A Political Thread

[ncurd]

She asked for the night off....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52830437

Allegedly.

Yup seen the same I'd like to know why she chose to take the day off without clarifying especially after the BBC statement. I suspect its her way of protesting the decision by drawing people to write to the BBC about it to show support for her. If it did it appeared to work.

Her two tweets on the matter, she also doesn't usually keep her opinions quiet and the fact she let it run out of control suggests
https://twitter.com/maitlis/status/1265817733578579968
https://twitter.com/maitlis/status/1265894540386242560

The only frustrating thing is its made her the story instead of Cummings

 

[Amiga500]

The only frustrating thing is its made her the story instead of Cummings

No doubt anticipated and welcome fallout from No. 10 pushing BBC to issue that impartiality statement.

Spineless pr*cks.

 

[ncurd]

No doubt anticipated and welcome fallout from No. 10 pushing BBC to issue that impartiality statement.

Spineless pr*cks.

There are definitely suggestions from various jouno's the BBC were being pushed on in private. Whilst I definitely thought it was on the line and rather punchy (but nothing that was not factual was not said) there is a process for this sort of thing within the BBC and that clearly wasn't followed. Remind me of when James Gunn got fired from GotG3 (which hes now directing again) due to exec getting too punchy and not understanding the full story.

 

[General Melchett]

We need Andrew Neil to interview Cummings and Cockwomble separately on prime time. Oh wait, Cockwomble's diary doesn't seem to have any time for Neil.

 

[ncurd]

https://twitter.com/evansma/status/1265969313158254593?s=19

If the Telegraph has got this surely this has to be the end?

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

https://twitter.com/evansma/status/1265969313158254593?s=19

If the Telegraph has got this surely this has to be the end?

unless boris is just gonna claim that thats a lie again... sorry, he'll claim that "some parts of it are untrue"

 

[ncurd]

unless boris is just gonna claim that thats a lie again... sorry, he'll claim that "some parts of it are untrue"

The wiggleroom is minor breech and no further action, only to do with the definitely wrong by any sensisble measure trip to Barnard Castle nothing on the entire escapade. Under normal circumstances this would be the final nail in the coffin but I suspect we'll hear the phrase minor breech a lot and he'll stay on.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...-breach-coronavirus-guidelines-durham-police/

Of course if any further breeches beyond what Cumming's admits to get proven that could be it.

 

[Leinster Fan]

BoJo f***ed up big time by not throwijg Cummings under the bus straight away. If he had, he could reasonably have emerged from this without the stain of it spreading to him. Make a big speech about how disappointed he is that a government advisor would ignore rules like that and that it was one man and everyone else, including the government needed to stick together. He'd have gotten some stick but all the right wing newspapers would have stuck with him.

Now he's left with two terrible choices, either back down now in the fact of ever increasing pressure, which will massively undermine his authority, or stick with Cummings and potentially risk being brought down with him (probably won't happen but even if it doesn't he'll have the least stable overwhelming majority ever).

Either way, hard to see him lasting the full 5 years. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. It's almost like he has very little in the way of political acumen and the guy he relies on for it was too busy taking a cross country trip.

 

[General Melchett]

BoJo f***ed up big time by not throwijg Cummings under the bus straight away. If he had, he could reasonably have emerged from this without the stain of it spreading to him. Make a big speech about how disappointed he is that a government advisor would ignore rules like that and that it was one man and everyone else, including the government needed to stick together. He'd have gotten some stick but all the right wing newspapers would have stuck with him.

Now he's left with two terrible choices, either back down now in the fact of ever increasing pressure, which will massively undermine his authority, or stick with Cummings and potentially risk being brought down with him (probably won't happen but even if it doesn't he'll have the least stable overwhelming majority ever).

Either way, hard to see him lasting the full 5 years. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. It's almost like he has very little in the way of political acumen and the guy he relies on for it was too busy taking a cross country trip.

Spot on. He has blown too much political capital to back down now. I think he has to try and ride it out with more deflective stories hitting the news over the next few days. I'm sure the No.10 machine will be on the blower to Durham police in an attempt to make this go away. All of this tells me that Cummings is essentially the de facto PM and running the show in No.10. I've read that he works 16 hour days most days and that BoJo's work ethic is pretty poor for someone in his position (we saw evidence of this in the Sunday Times article). BoJo is **** scared of the idea of actually having to step up and do the job he was elected to do.

