1) why can't we just move on?
Johnson's appearance on Monday illustrates as clearly as anything why messaging & the whole Gov. #COVID19 approach has been damaged by Cummings

Essentially Johnson was limited to saying "wash your hands" and lying about post COVID eyesight problems

2) Johnson can't say "stay at home" or "stay alert", the first would be a gift to his critics, the latter is now seen as a change of tack to protect Cummings

If he says "protect the NHS" he'll be reminded that Cummings took the Virus into a hospital 260 miles from home

3) as soon as a scientific advisor appears they'll be asked if they agree that Cummings followed the rules, to which of course they can only say "no", so we won't see any scientific advice for a while

Cummings has impacted most of the messaging, so it cannot be used

4) this is the issue - our national leader is reduced to limited messaging, making up fake symptoms or simply hiding, at a time of national crisis. Science advisors need to be kept away and journalists muted or shut down

This is not OK

5) it is simply morally repugnant for Tory Mps to prioritise saving Cummings job over the ability for the government and its advisors to communicate clear, unambiguous, sometimes difficult messaging at the most critical time in our history

6) as a sidepoint it's also a monumental outrage that they would stand behind a PM so clearly out of his depth, lacking in character and ability who cannot function unless propped up by one aid, when the country desperately needs leadership https://www.itv.com/news/2020-05-27/why-the-cummings-crisis-is-now-all-about-how-johnson-governs/