No room for politics in the motoring section!

During the lock down people have been fined for breaking the rules, these very same rules that Cummings was involved in writing.

Since its clear that the "unnecessary" trip to Barnard Castle was a breach of the rules he should obviously be fined for that but because of his involvement with the PM it must go further.

The sordid attempts over the past couple of days to clear him of wrong doing have done nothing for the situation. Other government officials have had to resign for misjudgement during lock down, so should Cummings.

<< Play the ball, not the man, chaps. >>

I'm wondering what ball you are thinking of here, Andy - when you have introduced an Irish politician to distract our attention from Mr Short Cummings. And getting in an irrelevant snipe at the hated Left too.

No - I was merley pointing out the hypocrisy of the Left/media putting ALL their vitriol and effort into ridding us of one person who, contrary to reports, DID NOT break the law and was acting in the best interests of his child and family, as opposed to the leader of a nearby country who publicly broke a specific law he brought in and has not had the media hounding him and his family ever since - and, might I add none of them social distancing.

Don't you think that the media should be fair to all parties, rather than go after one because they hate him because of Brexit, that he played a big part in winning in the last General Election and the lobby hacks are peed off that they aren't getting 'all access' like little spoilt children. No, nothing sinister there, trying to whip up public hatred with blatant lies, stretching of the truth and harrassing a family out of spite.

It's frankly nonsense on stilts to portray the whole of the media as left and to bring Brexit into the pursuit of Cummings as you seek to do. Most of the press except for Guardian and Mirror were in the Vanguard of the leave campaign. The fact that the Mail has turned on Cummings speaks volumes. There's also a very significant cohort on the government back benches and amongst Junior and even Cabinet Ministers who would gladly see the back of Cummings.

Its far from clear cut that he DID NOT break the law. He might be able to show that he had legitimate excuse for fleeing to Durham but it's not clear bit about danger to children covers his case. Legal bloggers are fairly united in saying that is for life/death situations, particularly where Domestic Violence is in the mix. The c*ck and bull story about Barnard Castle is without doubt a breach of the relevant regulations. If he knowingly drove with suspect vision there's another aspect Durham's finest might need to attend to.

Social distancing when at work is not mandatory; it is more on lines of 'where practicable'.

As I've already said trying to bring a foreign leader, Varadker, into this is whataboutery. In fact it's Whataboutery suma cum laude as they used to say for outstanding performances on the sports field at school. Similarly with Kinnock.

As I've pointed out before Naz Shah (if that's the Muslim MP you mean) was demoted by the party. No action against Prof Ferguson as it was his lady friend who broke the rules; the assumed intercourse was at his gaff.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 27/05/2020 at 16:14

<< Just remember the old adage, "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones". Nobody is whiter than white, are they? >>

Presumably in this instance it is Mr Short C who is in the metaphorical glass house.

As one who by inclination occupies the political centre ground (ruefully accepting that elections are habitually won by one extreme or the other) I can't be bothered to waste any more ammo sniping in these discussions. I wonder if it is all really only a wind-up.

Play the ball, not the man, chaps.

Yet again Andy Motes and Beams.

You have repeatedly used 'left' as a pejorative term for various people in this forum. I'm no more left than any other mixed economy Croslandite and I suspect others to whom you apply that tag have no taste whatever for any form of Socialism. You've also repeatedly abused me/and or my former colleagues in the public service and or those of us retired from it.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 26/05/2020 at 14:37

(before becoming leader, in Jan)

More excellent accuracy. For your info Keir Starmer did not become leader until 04 April.

But why should we expect you to be accurate now after all the other total nonsense you have posted on any topic where you believe only your far right views should be allowed.

Play the ball, not the man, chaps.

Surely this time the ball and chap are the same thing, its Cummings.

What have you to say about the resignation earlier, are you going to say this person was a far left activist just waiting for an opportunity.

But apparently not Labour MPs, one of whom was then promoted to the Shadow Cabinet by Starmer, who said previously (before becoming leader, in Jan) that subordinates should not be sacked for mistakes.

Cummings did nothing wrong except look after his family WITHIN the lockdown rules' exceptions, with reasonable common sense for the care of vulnerable people.

