The Politics Thread 2020

[Archied]

25 minutes ago, Van Gritters said:

True most of it is using common sense. The rules are for those that can’t apply common sense.

Like taking your wife and child out for a trial car ride because your worried about your eyesight ?

[nottingram]

I just don’t see how it can be defended really.

I have some small sympathy for his initial situation. I’m too young to have kids but I can understand any parent doing what they can to ensure they are okay. 

But his kid and his wife both ended up in a hospital in Durham with suspected Covid 19. At a time when there were limited cases in Durham - this is EXACTLY why lockdown rules were in place, to prevent or at the very least limit the spread of a highly infectious disease within the country, so to willingly take Covid symptoms 250 miles is at best negligent and at worst shows an arrogance that the rules don’t apply beyond anything a ‘normal’ person can get away with. You then have any small amount of contact he may have had with his relatives while up there who then pass it on further.

You then have the Barnard Castle ‘trip’ - why would anyone in their right mind take a 30 mile trip to check their eyesight? If you don’t think your eyesight is okay to be driving or have any doubt then this is illegal, for a start. So it’s either breaking the law or he’s lying. Why would he not go to an industrial estate, or a quiet car park to check? Why a tourist hotspot coincidentally on his wife’s birthday? 

It just doesn’t check out and the public deserve to know. They deserve to know why they have made sacrifices for the good of everyone else when the rules are clearly more relaxed than was ever implied or explicitly mentioned at the time, and they deserve to know who was allowed to break them and who wasn’t. If common sense was fine to be followed then that is concerning, as Cummings is clearly lacking in it. He can’t remember (or it didn’t come up in the cover story concocted over the last couple of days) whether he got petrol, he can’t remember whether he ever discussed it with the Prime Minister and he didn’t think to make a more sensible journey to check his sight.

Frankly I have no axe to grind with the man, I have no real political persuasion so that doesn’t come in to it. But all of this nonsense that the media are going after him? I don’t like the media but the public deserve answers on this and the media is the best way to get them. I can’t believe the some people are so willing to accept this story

[Rev]

4 minutes ago, jimmyp said:

He asked for medical advice as to wether he was ok to drive and return to work, he was apparently given the all clear.

His wife questioned his driving ability and wanted to make her own assessment. Should they have left the 4 year old on his own whilst she carried out her own personal assessment?

I certainly don’t think everyone is stupid, why would I?

Are you seriously saying if you had doubts about your eyesight, and whether you were fit to drive, you'd strap your child in the backseat while testing?

[AndyinLiverpool]

3 minutes ago, jimmyp said:

He asked for medical advice as to wether he was ok to drive and return to work, he was apparently given the all clear.

His wife questioned his driving ability and wanted to make her own assessment. Should they have left the 4 year old on his own whilst she carried out her own personal assessment?

I certainly don’t think everyone is stupid, why would I?

Surely 'any reasonable person' (Cumming's phrase) would conclude that if they have any doubt about their ability to drive would not do so. 

That stuff about him needing to return to work is toss. We have been told to work from home if we can. He could have done so. Of course he would have found it easier to return to work had he done what he was supposed to do and stayed at home in the first place.

[Archied]

27 minutes ago, jimmyp said:

If that is the medical advice given to you by a doctor then it is generally wise to follow said advice. Doctors are mostly very clever and tend to know what they are talking about contrary to beliefs held by many.

That might be why he didn’t seek the advice of one before setting off on a 250 mile drive with a supposed very ill wife ( corona ) and a four year old child yet he did before returning,,,,mmmmmmmm funny that

[jimmyp]

2 minutes ago, Archied said:

Like taking your wife and child out for a trial car ride because your worried about your eyesight ?

He wasn’t concerned about his eyesight, he had medically been cleared and he was confident to drive.

His wife was apparently concerned and wanted to make sure he was ok to drive hence the subsequent 30 min journey.

I personally think they should of just started the return trip to London and turned back if he became unwell rather than taking an extra 30 min trip. 

 

[jimmyp]

2 minutes ago, reverendo de duivel said:

Are you seriously saying if you had doubts about your eyesight, and whether you were fit to drive, you'd strap your child in the backseat while testing?

I have replied to another post with my comments on this.

 

[i-Ram]

3 minutes ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Surely 'any reasonable person' (Cumming's phrase) would conclude that if they have any doubt about their ability to drive would not do so. 

That stuff about him needing to return to work is toss. We have been told to work from home if we can. He could have done so. Of course he would have found it easier to return to work had he done what he was supposed to do and stayed at home in the first place.

To be fair being a “Malcolm Tucker” from 260 miles away is hard to carry off.

[jimmyp]

3 minutes ago, Archied said:

That might be why he didn’t seek the advice one before setting off on a 250 mile drive with a supposed very ill wife ( corona ) and a four year old child yet he did before returning,,,,mmmmmmmm funny that

But he wasn’t experiencing those symptoms when he set off so why would he of asked for medical advice?

[Archied]

9 minutes ago, nottingram said:

I just don’t see how it can be defended really.