 

[ncurd]

Deep Sigh

Boris Johnson is standing by his top aide Dominic Cummings, following the Durham Police findings.

A No 10 spokesman said: "The police have made clear they are taking no action against Mr Cummings over his self-isolation and that going to Durham did not breach the regulations.

"The prime minister has said he believes Mr Cummings behaved reasonably and legally given all the circumstances, and he regards this issue as closed."

 

[ncurd]

For when people stretch the word might
https://twitter.com/BarristerSecret/status/1265986473955819520

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

This will keep the flames fanned. A lot of media won't want to "move on".

No-one, not one single person, I've spoken to believes the eye sight story. We're generally a fairly tolerant bunch over here but we don't like hypocrites and we don't like liars - there is suspicion of both traits here and that is why people have reacted so badly.

Bojo has made his bed and he'll have to lie in it. To all our detriments.

 

[ncurd]

Government still making slew of announcements to try to make bad news go away. Which worries me on public health grounds doesn't sound like any of the 5 measures are really being met and we cannoballing out of it as quickly as possible.

PM to give more details of easing UK's lockdown

Later today the prime minister will set out what lockdown restrictions will be eased from 1 June.

Boris Johnson's spokesman said the government's scientific advisory group, known as Sage, was meeting later today and the prime minister would set out what will be allowed, subject to their advice.

The spokesman said there was no special Cobra meeting today to approve the easing of lockdown measures. He said cabinet discussed the roadmap when they met on Monday. The prime minister will discuss the issue on a call with the nations' first ministers later this afternoon and with opposition parties in Westminster.

 

[ncurd]

I wonder if Kunnesberg will get a rap on the knuckles and suspended for this.

https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1265999997184679939?s=20

The police didn't say the Durham trip wasn't a breech in fact they went out their way they to state they were not adjuding the stay at home message.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

This will keep the flames fanned. A lot of media won't want to "move on".

No-one, not one single person, I've spoken to believes the eye sight story. We're generally a fairly tolerant bunch over here but we don't like hypocrites and we don't like liars - there is suspicion of both traits here and that is why people have reacted so badly.

Bojo has made his bed and he'll have to lie in it. To all our detriments.

How unfortunate for him that he **** the bed before lying in it.

On a completely different note, a member of Glastonbury council has been advocating £300 5G shields https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52810220

Of course it's a massive con but an interesting look into the mind of conspiracy theoriests. The device was taken apart and found to just be a USB stick, nothing more. Even after this was shown to the council member, they STILL claimed it had been benefiting them. You wonder how do you deal with a level of stupid that is so great that it is literally immune to reality and starts creating it's own reality?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The device was taken apart and found to just be a USB stick, nothing more.

******* hell, I've got a draw full of USB sticks from before cloud storage/casting videos came in - you telling me I could've been fleecing idiots for £300 a pop?!

 

[ncurd]

Its hard to belive I first started studying computer science a mere 3 miles away from Glatonbury Tor (I went to pleb college not Millfield).

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

honestly props to the UK for giving a **** about the Cummings thing. It would be no big deal in the US (a government official acting above the law, our restrictions are nowhere near as tight as yours).

 

[ncurd]

honestly props to the UK for giving a **** about the Cummings thing. It would be no big deal in the US (a government official acting above the law, our restrictions are nowhere near as tight as yours).

There's the phrase "Its not cricket", which actually has a huge amount within British psychology. There is definite act 'fair play' in that we all behaved one way (and by all accounts lockdown was working until Stay Alert occurred) and just about everyone knew someone who'd undergone hardship during it or actually experienced it themselves. So when someone in charge breaks it the 'done thing' is for them to own and fall on thier swords. This happened to Scottish Health Minister and one the scientists that was advising the governement. So to hear someone try to claim they were above it no matter how valid it was hits that part of British psychology pretty hard and hence the reaction.

The problem is this only really kicked because COVID-19 effected a huge swathe of the population in some shape or form. I suspect those backing the governement are either die hards, rule breakers or people who just weren't that inconvenieced by it.

 

[ncurd]

Kunnerberge accidentally asked a real question (I do think whilst shes not a good journalist she does cop some unfair flack) and Boris went full Trump

https://twitter.com/Femi_Sorry/status/1266047664388550656