Government advisor steps down

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Rarely should people walk from a role when they make a mistake. They should be given the chance to learn from it and apply those learnings like someone else couldn’t. We often doom ourselves to make the same mistakes by chopping people who make those mistakes.

This guy is just a human, he made a human mistake but in these times and doing what he did is the one of the rare times when a person must step down after making a mistake.
 
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JamesR said:
The affair element is immaterial; he broke lockdown rules by travelling unnecessarily. I don’t remember seeing anywhere that sex was particularly more off limits than anything else.
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He’s having an affair with a married woman, it may sound “holier than thou” but he is totally compromised, it questions his integrity the lot.
As proved by his behaviour, he’s an expert advising on how we as a nation should behave and yet he believes it doesn’t apply to him when he needs his leg over. Big credibility issue imo.
 
drive4show said:
To be pedantic, he actually didn't travel anywhere. The reports say she came to his place.
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That for me is the only defence he has and possibly is the only way to get out of it, but the principal still stands he was advocate and assisted in creating the rules but was complicit in allowing her to breach lockdown for "coming" to see him, so to stand down was the correct thing to do. Just my opinion of course.
 
pauldj42 said:
He’s having an affair with a married woman, it may sound “holier than thou” but he is totally compromised, it questions his integrity the lot.
As proved by his behaviour, he’s an expert advising on how we as a nation should behave and yet he believes it doesn’t apply to him when he needs his leg over. Big credibility issue imo.
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His job is to give scientific advice.
His job isn’t to be an advert for puritanical virtue.

Affairs don’t preclude someone from being credible or having integrity in their work, just ask Boris Johnson.
 
Wolf said:
Jenrick excuse was delivery of medical supplies & essential to parents. Whether it's true or not is debatable personally i don't believe it but does fall within valid reasoning of a point to travel.

Ferguson reason for breaching to have sex with someone else's wife! Let's be realistic here which one of those breaches is more of a a valid requirement, it certainly isn't the one where the only potential benefit is a quick fumble.

So the affair in this instance is not immaterial at all, because its the affair that caused the breach.
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and visiting his 2nd home, which was totally unnecessary.
 
JamesR said:
and visiting his 2nd home, which was totally unnecessary.
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I've not disagreed about Jenrick, I even said I don't believe the excuses he gave, but the ones he gave based on lockdown criteria can be deemed as passable, and I think he should have gone to. Getting your lover to break lockdown for a quick bunk up when your part of the rule setting committee has no defence. His standing down also confirms he feels and understands the loss of trust that causes..

If thousands of people across the country can go without seeing their girlfriends, boyfriends or lovers because of the rules Ferguson was complicit on making then he and his lover have to abide by it to and accept the consequences. My daughter hasn't seen her boyfriend since lockdown began but they have to follow rules Ferguson helped create so should he..
 
JamesR said:
His job is to give scientific advice.
His job isn’t to be an advert for puritanical virtue.

Affairs don’t preclude someone from being credible or having integrity in their work, just ask Boris Johnson.
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Yes they do for some people, not saying his life should stop or anything, but if you lie and cheat you have to understand there are risks and consequences.

Some people/jobs are affected more than others.

Who decides if johnson has any credibility?
 
Lord Tyrion said:
How do you think lockdown is going down in their house right now :oops:? Stuck in the same house, that must be a cracking atmosphere.
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I was just thinking how sad it is that for the rest of their lives her 2 kids can never search their surname on google without their Mums 'open relationship' being the number 1 result
 
pauldj42 said:
Yes they do for some people, not saying his life should stop or anything, but if you lie and cheat you have to understand there are risks and consequences.

Some people/jobs are affected more than others.

Who decides if johnson has any credibility?
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He’s PM, seems to be a job which gives one credibility.
His behaviour hasn’t precluded him from getting the highest job in the union.
 
Imurg said:
Back on 30th March, Imperial College were estimating that somewhere in the region of 2-3 million had been infected in the UK.
Given that we're now over a month on from that, and assuming their estimates are reasonable, who knows, we could be well over then10 million mark by now
The true number may never be known as asymptomatic cases will never be recorded.
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But this is another one of those comments which is made in a way to make us all feel better. Oh look maybe 25% of the population has had it and we are all going to be fine. Pretty much nowhere is talking about that high a level of spread yet. Everyone is in lockdown meaning spread is currently slow and slowing. Offically 200,000 odd offical cases even if that is wrong x20 that is still only 4 million people. To get 10 million infected we are at x50. I am not seeing anywhere say that outside of the daily rags who make stuff up as they go along. No more than 10% infected would be pushing 7 million, so one hell of a long way to go.
 
JamesR said:
Why should he have stricter code of practice than an mp, we have a minister who visited 2nd home over 100 miles away and parents 40 miles away.
We have other ministers accused of all sorts including bullying and breaching ministerial code.

Is a scientist using the do as I say not as I do rule worse than MPs doing wrong?
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Jenrick is doing today's briefing.
 
pauldj42 said:
He’s having an affair with a married woman, it may sound “holier than thou” but he is totally compromised, it questions his integrity the lot.
As proved by his behaviour, he’s an expert advising on how we as a nation should behave and yet he believes it doesn’t apply to him when he needs his leg over. Big credibility issue imo.
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I was going to disagree with you but honesty is applicable to whatever we do. Would I want him stood across from me knowing he's crossed the line in what is acceptable in society? Would I trust him alone with my wife? The issue is trust. Would I trust what he said?

JamesR said:
His job is to give scientific advice.
His job isn’t to be an advert for puritanical virtue.

Affairs don’t preclude someone from being credible or having integrity in their work, just ask Boris Johnson.
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You trust your partner but would you trust him or Boris alone in a room with them.
 
pauldj42 said:
Jumped before he was pushed?
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As far as I can see, no-one has mentioned, based on the photo in the Telegraph report, that she looked to be quite "fit". I would be quite prepared to resign my current position if she was found to have visited me. Jump before being pushed is apposite.
 
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