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Cummings And Goings.
A photo of Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on the front page of the Daily Mirror, alongside the headline "Out of touch - out of control". The paper says the prime minister's former advisor, Dominic Cummings, will tell MPs today that Mr Johnson once declared that Covid was "only killing 80-year-olds" as he argued against a second lockdown. One man, whose 89-year-old mother died with Covid says the prime minister's alleged words are "incredibly hurtful". The paper says Downing Street did not deny that Mr Johnson made the remark, but insisted that the government had been focused on saving lives.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-57249894
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Dominic Cummings (pictured today) is preparing to launch an all-out assault on his former friend and boss (pictured left today) in four hours of evidence to a joint session of the Commons health and science committees. He is expected to accuse Mr Johnson of referring to Covid as 'Kung-Flu' and say that - before coming down with the virus - he offered to be injected with it live on TV to 'show it's nothing to be scared of'. In extraordinary claims that he says will be backed by documents, he will accuse the Prime Minister of being responsible for 'thousands of deaths' by delaying a second lockdown when a second wave of the virus hit the UK in the winter. He could also claim Mr Johnson was slow to react to the pandemic because he was on a 'prolonged holiday' with partner Carrie Symonds in February last year. However, ministers have been frantically trying to blunt the attack from Mr Cummings, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps dismissing the session as a 'sideshow' and suggesting he has his 'own agenda'. Meanwhile, leaked WhatsApps reportedly show that Mr Cummings told politicians to deny that there was a 'herd immunity' strategy at the start of the pandemic - something he now says was the case until just 10 days before the
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9620151/Dominic-Cummings-launches-assault-Boris-Johnson.html
The Prime Minister's chief of staff, Dan Rosenfield, told him about the idea following a Downing Street meeting with Manchester United chair Ed Woodward, one source said.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9619205/Boris-Johnson-backed-ESL-plans-joined-backlash-realised-unpopular.html
When thieves fall out
https://video.dailymail.co.uk/preview/mol/2021/05/26/3640428882523475898/964x580_MP4_3640428882523475898.mp4
Dominic Cummings admitted the government - and he personally - 'fell disastrously short' in its response to coronavirus as he kicked off a titanic hearing with MPs on coronavirus. Mr Cummings conceded he should have been 'hitting the panic button' in mid-February but he had been 'wrongly reassured' by messages from the WHO and others about the situation in China. The government was certainly not on a 'war footing' at the time, with senior figures including Mr Johnson himself going on holiday. He said Mr Johnson regarded the pandemic as a 'scare story' and the 'new Swine Flu' at that stage, and had even suggested he could be injected with the disease live on TV by medical chief Chris Whitty to show people it was not a threat. In a detailed timeline from March 12, Mr Cumings said at 7.48am he texted the PM and warned the Cabinet Office was 'terrifyingly sh**' and the response should be stepped up immediately. However, on the same day Donald Trump was trying to persuade the UK to join a bombing raid in the Middle East. And Carrie Symonds was 'going crackers' at the PM over a 'trivial' story in the papers about their dog Dilyn. Mr Cummings said on the evening of March 13 the second most senior civil servant at the Cabinet Office, Helen MacNamara, came in and relayed to him the view of another senior official that 'there is no plan' and 'we're in huge trouble'. Mr Cummings said she told him: 'I think we are absolutely f*****'. However, at around the same time there were still meetings going on with officials suggesting people should be advised to have 'chicken pox parties' to spread
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9620151/Dominic-Cummings-launches-assault-Boris-Johnson.html
In his bombshell evidence to MPs today the PM's former chief aide said that he told the PM on March 12 that there were 'big problems coming' and that hundreds of thousands of people might die from Covid. In a message to the PM early in the morning of that day - almost a fortnight before the first lockdown was finally introduced, he warned that people should be told that day to stay at home if they had symptoms. But facing a committee of senior MPs today Mr Cummings claimed the PM was distracted that day by his partner, who was furious about media reports that claimed the couple were considering getting rid of their dog, Dilyn. 'The Prime Minister's girlfriend was going completely crackers about this story and demanding the press office deal with that,' he said.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9620569/Carrie-going-completely-crackers-Dom-Cummings-blasts-PMs-fiancee-distracting-him.html
The Prime Minister's vengeful former chief aide turned both barrels on one of Mr Johnson's most senior ministers, who has played a central role in tackling the coronavirus pandemic. In a rollercoaster appearance in front of MPs today Mr Cummings laid a large part of the blame for Covid failings at the door of Mr Hancock and the Department of Health and Social Care.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9620647/Dominic-Cummings-says-liar-Matt-Hancock-FIRED-pandemic.html
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/dominic-cummings-has-spoken-and-it-turns-out-this-government-is-even-worse-than-we-thought/ar-AAKoLKB?ocid=msedgntp
I'm assuming this is all leading up to the "bombshell" book, the Netflix mini series based on "actual events" and the Paul Burrell esque tell all interviews.