Apples/Oranges. The point Starmer was making was about mistakes; people who have got something wrong my accident or misjudgement - and by inference no serious consequence ensued.

What's here is a different kettle of fish. Even just by going to Durham Cummings pushed the envelope. It's not what the letter or spirit of the rules said and I don't think the exception he's quoting applies as it's about imminent threats to life. His cavalier attitude allows him to try and rely on that.

While on his parents estate he failed to fully follow what is required of self isolation. As for the cock and bull story about going to Barnard Castle to check his vision that beggars belief. If I think I'm a bit tipsy is it permissible to go for a drive to see if I'm OK?

If you need to check your vision you probably shouldn't drive at all. Certainly there are other ways of experimenting either on line or with objects in, or around the vicinity of the home.

And all of that's before today's emerging tale that he updated his blog quite recently so as to appear that something he wrote last year touched on the subjects of Coronavirus and Pandemics.

As others have already said what Varadker did or did not do is neither here nor there; that's for Irish government and Irish citizens to pronounce on. In this context is 100% unadulterated 'whataboutery..

Edited by Bromptonaut on 26/05/2020 at 17:15

shows what the Left have become - a petulant bunch of revolutionaries intent on getting their way, whatever the cost.

Now we see the BBC's Emily Maitliss popping off (again) on live TV with another politically-motivated rant against the PM via DC (as have many TV news journalists who are supposed to be unbiased). The Left's real motivation is revealed, and it is neither honourable or has anything to do with public safety.

For fecks sake give up. You keep posting the same nonsense blaming the "left" for everything which clearly shows you have no grip on reality or the truth.

There is a simple reason for me wanting Boris and his mates out of power and into history. He has shown his cards this week and if you cannot see the truth god help you.

My belief is that the lockdown is starting to have a serious effect on the mental state of the population. The mad rush to the beach on a sunny day is a form of escapism, desperately trying to pretend that all is back to normal.

I'm with you, T-bird. You, Alan, Bromp and I should stop fuelling Andy's bizarre obsessions, and provoking him into scribbling any more lengthy opinionated nonsense. I shall anyway.

I'm coming to the same conclusion. I enjoy informed debate with people who may have different views, insights and sources to me.

Andy's latest response to me at 10:42 today adds nothing in the way of fact; just another portion of word salad.

<< For fecks sake give up. You keep posting the same nonsense blaming the "left" for everything which clearly shows you have no grip on reality or the truth. >>

I'm with you, T-bird. You, Alan, Bromp and I should stop fuelling Andy's bizarre obsessions, and provoking him into scribbling any more lengthy opinionated nonsense. I shall anyway.

I'm not the one who brought up the issue originally (similarly on the OMB thread) or is daily adding more unproven allegations against Mr Cummings when this is a witch-hunt to stop Brexit via the back door, whatever the cost. A known leftist troll admitted this was the real reason to me earlier when they were grandstanding in a comments forum elsewhere.

I and others are just refuting your outlandish and hypocritical claims, especially pointing out many others, including Opposition politicians (Corbyn now twice [no, not his brother]), have done FAR worse and yet got away with it, and yet I wasn't here calling for their heads on a daily basis.

Now who's the one with the 'bizarre obsessions', especially with you lot going nuts over The Orange Man because (presumably) you've nothing else to do and Creepy, Sleepy Uncle Joe Biden is about as credible as Jeremy Corbyn as a candidate for the Top Job of his country.

Ta ta.

In the meantime, you lot and the MSM think that actually important news stories like China's crackdown in Hong Kong, them threatening Australia for 'deigning' to call for an investigation into the cause of the pandemic, or the invasion of Taiwan is just mere footnotes in history.

Why do you think the media don't think the China crackdown is important? Have read a lot about it in the news in various places you would class as mainstream media.

Now we see the BBC's Emily Maitliss popping off (again) on live TV with another politically-motivated rant against the PM via DC (as have many TV news journalists who are supposed to be unbiased). The Left's real motivation is revealed, and it is neither honourable or has anything to do with public safety.

And the BBC have had to apologise for it...so why would the apologise if it their real intention? A mistake was made an apology made.

Leo Varadker is the Taoiseach not PM

He did not break any rules. the RoI social distancing rules are different from Englands.