Will he resign?

No Tweedle. There were no mitigating circumstances. Even if it's true that Cummings' sister looked after the child, she could have travelled to London and stayed in the Cummings family home.

The lockdown rules at the time were absolutely clear. Cummings and his wife broke them.

I lost count of the number of threads on GN where people stated similar mitigating circumstances. Some of them were quite heart-breaking, but the rules were clear.

Those close to Cummings must have known that he had broken the lockdown rules when Niall Ferguson was demonised and resigned.

Anyone want a bet on whether Johnson will do today’s press conference?

We always new that Johnson is very short of a moral compass so lying and covering up the latest faux pas comes very easily to him.

Well, all of our circumstances are mitigating, if we think enough about it.

The first few weeks of distancing, everyone thought that their particular reasons were good enough to bend the rules, but most didn't, and still haven't.

Love the way Kuenssberg report it “ sources close to no 10”

Who would that be then?????

tweedle that is what he is putting forward as mitigating circumstances.

But what about everyone else in the same position? What about single mothers.

What were the rules? He broke them, it is as simple as that. He put at risk other members of his family, everyone he came into contact with on the trip.

The issue is trust and integrity. This government will find both in very short supply.

Yes, Maggiemaybe---he just looks as though he'd do what he did, defiant to the end with a mean-looking face.

Why are we surprised that rich and/or influential people can do things the rest of us can't/wouldn't? Too often, money and influence ensures impunity.

It's not what you know, it's whom you know. Never more true.

According to this morning’s radio, they stayed in a separate home from the grandparents and the children’s aunt cared for the children. I am not condoning his behaviour but, I suspect there were mitigating circumstances.

He's a horrible looking individual anyway.

Wow. Have I missed the area of GN where we all post our photos to prove that we’re attractive enough to be on here?

Has it got a swipe right/left facility?

Totally agree growstuff quite apart from the other issues there was clear intent from his wife to deceive.

It does make me angry that he thinks this is ok. His parents ARE in their 70s. He should not have been there, dancing in their garden if he had the virus.

In September last year, the New Statesman wrote:
When I speak to Cummings’s father, Robert Cummings, he tells me proudly of his father’s service. Both he and Cummings’s mother, Morag, are now in their seventies.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/09/dominic-cummings-machiavel-downing-street

He should resign if he has any integrity. If not, Boris will have to sack him or risk his own position. Even if he was in another building he broke the rules, as did the Scottish medical officer.

He is too arrogant to resign because he does not think he has done anything wrong. There is one rule for them and another for us, the punters- he should be thrown out.

He's a horrible looking individual anyway.

(And I speak as a leaning right wing Brexiteer!)

Of course he should go. He should have gone when the others did. We’ve known about this for some time, and I’m not sure why it’s suddenly come to the Beeb’s attention when they reported it shortly after it happened.

My DD1 and family all had the virus. SiL was in bed for a week at least. Two children. And they managed. They didn’t drive a similar distance back to us so we could look after the girls - who, incidentally had very slight symptoms. I bet the little boy had too.

How selfish and self-centred is this man? Not only did he prove he and his wife are useless parents, they’re pretty naff offspring too. They could (and maybe did - do we know?) have passed the virus on to vulnerable parents.

And they also broke the rules by driving back to London.

Double whammy. How bloody dare they!

Resign or be sacked - he has to go.

I really hope he does the honorable thing and resigns. Somehow i don't think he will though.

Off with their heads!! the lot of them. Entitled B....rs.

First I thought it was only us expendable oldies who were being kept out of the way so as not to block the NHS. Now that they realise even younger people can die and that actually to be locked up isn't so bad if you can wfh and go for nice cycle rides.
But the economy is dropping through the floor, it's looking really serious.

The difference between Cummings and somebody like Emma Thompson is that Cummings has (and still has) a huge influence over the Prime Minister and policy which directly affects all of us. We can disapprove of Emma Thompson (and some others) but what they do doesn't really affect us. Cummings is more than a role model. He's an influencer.

Cummings has been attending Sage meetings. Nobody really knows how or whether he's influenced any decisions made within the meetings, but it clearly undermines any claim that scientific is politically neutral. The brother of a friend of Cummings was given the contract and paid £250,000 to develop the NHS app, which has been fraught with difficulties. His history is an indication that he has his own agenda and makes a nonsense of the idea of independent MPs, answerable to the electorate.

Cummings' wife wrote an article and did an interview, which failed completely to mention the family wasn't at home in London when infected or that Cummings' parents were involved in caring for their child. I've read that interview many times and it gives the opposite impression. There is a very strong suggestion of a cover up.

This is hypocrisy at its very most blatant.

Oops- should have checked the formatting before posting!

Galaxy Fri 22-May-20 22:16:40
^I dont know what he will do but my guess is we will see the first photos of Johnsons baby this weekend.*

???

Indefensible behaviour from any member of the public, doubly indefensible from someone at the heart of government policy. He should resign, I don't expect he will because integrity isn't part of his make up. Johnson should ask him to resign and if he doesn't, he should sack him.

I can’t stand the attitude of politicians and celebrities alike and the “ let them eat cake “ attitude.
From Emma Thompson who buzzed off to Italy because off Brexit and climate issues, but covid found her finding her way back comfortably.
To so many lording it over us.....