LONG THREAD..... Dominic Cummings statement has not satisfied me and I suspect it hasn’t satisfied the wider public. If anything, it raises more questions about his behaviour. It confirms the following:
1/

Cummings did not work from home, despite the fact that he could, contravening government guidance.
2/

Cummings went back to his office at No.10 on Friday 27 March, despite his wife showing symptoms of C19, contravening government guidance.
3/

How did he travel back to his office? Did he use public transport? How many people were put at risk because of his selfish actions?
4/

He travelled 260 miles with his wife (who had suspected C19) and their son, contravening government guidance.
5/

His excuse that he had exceptional needs doesn’t add up. The issue about the safeguarding needs of a child was drafted to support women with children to escape abusive relationships, not to help parents with difficult baby-sitting/childcare challenges.
6/

Every other parent, millions of them, coped with childcare and home schooling whilst holding down jobs, a good number with C19. They dealt with it. Why does he feel he is entitled to be treated differently?
7/

He travelled to the property of his elderly, and therefore vulnerable parents, contravening government guidance.
8/

He told us that his wife took their child with suspected symptoms of the virus to a hospital in Durham. Preventing the disease from travelling to other regions was precisely the reason why people were ordered to stay in their primary residence.
9/

He put his wife and child in a car, and drove at least 30 miles, to test his eyesight, contravening travel/highways law. It also contravened the government’s C19 guidance at the time.
10/

We are told on that date, which just happened to be his wife’s birthday, that his child asked for the toilet, just at they were passing a local beauty spot. Cummings and the family all got out of the car for a walk, contravening government guidance at the time.
11/

We were told that despite his son needing the toilet within 30 mins on the trip to Barnard Castle, no one in the car needed a toilet break in the 260 mile journey from London to Durham.
12/

We were told that he did not stop for fuel in the 260 mile journey from London to Durham. Did he fill up in London before the journey, despite a member of the household displaying symptoms?
13/

We were told that he couldn’t remember whether he stopped for fuel on the 260 mile journey back to London. Perhaps he could share with us details of his fuel efficient vehicle. Presumably it isn’t the gas guzzling 4x4 that he is seen getting into outside his London home?
14/

Within hours of his statement, Twitter was full of another blatant lie. He claimed to have predicted an outbreak of coronavirus in an old blog post. It is now clear he doctored that old blog article in April 2020.
15/

Cummings is an odious individual who built his political career on lying outrageously. It’s extraordinary the PM, the cabinet and Tory MPs, believe this cock and bull story.
16/

What this is really about is that he thought he was above the rules, that he’s better than the rest of us. He thought he had an important job, and the rules didn’t apply to him. One rule for him, a different one for the rest of us.
17/

Millions have made enormous sacrifices. There have been heartbreaking stories of people not seeing loved ones, not able to care for dying family members, not even able to attend funerals. Cummings’ actions are a kick in the teeth to all those that have made those sacrifices.
18/

His selfish actions have almost certainly added to the number of cases in the country, a kick in the teeth to all those health, care and other key workers who have risked their lives through this pandemic.
19/

What happens now? He might get away with it, although his story might fall apart if more detail/allegations emerge.
20/

But confidence in Government is gone. They already had a difficult job, now it’s impossible. Why should anyone now make the sacrifice the Government ask of you, when you know they won’t?
21/

The divisions in our society over the past five years will return. Coronavirus was an opportunity to heal divisions. Everyone rallied around the Government’s efforts, Tories/Labour; Leave/Remainers ; northerners/southerners. That’s gone.
22/

And the task to rebuild our country post COVID19 has got a damn site harder. Every decision from now will be treated with suspicion, with no public sympathy. The inquiry into the Govt’s disastrous handling of this pandemic will become more angry and bitter.
23/

The Government’s moral authority has vanished over a bank holiday weekend, all to save a divisive, unelected, elitist bureaucratic.

ENDS