Let's wait and see what skeletons come tumbling out of the closet of this law breaking liar or perhaps he really is so short sighted he can't see where this ends
Cummings Short Sighted, LOL 👓🚗🏰
There's just one lead story for all of this morning's papers: Dominic Cummings and his seven hours of evidence to MPs. Picture after picture of Mr Cummings delivering his explosive claims about mistakes made by the government during the Covid pandemic dominate all the front pages.
The Guardian, the Daily Mirror and the i newspaper all pick the same quote from his testimony for their main headline - "tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die".
For the Guardian, the hearing was an "excoriating attack". The paper says it resembled a Netflix miniseries. No one who watched was left doubting that Mr Cummings intended to settle scores, says its editorial, but "a self-serving witness can still get evidence that is both damning and true".
The Mirror predicts the "mesmerising" account will be "deeply damaging". Its political editor points out that, in the end, it's "not the excuses, the blame shifting, the settling of scores, or the clashes of egos" that matter the most - it's finding out who's responsible for the "unforgivably high" number of deaths.
Under the headline "Domshell", the Daily Mail says Mr Cummings' "extraordinary performance" amounted to a "dramatic bid to bring down the prime minister." In its editorial, the Mail calls him a "flawed witness" - but many of his words "ring true".
The Daily Express disagrees - there was "no smoking gun - just a burning urge for revenge."
For the Times, Boris Johnson's former senior aide "rained fire on No 10", using the session to "savage" his former boss. It says Mr Cummings "eviscerated" Boris Johnson's character, motives and competence, in an "utterly damning" account. It's hard, says the paper, to think of any occasion in modern British politics when someone "so close to the centre of power has turned so spectacularly against a serving prime minister".
The Times also quotes several government sources, all questioning Mr Cummings' credibility. One claims his accusations were a "character assassination" that was "not backed by evidence". Another says it's clear he was motivated by a desire for vengeance. The paper's sketch-writer describes the hearing as "primal chaos" - as "molten and Sicilian" as Mount Etna and "long and bloodier than Hamlet". Quentin Letts notes that even Dilyn, the prime minister's dog, got a mention, adding that only in England could a "major dingdong include a cameo for a Jack Russell".
According to the Financial Times, Mr Johnson's allies don't believe the allegations will "seriously damage" the prime minister. Mr Cummings painted a picture of "chaos, indecision and deceit" at the heart of government, leaving "few reputations undamaged", it says. But a senior minister tells the paper his claims are "like revenge ****" - and the public will see that Mr Cummings is "bitter".
"Do you need a hindsight test, Mr Cummings?" is the headline in the Sun.
For the Daily Telegraph, Mr Cummings' appearance was "politically explosive", with "claim after claim" of mismanagement at the top of government and a "litany of other failures". But the paper also quotes multiple government sources who question Mr Cummings' motives for attacking the prime minister just six months after leaving Downing Street. One adviser describes Mr Cummings as "quite selective on what he remembered. " The paper says the government will begin its attempt to "fight back" today, with Mr Johnson visiting a hospital to "underscore his message of getting on with the job".
The paper says his "vicious attack" on the health secretary, Matt Hancock, may actually keep him in the job - with the allegations prompting allies and friends of the minister to "come out fighting". The former aide's "vengeful score settling failed to convince", says the paper - and he should never have been allowed "anywhere near the levers of power".
For the Telegraph's Camilla Tominey, it all made for "irresistible viewing - if only anyone outside SW1 was watching". The public largely regard Mr Cummings, she writes, as a "dog that has had its day".
