It's more a sign of being measured, and knowing when to attack and when not to. This isn't a time where needs to add his two pence in. I know that might not sit well with those who believe that if you're in opposition then you vocally object everything that is happening.
Westminster Politics
- Thread starter altodevil
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It's more a sign of being measured, and knowing when to attack and when not to. This isn't a time where needs to add his two pence in. I know that might not sit well with those who believe that if you're in opposition then you vocally object everything that is happening.
You're so boring.
I'd settle for him opposing anything with any gusto. Even with the ridiculous NHS surcharge he only had the bollocks to go out in defence of migrants in one particular occupation. Yvette Cooper refusing to follow the whip was forgotten as quickly as she did it too.
The Government trying to spin this as if Cummings didn’t break any rules. WTF?!?! The rules were very clear at the time to self isolate at your first address. No if’s & but’s.
This is just even more lies & deceit. Politicians have always lied, but since the Brexit campaign started it seems to be becoming a deliberate strategy by some Politicians in the UK to con the General Public.
This is just even more lies & deceit. Politicians have always lied, but since the Brexit campaign started it seems to be becoming a deliberate strategy by some Politicians in the UK to con the General Public.
Yeah, Starmer not immediately jumping in and allowing the Tories to accuse him of politicising the story has clearly taken the heat out of the issue, as all the frontpage headlines today demonstrate. If only he had done something to divert that attention onto himself instead.
I mean there's no way Labour could have criticized Cummings otherwise.
It's just like that famous Napolean saying, "always interrupt your enemies when they're making mistakes". Top notch political analysis as always.
I mean there's no way Labour could have criticized Cummings otherwise.
It's just like that famous Napolean saying, "always interrupt your enemies when they're making mistakes". Top notch political analysis as always.
Napoleon was, of course, famed for his policy of letting the enemy shoot themselves whilst his army put their feet up and waited for the letter saying they'd won.
Cummings will be gone soon enough, the scruffy cnut. The ministerial layer of the Tory party are a bunch of gutless tossers. This government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis has been nothing short of catastrophic. You’d love to watch it all unfold were it not for the thousands and thousands of corpses.
I think Boris will chop him, but with a promise to find him a new role in six months time, a role where he can advise just the same but keep a very low public profile, no twittering or press statements or the like.
Yes, I think you are spot on. Our politics is littered with such instances. People like Cummings are unflushable turds.
I certainly agree with you on the handling of the Corona virus has been catastrophic.
On of the most important jobs of a government is to look after and protect its people.
And yet, our relatively small island is responsible for over 10% of the global deaths.
Even though it had all the warning and all the experience from places like China, Italy and Spain on which to base its response.
My concern though is the way that the government finds it so acceptable to lie and deceive and pretend that they are doing a 'world leading job'.
Come on Britain.
Wake up and take notice.
Labour would be well advised to keep their mouths shut and let the Tories destroy themselves, because who knows what their own ministers may have been up to.
The optics of them taking the moral high ground on this, only for it to then be revealed that Diane Abbotts been out dogging, or something, during lockdown wouldn't be great.
The optics of them taking the moral high ground on this, only for it to then be revealed that Diane Abbotts been out dogging, or something, during lockdown wouldn't be great.
I remember, not that long ago, when the 'centrist' members of Labour were declaring themselves to be the grown-ups and I laughed hard when their true colours were shown.
But let's not go down that same road of trying to sabotage the other wing of the party. They have doomed us to another 5 years of tory rule, that is clearly on their heads, but whoever came in after the stitch-up was always going to have to tread a very fine line. Attacking Starmer over every tiny thing right now is simply going to prolong the recovery of the politics of the left in this country.
Four. It will be May 2024.
Starmer piling on could make the Tories close ranks. I don't think he needs to.do anything for now. He has asked for a cabinet investigation. Not much more he can do.
Seconded. I believe Starmer should have made his presence felt by now but I can see the wisdom in taking a backseat.
PM's 'position' is lying on a sunbed every weekend.
Does sound like the government may actually call an inquiry, which unfortunately is an astute method that will allow them to take the sting out of the story for now - and in the political lexicon we all know an ‘inquiry’ basically means a cover-up/delay it to the point people become apathetic.
Laura Kuenssberg has been very quiet for the last two days
No signs he’s sacking him at present, so I wouldn’t call this press conference a crunch moment. He might end up having to go but I don’t see it being today.
I predict he'll announce something unexpected to draw attention away from the Cummings thing. Will have to be a feelgood one, maybe allow all relatives to meet, or meet outside in larger groups, or expect pubs and restaurants to reopen in three weeks or something. Actually allowing relatives to meet might draw attention to Cummings rather than away from him, but some sort of 'good news' item anyway.
He'd better handle the press with respect, or they'll do for him (as PM, that is).
Yup. As you say above, an inquiry makes the most sense. Boris will pass on ownership of any decisions on Cummings to a third party and the sting of the story will dial down.
I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see Boris going on live telly to sack or defend Cummings. Either seem too dangerous of tactics after the latest stories combined with the cabinet being forced to spend the weekend defending him.
Boris coming out of hiding....he's going to announce that he's sacked the cnut.
I hope anyway
I hope anyway
I don't think so, not when he could sack Cummings quietly, unlike today when there's a set of reporters with awkward questions lying in wait.
That'll be the same liason committee headed by Brexiteer and Johnson ally Bernard Jenkin? Yeah, tough times ahead.
If he publicly backs him, this could get very ugly
Dep. Ed. of the Times:
'Boris Johnson is *not* expected to announce an independent inquiry into Dominic Cummings and whether he broke the lockdown rules at presser this evening.
Sounds very much like he is going to stick to Govt line and defend his man - we'll know in just under an hour.'
'Boris Johnson is *not* expected to announce an independent inquiry into Dominic Cummings and whether he broke the lockdown rules at presser this evening.
Sounds very much like he is going to stick to Govt line and defend his man - we'll know in just under an hour.'
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I’ve been curious reader the Starmer thread, who labour supporters hate the most, the Tories or the other labour faction. I guess the jury is out
Expecting Laura K to get a question where she will probably ask a question on when we will get the next update on lock down
He'll have to get his tone just right if he's going to 'stand by' DC in this conference. If he talks of press hounding or conspiracy, or is critical of the public's reaction to the scandal, he's doomed.
'Sources say PM continues to support Dominic Cummings'
Translation: 'Cummings says Cummings continues to support Cummings'.
Translation: 'Cummings says Cummings continues to support Cummings'.
If he publicly defends Cummings... wow. I just don’t believe he’s that dumb. Or stupidly over-confident.
Will be interesting to see how he would intend to push that line without making things worse.
Just a couple of retweets from Kuennsberg today... Turns out must not be anything important happening.
Compare and contrast to the eight minutes it took her to directly reply to a journalists’s report in order to act as the proxy for Cummings’ rebuttal.