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.