Coronavirus - political views - supporting or otherwise...

[Blue in Munich]

Well that's interesting. I'd certainly like to understand that better. Care to share your source now that you've tracked it down?

Regardless, you'll hopefully agree its very much a matter of opinion whether anything in the guidance gives an exemption to travel from one part of the country to another. Something that seems to be getting overlooked is that the Cummings family left London while unwell only to end up in hospital in Durham which is pretty explicitly one of the things the lockdown was intended to prevent. At the very least an apology for that might have been nice.

It's in the main Health Protection Coronavirus legislation.

Having looked at it, my opinion is that it's beyond dispute that there was an exemption for him to leave his home. However I'd suggest it would be for him to prove as to why the help couldn't be obtained nearer to home, or some of his alleged actions when he was up there.

 

[Wolf]

I've just looked at the video and he said his wife was concerned for his eyesight, he then said he went for the drive to see if he was fit enough for the return drive to London.

To which he answered they decide his sight was OK and well enough. Regardless though if he wasn't well enough, why not just let the wife drive...

 

[PaulS]

I guess this is going to dominate headlines for the foreseeable future

Shame really as schools looking to open soon , shops opening , numbers going down - lots of good news ignored

 

[Rlburnside]

If you ignore all the press coverage and all the information that came out of number 10 and just look at some of the facts we now now it amazes me how anyone can try and justify his actions.

Right from the very start when he went back to work after going home thinking his wife had symptoms he started ignoring the advice that was made very clear which was to isolate if someone in the household had symptoms.

Driving 270 miles while thinking they might have been infected, wrong, what if they had broke down or had a accident?

Going for a short drive to see if his eyesight was ok to drive 270 miles, wrong on all levels.

He should resign or be sacked this country is still in a very serious situation and this is situation is taking away from the important work that should be focused on now.

 

[Blue in Munich]

But what makes you think the part under discussion wasn't added for child protection reasons? I'm just genuinely interested because if you're correct it seems like I'm getting mixed up.

Because of where it sits in the legislation and the other legislation it references, which makes no reference that I'm seeing to protection from abuse, and because the Jess Phillips' article appear to refer to an Act with a completely different title.

 

[SocketRocket]

To which he answered they decide his sight was OK and well enough. Regardless though if he wasn't well enough, why not just let the wife drive...

We dont understand all the metrics. For example, my wife would never drive that distance shes not confident enough a driver.

 

[Rlburnside]

It's in the main Health Protection Coronavirus legislation.

Having looked at it, my opinion is that it's beyond dispute that there was an exemption for him to leave his home. However I'd suggest it would be for him to prove as to why the help couldn't be obtained nearer to home, or some of his alleged actions when he was up there.

Coming from your background I would be interested on your views about him driving 270 miles and he had a accident on the way up and had to call out the emergency services.

 

[SocketRocket]

If you ignore all the press coverage and all the information that came out of number 10 and just look at some of the facts we now now it amazes me how anyone can try and justify his actions.

Right from the very start when he went back to work after going home thinking his wife had symptoms he started ignoring the advice that was made very clear which was to isolate if someone in the household had symptoms.

Driving 270 miles while thinking they might have been infected, wrong, what if they had broke down or had a accident?

Going for a short drive to see if his eyesight was ok to drive 270 miles, wrong on all levels.

He should resign or be sacked this country is still in a very serious situation and this is situation is taking away from the important work that should be focused on now.

He made a decision based on what he thought was best for his family. He explained that they had been subject to threats and people harassing them at home. In similar circumstances I think I would do the same.

 

[Wolf]

We dont understand all the metrics. For example, my wife would never drive that distance shes not confident enough a driver.

Would she be comfortable with you driving her and a child with your eyes not working correctly

 

[SocketRocket]

Would she be comfortable with you driving her and a child with your eyes not working correctly

No, of course not. As discussed previously he said in the briefing they decided to take a short drive as his wife was concerned about his eye sight and he wanted to check he was well enough. If he felt at any time he wasnt fit enough then I assume (similar to your suggestion) his wife would take over.

There are only two possibilities, either he did what he said or they went out for a jolly in the country. Without any contrary proof I feel I should take his word for it.

 

[Rlburnside]

He made a decision based on what he thought was best for his family. He explained that they had been subject to threats and people harassing them at home. In similar circumstances I think I would do the same.

At that early point the press and harassment wasn’t much of a issue it was only much later when the story broke, what about his first case of ignoring lockdown advice and going back to work.

Ignore what he said and concentrate on his actions and I would hope you would come to a different conclusion.

 

[ColchesterFC]

It seems that it's not just UK politicians are getting themselves in hot water. Irish Taoiseach (yes I did copy and paste that word as there's no way I'm going to try spelling it) Leo Varadkar has been pictured having a picnic in the park with his boyfriend and two other friends. Witnesses have claimed that they were not observing social distancing rules although this has been disputed by his office.

 

[MegaSteve]

For me, the total lack of leadership and absolute lack of spinal fortitude shown by government, in the last few days, doesn't bode well for our future safety... Stay safe people!

 

[ColchesterFC]

And much as I have admired Nicola Sturgeon's handling of things so far it seems a bit rich for her to claim that Boris has chosen "political interest ahead of public interest" by refusing to sack Cummings after she tried to avoid sacking her own adviser for breaking lock down rules.

 

[spongebob59]

Well argued article imo

https://www.melaniephillips.com/bullying-double-standards-absence-humanity/

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Just seen this, another discrepancy when it comes to driving and his health, Barnard Castle wasn’t the first time he risked his wife and child, unless he made a miraculous recovery overnight.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Coming from your background I would be interested on your views about him driving 270 miles and he had a accident on the way up and had to call out the emergency services.

My views on it would depend on the circumstances of the accident, not necessarily the fact that he was driving that distance. If the accident happened as a result of him being unwell & he knew he was unwell at the start of the journey, I wouldn't be impressed. If he got hit by a drink driver, my starting point would be that the drink driver was the root cause of the problem, not the fact that Cummings was making a journey. Once he has made the decision that he is entitled to leave his house under the relevant decision, he's another piece of traffic on the road. I've seen plenty of evidence of far less justifiable journeys than this one.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Well argued article imo

https://www.melaniephillips.com/bullying-double-standards-absence-humanity/

Read it and then researched the author as it smears everyone and anyone but cummings, it turns out she is regarded as one of the British media's leading right-wing voices.

So unfortunately another article taken with a pinch of salt.

 

[Rlburnside]

My views on it would depend on the circumstances of the accident, not necessarily the fact that he was driving that distance. If the accident happened as a result of him being unwell & he knew he was unwell at the start of the journey, I wouldn't be impressed. If he got hit by a drink driver, my starting point would be that the drink driver was the root cause of the problem, not the fact that Cummings was making a journey. Once he has made the decision that he is entitled to leave his house under the relevant decision, he's another piece of traffic on the road. I've seen plenty of evidence of far less justifiable journeys than this one.

Wow that’s me out

 

[SocketRocket]

Just seen this, another discrepancy when it comes to driving and his health, Barnard Castle wasn’t the first time he risked his wife and child, unless he made a miraculous recovery overnight.
View attachment 30863

I would do anything for my family and I think you would do the same. It's so easy for us to look at his actions from the comfort of an arm chair but faced with the conditions he explained I cant say with my hand on my heart I would act any differently.