Will he resign 2

This is what it's all been about … Danny Kruger has sent a memo to Conservative MPs, saying that Johnson and Cummings are the only two who can get Brexit done and win the next election. No mention of saving people's lives or businesses. They don't care.

Meanwhile, Tom Tugendhat and Tobias Ellwood, two Conservative MPs for whom I do have some respect, have been banned from asking Johnson questions at the Liaison Committee.

The 1922 Committee have said they won't call for Cummings' resignation, but they want to know why he's so important to Johnson. They're calling for a cabinet reshuffle with more competent people in post.

Do you mean Mary Wakefield?

I think that's a minor detail. It's designed to provoke an emotional response, which can then be attacked in itself.

Maizie Danny Kruger has a very similar agenda to Cummings. He had to withdraw as a Conservative candidate when he said he wanted "to introduce a period of creative destruction in the public services". He has written loads of other stuff too. He was Johnson's former secretary and only became an MP because the sitting MP had to stand down for no specific reasons. He worked for the Spectator at one point and is said to be a friend of Mary Wakefield, so he's one of the clique.

PS. He's the son of Prue Leith, who has also tweeted in support of Cummings.

Cabbages live in gardens.

Just say for arguments sake the wife was feeling a bit poorly no covid symptoms just a bit off colour. caring husband says ^let's go spend fortnight at my parents private estate. No one will notice us there everyone is in lockdown. So off they toddle to Durham There they stay in house (not stopping in lodge its too near the entrance) of mother and father and near sister and niece. Now having a lovely time but uh oh child becomes Ill and they call an ambulance. Now they're in a pickle people will recognise child. Child not tested positive for CV because no one in the family has or subseqently caught CV.
So after a fortnight they risk a little trip out to Barnard castle on wifes birthday where they get spotted. Ooh dear better get back to work and think up a story as to why we broke the lockdown rules.... Aahh there it is care for vulnerable child if parents haveCV and cant cope
Wife then writes touching cover up story
Is this a good enough fairy story or is the other one more plausible?

I still think it's a bit strange that the death of Cummings' uncle on 5 April wasn't even mentioned in the Spectator article.

Wakefield claimed she got down on her knees and prayed for Johnson, who went into hospital on the same day, but no mention of the uncle.

Despite everyone calling The Cummings Senior's place an 'estate' it's not really that grand. It was bought as a farm with a modest farmhouse. No lodge gates. Land holdings have been added to (greatly) over the years.

The really posh house is about half a mile down the road from them. It was the grand home of an old established local Catholic landowning family. Was occupied by monks for some years, then sold about 20 years ago and broken into several dwellings. Very private, remote from the road. Whereas the Cummings' place is next to the road and easy to see.

I'm right off Prue Leith, you know, growstuff!

Also Glenda Jackson, who I admired greatly as an actor and Labour MP, her son is Dan Hodges, right wing journalist, isn't he?

Wonder if they got EU grants for the land?

Cummings' arrogance is reminiscent of Trump. Everything about his tone shouts "I am lying. You know I'm lying. I know that you know I'm lying - but what are you going to do about it?"

Cummings thinks he is above the law.
Boris needs him as without DC he hasn't a clue.
DC is a liar
But he has Boris to 'protect' him
They both think they are clever enough to pull the wool over the general publics eyes but they underestimate us all

may7 I agree and would also add that coincidentally it was his wife’s and mother’s birthday.

It was simply a jolly that he went on.

maybe yes a few hundred thousand apparently.

Glenda Jackson and Dan Hodges don't get on.

Louise Minchin - Do you disagree with Dominic Cummings' decisions?

Robert Jenrick - No... but it's important everybody else sticks to the rules

I see Bernard Jenkin (Sympathetic to Johnson)has been appointed to the select committee chair rather than elected by the other MPs as us usual.

Johnson now has a plant that will favour him. Big mistake imo

Of course they'll get EU Single Farm Payment, Maybe70, they farm it. Everyone gets it. But it finishes this year.

Farmers are supposedly getting a replacement from the UK government. Many farmers absolutely depend on the SFP for income. I'd like it to go to the person who actually farms the land, be it landowner or tenant, then maybe people wouldn't make such a song and dance about rich landowners getting it (without having a clue as to whether or not it is spent on farming or environmental compliance).

I don't think there's going to be much of that £350 million a week left for the NHS

Glenda Jackson and Dan Hodges don't get on.

Not surprised given their politics

I'll re-admire her, then

varian Having bored myself to tears reading some of Cummings' blog, I am still firmly of the opinion that he intended to set up a scenario which would enrage people.

It really is as though he wanted to be caught out and to cause offence. There's something on his blog about ant colonies. Nobody tells ants what to do, but once something happens, the ants are programmed to behave in a certain way - and that's exactly what people have done. Now we have the backflash with people over-reacting and surrounding his home (so now Piers Morgan is up in arms about that) and silly conspiracy theories. I don't believe for one moment that this is about childcare or anybody's birthday - that's how normal people might behave, but not him.

He intends to get Brexit done and preoccupy everybody with this until it's too late for the UK to ask for an extension, which most people consider would be sensible in the current circumstances. Meanwhile, contracts have been handed out to Tory supporters and personal mates without going to tender and no scrutiny. The Agriculture Bill has gone through Parliament. We're well on the way to selling ourselves to Trump.

Laws have been changed to make Cummings' behaviour seem lawful. Tugendhat and Ellwood have been forbidden from asking Johnson questions. Democracy is on its last legs. Meanwhile, people are dying and they see it all as a big game.

Danny Kruger's tweet and message summed it all up.

Committee questions

Started with Cummings.

Lots of questions - so far he’s refused to answer a single question

Just now Boris Johnson is answering questions in the Select Committee. He is still just waffling, doesn't want to talk about Dominic Cummings because "the important thing now is that we must all move on. And keep washing our hands".

This is yet another total car crash. How in gods name did he get to be PM

Hasn’t answered a single question.

Yvette Cooper. Respect! He’s now going to divert away from Cummings to relaxing lockdown rules.

“The reason you are ducking and diving PM is because you are protecting Cummings and not putting the interests of the British public first”

Johnson refused to advise parents with covid to stay at home. Johnson said that worrying over the lack of clear instruction is political.

An insult to every parent in the country!

Tory mp can’t understand why Cummings is so important.

Oh dear Johnson is toe curlingly embarrassing