The political editor of the Spectator, James Forsyth, predicts the testimony "won't have the seismic political impact you might expect." After speaking to Tory MPs, he concludes that the Conservative poll lead and the fact that the vaccination programme are allowing things to reopen will "insulate Boris Johnson from most of the charges made against him".
The New Stateman's political editor, Stephen Bush, points out that the politician who came out best was the one Mr Cummings failed to mention: Michael Gove. That is despite the fact that Mr Gove's responsibilities include the Cabinet Office, which came in for plenty of criticism.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-57263551
I watched a bit of it.
Not the full seven hours.
I had already formed an opinion of him.
He had incurred my wrath as he was probably the most influential person in the "Leave" campaign.
I also criticised him for breaking lockdown rules.
What surprised me was that he didnt appear as a salivating rabid dog, intent only on the downfall of Boris, and a couple of his sidekicks.
Instead he came across has quite calm and measured.
In fact he declined a number of opportunities to attribute embarrassing quotes, and just criticising others for the sake of it.
Although he did make some relevant criticisms of the way that Boris, Matt Hancock, and The Government, have dealt with the pandemic.
He also pointed out some serious shortcomings of how our system of government works, or doesnt work.
Matt Hancock is the next witness, that will be interesting.
As a result of yesterday, I changed my opinion of Mr Cummings.
I actually liked him at first, his efforts with the leave campaign, his apparent man of the people, hail fellow well met demeanor and the impression that he was somebody who could be relied on to get a job done.
The fact that he wasn't sacked when he broke the lockdown rules hinted that he perhaps knew where the bodies were buried and to be honest I've been anticipating this reaction since Boris and Nut Nut kicked him to the kerb.
What I do think though is that dogs who bite the hand that previously fed them have a habit of ending up being dragged to a barn and introduced to the business end of farmer Palmers 12 bore.
Somebody, somewhere has, or is in the process of gathering, a huge amount of filth on Dom, which is going to make for fun reading
As far as what happens next is concerned, I think that will depend on how much of what he said yesterday he can prove.
He could make things very uncomfortable for Boris, and Matt Hancock.
Another professional perspective on The Dom.
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/dominic-cummings-inquiry-behaviour-psychologist-b1854829.html
As a psychologist, I can tell you that Dominic Cummings is an enemy that few would wish to cross
To the less discerning viewer, Dominic Cummings’s apparent openness at his hearing may perhaps wrongly be interpreted as transparency, authenticity, and even honesty
For a man undergoing a national, and very public grilling on one of the most controversial and divisive situations that the UK has ever experienced, from my professional opinion as a psychologist it would appear that Dominic Cummings seemed unnaturally comfortable.
Even the relaxed open-collared white shirt he chose to wear during his inquiry yesterday (26 May) seemed more fitting for a casual meal out with friends, as opposed to discussing an alleged national catastrophe – and one that he was very much a part of.
It was worryingly easy for Cummings to betray Boris Johnson, the man who once employed him as a close ally, and who invited him into his circle of trust. To the less discerning viewer, his apparent openness may perhaps wrongly be interpreted as transparency, authenticity, and even honesty. But practising for 23 years as a registered psychologist therapist, with a BSc in psychology, an advanced diploma in therapy, a masters in integrative therapy and 14 years experience as a media psychologist, I have a few observations.
In cases where someone so effortlessly offers up damning anecdotal information, it is potentially less about stating facts, and more about positioning themselves as the perfect sniper, seeming to carefully assassinate every single layer of their perceived enemy, a deeper and more discerning analysis is required.
At every single point when questioned during Wednesday’s inquiry, he was very much in charge. He appeared not to see this as an interrogation, and he appeared to feel firstly in control, and secondly superior to those requiring his responses. While initially, his body language was closed, as he became more comfortable with his performance, his open posture, in my opinion, betrayed him – becoming both emotionally and literally laid back in his chair was at complete odds with the content of his conversation, particularly in regard to his own responsibilities and failures where the Covid strategy is concerned.
At every single opportunity, he carefully offered his analysis of certain important players, and he was clever in his tactics, using first names where Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance were concerned, casting these as the heroes in this unravelling, and suggesting that he held a “closer” relationship with these apparent “good guys”, while he simultaneously dismissed professionals like Professor Carl Heneghan, and Sunetra Gupta – two highly accomplished experts in their fields – as if their views were irrelevant, dangerous even. To me, as a psychologist, this offers further insight into his feelings of superiority and righteousness in regards to his own behaviour.
