The righties conundrum today.

[Soph0571]

How they are defending this with a straight face is beyond me. I mean come on, however tone deaf they are to the public they most know how ridiculous they all sound. And thanks to all of them talking such complete shite and twisting the rules so out of shape that they are about to break in two, lock down is over. The posturizing pouting when others broke the rules means they do not have a leg to stand on as they try and protect Cummings and quite rightly the public is just going to tell them to fuck right off about obeying any future rules.

[T_i_B]

1. I very much doubt that Brendan O'Neil cares that he sounds ridiculous

As long as he keeps getting attention for his idiotic blathering.

If I were a Tory MP I would be furious about Cummings behaviour. But do they have what it takes to get Johnson to dismiss him or would that be like asking Emu to sack Rod Hull?

[Soph0571]

2. I think they have completely misunderstood the mood of the country on this

This is not going to go away anytime soon and their twisted jumps to try and squeeze his conduct into within the law is cringe making.

Link to tweet

So now as long as you say you are innocent, well that is alright then... *rolls eyes*
Particularly when we are talking about a chap who lied and lied and lied to the nation re Brexit, BUT he must be telling the truth on this. Heh.

[T_i_B]

5. I don't think this is going to go away

Not until Cummings resigns. He's only managed to make things worse with his press conference.

Right wingers need to stop blaming the media, stop the "we've all broken lockdown so stop being saying that" bollocks and put their own house in order. Otherwise we will not be rid of Coronavirus in Britain for a long time.

[Denzil_DC]

3. Durham Police formally asked to investigate whether Dominic Cummings broke the law

...
Police Commissioner Steve White today wrote to the force's Chief Constable, Jo Farrell, asking her to see if any rules were broken when Mr Cummings visited County Durham at the end of March.

Retired teacher Robin Lees, 71, reported Mr Cummings to police yesterday after insisting he saw the top aide out in Barnard Castle - 30 miles from where he had stayed for two weeks - on April 12.

A witness also told the Sunday Mirror they saw Mr Cummings walking in County Durham on April 19, days after he returned to work in London. Ministers have flatly denied he made a second trip up north.

It will now be up to police to decide whether to launch an investigation.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-durham-police-formally-asked-22081808

This isn't going away any time soon. Reports on social media today of Tory MPs inboxes bursting with complaints about Cummings' non-dismissal, and many MPs (including some Cabinet ministers) have gone public with their disgust/disapproval.

[Denzil_DC]

4. Coronavirus: Dominic Cummings to make statement on lockdown allegations

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52798632

It's unheard of for a spad to make a public statement in this way in such circumstances, but it reflects how much Cummings has become the story over recent days. In a normal administration, this would have been resolved behind closed doors, but Johnson is obviously too weak and shiftless to take care of it himself.

No idea what he's going to say, but if he doesn't resign, shows the same arrogant disdain that is his usual hallmark - and especially if he makes statements which are later proven to be untrue (as he and his wife have already done on a number of occasions) - it's unlikely to go well.

Since the police are reportedly investigating a complaint about one of his breaches of lockdown, he may try to dodge questioning on the basis that it's a police matter, of course, but that'll just make him look even more shifty than usual.

[Denzil_DC]

6. It was a pathetic performance.

"With respect" repeatedly parroted from someone who's never shown any respect for those in the media who've dared to challenge his agenda.

Insinuations of a menacing situation around his home and appeals for sympathy from somebody whose attitude when MPs were being abused and manhandled outside Parliament for daring to oppose Brexit was that "They deserve it."

So many holes in a story that got even holier as he droned on and on. Expect those to be elaborated upon in coming news cycles.

It'll have persuaded next to nobody who'd already made their mind up about the situation (the majority, if polls and social media output are to be believed) and given comfort to only those hardliners for whom he can do no wrong.