Will he resign?

The fact that we are debating the issue about remaining at home if you have the virus and which was taken as written in tablets of stone up to before this story broke is gaslighting on a huge scale.

This should not be up for debate. We know the rules, do you doubt your own perception?

Worth remembering that for most people, symptoms are mild.. so, it wasn't an emergency.

I can't understand it, either, Grammaretto. Perhaps they've just never been that bothered about observing the 'rules' themselves

Tweedle24

I earnestly suggest that you read Mrs Cummings' account of looking after her child when they were isolating. Greeneyedgirl has kindly posted some of it above. No mention of driving 250 miles and handing him over to his grandparents (or aunt, depending on which version you're reading)

I assume that you would have been quite happy to do that too, then?

We're certainly discovering a lot of Gnetters who don't believe in lockdown today...

I was so infuriated with reading this I E mailed my MP to express my absolute fury that there is one rule for them and another for the rest of us. I now see cabinet ministers or coming out in defence of DC though I still can’t see anything in either of the previous rules or in the current slight less restrictive ones that allow for what he did.
Will wait and se if my MP (conservative) replies. Perhaps I now have permission to go and look after my grandchildren!

There have been so many mistakes made by our government, from the outset and each day seems to bring a new scandal, and I can't understand it either Grammaretto.

I do not think he will resign and do not expect Boris to sack him. There was a clause saying that if it was an emergency then someone could drive somewhere to sort out childcare.
Both parents had been tested positive for Covid 19 so they took the 4 year old child to be cared for by grand-parents perhaps there was no-body else. If the grand-parents were okay with that then that's it.
All these rules are constantly flouted as for the people going to the seaside during the week and no social distancing taking place I think it is a bit late in the day for Brighton and Southend to start shouting this weekend that they do not want the visitors and will have marshals and security in place to keep people out. Should have been turning people away when it was happening.
I already have said on a different post that this is Lockdown Breakdown and yet everyday on the coronavirus update the ministers come out and say how magnificent the British people are and we have come so far because we keep the rules. What a load of Poppycock.

I see that Gove is saying it’s only right to safeguard his child. Isn’t he the one that left his child in a hotel, went out for the night, and the child was found wandering around looking for his parents?

...that was to Tweedle...

Anyone would think people with children have never faced illness before.

tweedle Still against the rules that he helped to formulate.

You simply can’t run government like that in a democracy. Accountability is one of the pillars of the way we run this country. Without that trust and legitimacy disappears.

So, do you not think the other people who had to resign over breaking the rules should be reinstated?

Perhaps we could send DC a message explaining how the
virus is spread in simple cartoon style. DS in NZ sent me this:

thespinoff.co.nz/media/19-05-2020/the-great-toby-morris-siouxsie-wiles-covid-19-omnibus/

What I cannot understand is why this lying individual has so many apologists. It's like Trump and Boris, if you like them you forgive them everything. They aren't your children are they? Are they?

Whitewave I did say I did not condone his behaviour. In fact, I agree that it should never have happened, especially as one of the reasons, I understand, that we were asked not to travel unless really necessary, to reduce the chance of road traffic accidents,

It is just that his ‘sin’ has been exaggerated. I am not sure I would not have considered doing the same in similar circumstances, were there no-one nearby to care for my child.

Well, thank goodness I'll have that advice to follow, should I get ill, or think I may do.

A 5 hour drive from London to Durham would involve:

Filling the tank with petrol: petrol station staff are at risk
A 4 year old child would need the toilet at some point: motorway services and other travellers are at risk
If they'd had an accident: emergency services would have been put at risk and the NHS further encumbered

All of the above are the reasons that the humble masses have been given for not driving long distances unless it's for work or an emergency. Cummings no doubt has a nanny at their london home that the child could have been left with whilst he and his wife isolated themselves. But he not only chose not to do that, he chose to risk infecting his elderly parents and lie about the whole incident.
I won't criticise any of those people who, this bank holiday weekend, decide to bugger off to the seaside and have some fun. If the rules don't apply to Cummings, Calderwood, Charley and Ferguson, why should they apply to anyone else?

Funny how Mary Wakefield in Spectator article didn't mention any relatives taking care of their son. As Dom lay sweating, Cedd and I made a palace out of polystyrene packaging. .........and to cap it all my only really useful advice for other double COVID parents or single mothers (ha ha) with pre-schoolers: get out the doctor's kit and make it your child's job to take your temperature.

She goes on in similar vein, and the ironic ha ha was not part of the piece but mine.

Single mothers note, that's how to do it.

That almost made me smile, there.

Of course the real problem is that if Cummings resigns, who will run the country?

I know MaizieD but that couldn't possibly have anything to do with a man, his wife and their 4 year old who had contact with at least 3 households not to mention the traces they may have left on their journey could it?
This from an intensive care expert-
This coronavirus is very, very infectious, so every person passes to it three, now that doesn't sound like much of a difference, but if each of those three pass it to three and that happens in 10 layers, I have been responsible for infecting 59,000 people."
This figure comes from raising three to the power of ten, which yields 59,049.

Kuenssberg is busy spinning for the government. I thought she was a journalist?

At least some are

Beth Rigby
@BethRigby
· 13h
But there is also this. March 18 (day govt took decision to close schools, PM said “I also need to remind parents that, as we have already advised, children should not be left with older grandparents, or older relatives...” (full quote in transcript)
gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-18-march-2020

No - I do not think he is likely to resign. And will BJ kick him out - I doubt it.

The arrogance of them all beggars belief.

John Crace

“Stay home

Protect the NHS

Drive 250 miles to Durham.

Pretend you are at home”

New government catch phrase.

What in the name of goodness has Brexit got to do with this Quizqueen?? It just bears out my belief that some people would excuse any behaviour provided it involved a Conservative MP, adviser, supporter or whatever
Has Corbyn been mentioned yet ?!

The story is being spun and rewritten until they have bored us all into indifference. The latest version from the lie factory that is No 10 says he wasn’t ill when he drove up there. None of this squares with his wife’s account does it and why she omitted the drive from her tear jerker? I’m going to stop thinking about this now as Cummings is ultra safe - I doubt Johnson goes for a pee without his say so and help.

We have already seen photos of Boris's baby!