While he did apologise for the role that he played, this apparently heartfelt statement fell short due to his constant blame of others. To be truly responsible and accountable for one’s own actions, it is essential that personal culpability is fully acknowledged. Instead, Cummings constantly rationalised that he was entirely powerless and beholden to an out of control, chaotic and personally irresponsible prime minister, and in particular the health minister.
Yet, there was a flaw in his own argument towards the prime minister, as by Cummings’s own admission, Boris Johnson didn’t wish to lock down at all. Instead, he saw the long-term potential catastrophe on the economy as a bigger burden for society to bear. Yet, Johnson did lock down – again, and again – which makes little sense if he was indeed the chaotic megalomaniac Cummings would have you believe.
When he suggested wanting a “dictator” with “kingly authority” to oversee the Covid crisis, it seems to me he was likely referring to himself. His judgements of most of those who surrounded him were full of contempt, and while it is possible that Matt Hancock could have made huge errors of judgement and failures that will be exposed, the vitriol that Cummings had towards him seemed personal, as opposed to professional.
There is absolutely no doubt that Dominic Cummings is a master of spin, brilliant at his work and an enemy that few would wish to encounter. He portrayed himself as a victim of circumstance and a good man who found himself silenced by a foolish leader, and while each will come to their own conclusion as to his integrity, it is always worth asking oneself if, placed in a similar position, would you be so willing to potentially destroy those you once counted as close colleagues and friends with such ease?
Lockdowns remain a contentious issue, their impact will be felt for generations to come and their effectiveness in the scientific world is still being fiercely debated, meaning that whatever Dominic Cummings’s personal feelings are, they are not enough to cast Johnson as the villain.
Emma Kenny is a psychological therapist (MBACP)
The front pages are largely divided between those looking back to the handling of coronavirus in care homes and those looking forward to a time when restrictions might end.
The Daily Telegraph thinks the political pressure is "mounting" on the health secretary Matt Hancock to "come clean over care homes" after explosive claims from the prime minister's ex-chief aide, Dominic Cummings. "Hancock feels heat over care home tests," it says - despite his insistence that he didn't lie about checks being carried out as patients left hospital. The paper says he recollects telling Cabinet colleagues that "tests would be done once there was capacity". In an editorial, it says Mr Hancock spent much of Thursday talking about being willing to give answers, without straightforwardly supplying one.
But the health secretary's explanation is questioned by Labour in the Guardian. "There were over 530,000 tests carried out by 20 April," says shadow social care minister Liz Kendall, "yet they couldn't test 25,000 people discharged from hospitals to care homes." The paper calls for a public inquiry, arguing that "the bereaved and Britain deserve no less".
But the Sun warns a hearing could take years and it wouldn't teach useful lessons that could be applied right away. Nevertheless, it too wants the care homes matter cleared up. "Did Matt Hancock falsely give Boris Johnson the impression that all OAPs were being tested?" it asks, adding: "Confusion is forgivable in the heat of the battle. Misleading the PM is not."
The Daily Mirror's front page has pictures of eight elderly care home residents who died after becoming infected. "You told them they were safe," is its headline.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-57277286
SIMON WALTERS: Boris Johnson refused to back fiancee Carrie Symonds' (L) complaint to The Times after it claimed the couple 'callously' wanted to get rid of their pet dog Dilyn. He objected on the basis that the proposed complaint, drawn up at the start of the Covid crisis, was 'a nonsense'. A copy of the draft letter was leaked to the Daily Mail after Dominic Cummings told MPs on Wednesday that Miss Symonds went 'completely crackers' over a report claiming the couple hated Dilyn.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9627261/SIMON-WALTERS-note-newspaper-Carrie-Symonds-doghouse.html
The telling point for me is that the PM, and Matt Hancock continue to duck answering questions which relate to the evidence that he gave.
I also think that if Boris has to delay the June 21st freedom date, even though common sense, and the science, may make this unavoidable, he will lose support from many people, including his own MPs, and Tory Party members.
There is no doubt in my mind that many of the electorate would forgive a government that owned up to mistakes made in unprecedented circumstances, but not one that lied, or refused to answer questions about their conduct.