There are so many contradictions in Dominic Cummings' story that I hardly know where to begin.
Early in his statement he said; "Last year I wrote about the possible threat of coronaviruses and the urgent need for planning." In fact a data scientist has done a reverse data search and discovered that references about pandemics/coronaviruses were retrospectively added to his posts sometime between April and May this year (after questions were being raised about his trip to Durham).
So, a lie.
In DM's statement he says that on March 27th his wife had a bout of sickness accompanied by a headache, but had no symptoms of covid-19. Because she was alone, without their usual childcare, DC went home for a couple of hours until she felt better and he then returned to work. This is his wife's description of those same events: My version of the virus began with a nasty headache and a grubby feeling of unease, after which I threw up on the bathroom floor. ‘That’s disgusting, Mum,’ said my four-year-old son, handing me a towel with a look of patronising distaste. She then goes on to say: That evening (remember it is March 27th), as I lay on the sofa, a happy thought occurred to me: if this was the virus, then my husband, who works 16-hour days as a rule, would have to come home.
There is a contradiction here as later in the article she says that DC did rush home, but in his version of events this was during the earlier part of the day.
So, on the evening of March 27th DC's wife had NO symptoms of covid-19 and DC himself had NO symptoms of covid-19. He states this explicitly: "I thought that if I did not develop symptoms, (i.e. at that point he had NOT shown any symptoms) then I might be able to return to work to help deal with the crisis."
So, in their own words they confirm that on the evening of March 27th when they set off to drive to his parent's estate 260 miles away neither of them were exhibiting symptoms - although, being generous one could say that they were surprisingly ignorant about the symptoms the government had specified. They nevertheless took the decision to travel on the basis of what might happen if they did both become ill; a dilemma shared by many parents, including my own daughter in regard to caring for her three young children with a husband away on military service.
Astonishingly, to me at least, DC's wife makes no mention in her article of DC asking her to pack for a 260 mile journey with no prior warning and a stay there of unspecified length. I can see no reason why she would not mention this as at the time the article was written they had returned to London and they were aware that other journalists knew of their trip to Durham.
DC says they arrived at the cottage in the grounds of his parent's home around midnight and for a 'day or two' his wife was feeling breathless and sometimes achy.
Now his wife, in her own words describes the next 10 days, so from *March 28th - 7th April*: ^Dom couldn’t get out of bed. Day in, day out for ten days he lay doggo with a high fever and spasms that made the muscles lump and twitch in his legs. He could breathe, but only in a limited, shallow way.
After a week, we reached peak corona uncertainty. Day six is a turning point, I was told: that’s when you either get better or head for ICU. But was Dom fighting off the bug or was he heading for a ventilator?^
In his own words DC admits he was, during this exact period, walking around outside and he says he also drove to and from the nearest hospital. So, who is lying? Is it him, or is it his wife? Because one of them most certainly is.
This begs the question of why DC's wife wrote the article in the first place. Remember this was written after they had returned to London and after questions had been raised by journalists about their suspected trip to Durham. Mary Wakefield is of course a journalist herself and so is wise to the ways of a developing story.
There is no evidence that either DC or MW had covid-19, but there is evidence, from their own writings, that their trip to Durham was based on, at best, 'catastrophic thinking', i.e. what might happen if they both became ill at once. Unless of course, it was a planned trip to see his family and celebrate his wife's birthday in their holiday home.
There is overwhelming evidence that they undertook a 260 mile trip against advice that DC helped to formulate. There is overwhelming evidence that DC, MW and their son took a day trip to Barnard's Castle, also against advice that DC helped to formulate. There is undisputed evidence that during the period his wife claims he was ill in bed that he was not only taking walks with his family, but that he was also driving.
In her article MW makes no mention of the death of DC's uncle and their inability, because of government guidance, to attend the funeral. I wonder though if it was in fact their distance from London at the time that would have precluded such a visit.
I spend a lot of my time doing research and trying to objectively piece together bits of evidence from a variety of sources. This is what I've tried to do here. You may read what I've written and come to a different conclusion, but on the evidence I've seen and heard I think that Dominic Cummings has lied and should resign, or be sacked.
