Dominic Cummings was still under fire today after yesterday’s press conference from Boris Johnson which left unanswered questions and a feeling of dissatisfaction with the performance of the Prime Minister. As a result, Dominic Cummings fronted up to the press at a press conference at 4-30pm today in the garden at Downing Street.
He gave a subdued presentation, totally unlike his normal aggressive personality and gave timelines and details of his travels. He confirmed his trip to his parents and also confirmed that he made a second trip whilst he was there. This was late in his stay with his parents and was a 60-mile round trip to test if he was fit enough to drive back to London. He stated that this was mainly to test his eyesight as it had been affected during his illness. It is arguable whether this was allowed under the legislation or the guidelines.
Mr Cummings has told an unprecedented press conference in the Number 10 Rose Garden: ‘I don’t regret what I did… I think what I did was reasonable in the circumstances.’
He insisted ‘I don’t think there is one rule for me and one rule for other people’ and blamed public anger at media reports ‘that have not been true’.
I am not going to comment on the rights and wrongs of the issue because so much is dependent on the interpretation that one puts on the legislation and the guidelines. Cummings has many enemies, not just in the opposition, but also in the media because he has been extremely aggressive and unpleasant in his treatment of them. Before the lockdown he had engaged in a battle with the civil service as he devised ways to change its influence and power, moving them back to being subservient to the elected representatives of the people.
After this, Boris Johnson gave the daily briefing and it was obvious that by making Cummings explain himself to the media he had managed to put distance between himself and Cummings, shielding himself from direct criticism.
Even allowing for the antagonism towards Cummings personally, and the fact that the media and opposition don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and took the opportunity for payback, there are still enough questions left unanswered to cause concern.
There is still internal opposition to Cummings from within the Conservative party, and the response from the North is that support for the Conservatives has disappeared. They are of the opinion that they have reverted to type and gone back to lording it over the working class.
This isn’t over yet, and the vested interests are digging away
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