I have some small sympathy for his initial situation. I’m too young to have kids but I can understand any parent doing what they can to ensure they are okay. 

But his kid and his wife both ended up in a hospital in Durham with suspected Covid 19. At a time when there were limited cases in Durham - this is EXACTLY why lockdown rules were in place, to prevent or at the very least limit the spread of a highly infectious disease within the country, so to willingly take Covid symptoms 250 miles is at best negligent and at worst shows an arrogance that the rules don’t apply beyond anything a ‘normal’ person can get away with. You then have any small amount of contact he may have had with his relatives while up there who then pass it on further.

You then have the Barnard Castle ‘trip’ - why would anyone in their right mind take a 30 mile trip to check their eyesight? If you don’t think your eyesight is okay to be driving or have any doubt then this is illegal, for a start. So it’s either breaking the law or he’s lying. Why would he not go to an industrial estate, or a quiet car park to check? Why a tourist hotspot coincidentally on his wife’s birthday? 

It just doesn’t check out and the public deserve to know. They deserve to know why they have made sacrifices for the good of everyone else when the rules are clearly more relaxed than was ever implied or explicitly mentioned at the time, and they deserve to know who was allowed to break them and who wasn’t. If common sense was fine to be followed then that is concerning, as Cummings is clearly lacking in it. He can’t remember (or it didn’t come up in the cover story concocted over the last couple of days) whether he got petrol, he can’t remember whether he ever discussed it with the Prime Minister and he didn’t think to make a more sensible journey to check his sight.

Frankly I have no axe to grind with the man, I have no real political persuasion so that doesn’t come in to it. But all of this nonsense that the media are going after him? I don’t like the media but the public deserve answers on this and the media is the best way to get them. I can’t believe the some people are so willing to accept this story

Quality post

[Boycie]

Well, if I get a call from the track and trace volunteers telling me and mine to self isolate for 7-14 days I’m finding Airbnb who’ll rent me a nice coastal lodge on the hush hush, that’s 3,4,5 or 6 miles away from a hospital.

Obviously I’ll ask if they have any teenagers who can help out if we need it.

Thats my interpretation of the new lockdown rules.

[Gritstone Ram]

11 minutes ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Not sure what the point of this is. It's not a question of being without sin and casting the first stone. Nobody's perfect.

 

Cumming's boss is the PM. He and his boss are responsible for formulating a response to a killer virus via a set of rules to stop the spread. Cumming's explanation of his actions is unconvincing at best and he showed a level of arrogance astounding even by the standards of this government. 

Had we in my family had to face a similar situation, we would have had to deal with it within the household, just like everyone else.

It is a bit of ‘he who is without sin’ though because we are all in this together. May be an extra trip to the shop put me more at risk of catching it and then I could have passed it to god knows who.
What about the Labour MP’s that has flouted the lock down rules don’t they matter?

[Boycie]

4 minutes ago, jimmyp said:

He wasn’t concerned about his eyesight, he had medically been cleared and he was confident to drive.

His wife was apparently concerned and wanted to make sure he was ok to drive hence the subsequent 30 min journey.

I personally think they should of just started the return trip to London and turned back if he became unwell rather than taking an extra 30 min trip. 

 

I wish I could do 30 miles in 30 minutes.

[Ramarena]

 

 

[Sith Happens]

Just now, Boycie said:

I wish I could do 30 miles in 30 minutes.

you really need to trade in that Hillman imp.

[Boycie]

Just now, Paul71 said:

you really need to trade in that Hillman imp.

I do, I need warp speed for the country roads.

[Gritstone Ram]

2 minutes ago, Boycie said:

I wish I could do 30 miles in 30 minutes.

Running or on a motorway? What kind of car have you got?

[AndyinLiverpool]

Just now, Van Gritters said:

It is a bit of ‘he who is without sin’ though because we are all in this together. May be an extra trip to the shop put me more at risk of catching it and then I could have passed it to god knows who.
What about the Labour MP’s that has flouted the lock down rules don’t they matter?

What about them? How does that change Cummings' situation?

Cummings helped create the rules, he breaks them then comes up with the political version of 'the dog ate my homework'. None of this is changed by stuff that other people have done.

In fact, excuses like 'everyone's doing it' or 'he started it' would be unworthy of his 4-year-old and at least he himself hasn't tried that.

[Sith Happens]

1 minute ago, Boycie said:

I do, I need warp speed for the country roads.

[Eddie]

Various bits of news coming out now about partial relaxation of the lockdown (Not sure whether I'm making a political point or a Coronavirus point, so playing it safe by putting it in the Politics thread), but what about those of us who have been told that we MUST shelter for a period of at least 12 weeks? Will we be allowed out of our homes come the start of July?

I, for one, would like to make at least some of my own decisions moving forward, instead of people in authority telling me that "It's for my own good". I really don't mind social distancing, and I would be more than happy to wear a face mask when I'm in the proximity of others for their protection (hopefully others will likewise be prepared to wear one for MY protection too).

Did anyone hear whether Boris said anything about those of us who can't take advantage of beaches, car showrooms and shops shortly or even Durham castle?