Cummings fact-checked. https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-evidence-to-mps-on-covid-crisis-fact-checked
I mean this would have destroyed previous Governments and is obviously bad. But it is hard to care anymore when so much of the public doesn’t. Expect to see Conservative +3 in next weeks polls or something. Boris ‘delivered’ Brexit and ‘he tried his best’, that’s all that matters.
Plenty of criticism for Hancock, Johnson and Sedwill. Some praise for Sunak, Raab and the Warner brothers. Curiously not a word yet on Michael Gove who was central to the government response...
Blimey Dominic has just dragged Hancock from under that bus and thrown him under it again. If Dominic can prove any of this surly Hancock has to go?
We were discussing this at work this afternoon and the consensus was that this would have no impact upon how Johnson is perceived by the general public at large and that Johnson will easily ride out the storm simply on the basis that he is perceived to have delivered the vaccine.Given that Cummings is wholly disliked by people of all political persuasions, the "revelations" will not dent his reputation. When the denouement actually comes, it will be the inner sanctum within the Conservatives who will kick him out. I think the most damning element of this is that these are punches that should have been laid by the leader of the opposition. Given that even his own staff clearly consider Boris to be incompetent, it is an indictment on Starmer that he has effectively failed to hold Johnson to account. I would have loved to have seen what someone like John McDonnell could have done had he been in Sir Keir's shoes.
If all of what Cummings has said is true then I'm appalled and disgusted. However, Cummings is a snake - I'm not sure how much he has said I can actually believe. It's perfectly feasible he had a massive row with Johnson and is stitching him up.
They are all as bad as each other . It’s just sad ‘ maddening that a lot of people have simply given up caring .
It’s likely true for what it’s worth, and I’m no Cummings fan. Should matter but probably won’t. Either way, this government/system disgusts me.
Cummings - why is he suddenly the gospel oracle of truth and honour? It was only a year ago he was the enemy and vilified for his trip to Barnard Castle, and all the lies and bullahit he came out with then. Why is now any different? He's been proven to be as much of a liar and a snake as Johnson, yet now his words are treated as gospel? I'll wait till we hear other accounts before believeing any words that comes out of his slimey mouth. He's a gameplayer and the master of manipulation. Let's be careful with what we believe and take in. I'm in no way defending the government (I despise them), just erring on the side of caution.
I think the interesting thing (which I think someone has already mentioned) is that he made no criticism of Gove. Seems to me that he’s put Hancock on a plate as a sacrifice, damaged Johnson’s reputation (amongst the tories - don’t think the general public, sadly, seem to be bothered) and set it up for slimy Gove to take over. I don’t believe Cummings, I believe Johnson less and I truly wish this type of scandal would bring down the government, which, I’m sure, it would in most countries. Unfortunately, with the right wing media covering up any wrongdoing by this crooked bunch of utter bastards, I doubt much will happen and we’ll be stuck with them until the voters finally come to their senses or we get some decent opposition
Channel Four news went to town on this story last night and many of the issues that had come to light in the Cummings interrogation were mentioned as being raised by journalists at the time. Channel Four and others had raised the lack of preparedness as serious issues over 12 months ago. Cummings has merely confirmed what was already known and underscored the fact that Johnson is demonstrably unfit for any sort of public office. Where Channel Four news departed from the story was an interview with a medical officer in Scotland which addressed the very good question as to why Scotland experienced the same issues as the UK despite having Nicole Sturgeon running the show and not Johnson. For me, this was the most interesting thing in the news because of the fact that Sturgeon's efforts had effectively been undermined by Johnson, particularly with her inability to either minimise travel throughout the various parts of the UK including north of the border and especially for Scotland to close her border and protect it's people from the infections emanating from England such as the Kent variant. I was surprised that nothing was made of this at the time. I am not a fan of Sturgeon by any means, but i think we would have been a far better place had she been in charge of the UK and maybe enjoyed some of the success of countries such as New Zealand.
