Dominic Cummings

Tory MPs hail Dominic Cummings’ departure and look for ‘reset’

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

Exit is chance to restore trust between No 10 and MPs, one senior backbencher says

Conservative MPs have hailed Dominic Cummings’ departure from Downing Street, saying they hope it could mark a change of approach in No 10.

Following the resignation of Lee Cain as Boris Johnson’s head of communications, Cummings denied he would immediately follow his close ally and fellow veteran of the Vote Leave campaign out of the door.

Cummings told the BBC that “rumours of me threatening to resign are invented”. However, he also said his “position hasn’t changed since my January blog”.

In the 2 January post, which announced the intention to hire data scientists and “assorted weirdos” to work inside No 10, Cummings said the recruitment drive was intended to “improve performance and make me much less important – and within a year largely redundant”.

One source confirmed Cummings’ departure, saying he had “started talking about it a couple of months ago”. They said: “I think it was always predictable that there would be a big bust-up and Dom would leave. He’s done that in most jobs he’s been in.” [ . . . ]

Source: Tory MPs hail Dominic Cummings’ departure and look for ‘reset’

Why Dominic Cummings hasn’t apologised for breaking lockdown

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

Dominic Cummings is yet to admit fault and apologise for breaking lockdown rules. But why not? Likely because it’d make his position untenable.

Whether it was his ludicrously long trip from London to Durham while suffering from coronavirus symptoms, or his jolly to Barnard Castle not long after, Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules.

The reaction to his violation of rules, his refusal to apologise, and the government’s decision to retrospectively alter the interpretation of rules to protect him have provoked outrage amongst the majority of the population.

So much so that a Daily Mail poll found that 66 percent of people think he should leave his position.

So when Cummings sat in Downing Street’s Rose Garden on Sunday afternoon to take questions from journalists and explain himself, it was noticeable that for all the words he said – and there were 2,513 in total – ‘sorry’ wasn’t one of them.

We sat down with Anthony Burr, the founder of Burr Media, a PR and communications expert, who explained why even a cursory apology from Cummings would have made his position untenable.

Source: Why Dominic Cummings hasn’t apologised for breaking lockdown | JOE.co.uk

Dominic Cummings to make statement after lockdown row

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

Boris Johnson’s adviser is facing calls to resign after he travelled 260 miles during lockdown.

The PM’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings is to make a public statement and take questions over allegations he broke coronavirus lockdown rules.

Mr Cummings is facing calls from Labour and some Tory MPs to quit or be fired.

He travelled 260 miles with his family to be near relatives when his wife developed Covid-19 symptoms.

Boris Johnson insists his aide acted legally and within guidelines – but critics say the government’s lockdown message has been undermined.

The prime minister made a statement on Sunday in an attempt to draw a line under the row – but Conservative MPs have continued to call for Mr Cummings’ dismissal.

Mr Cummings has been under fire since the Guardian and Daily Mirror reported that he had been seen in County Durham, at his family’s farm during lockdown.

Source: Coronavirus updates: Dominic Cummings to make statement after lockdown row – BBC News

Coogan: Brexit Advisor ‘Should Be Hung, Drawn and Quartered’

~ Michael Stevenson ~ Leave a comment

Plenty of celebrites have weighed in on Brexit, from Emma Thompson to Roger Daltry. Steven Coogan’s take on the subject, though, is unabashedly pro-European and anti-Brexit.

The comic actor from “Stan & Ollie,” “Philomena” and “The Trip” franchise often lets his films do the talking for him. He attacked conservative talk radio most recently with “Hot Air,” and his new film, “Greed” similarly swipes modern-day capitalism.

Coogan expounded on a host of issues with The Hollywood Reporter this week as part of “Greed’s” promotional push. The Oscar nominee spoke out against President Donald Trump, unsurprisingly. It’s what he said about a key figure in the current Brexit battle that might shock his longtime fans.

It’s hardly unusual for stars to speak out against Brexit. “Doctor Strange’s” Benedict Cumberbatch, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter and Keira Knightley. Michael Caine is one of a smaller group of actors cheering on Brexit.

Roger Daltrey of The Who fame is a surprise Brexit supporter.

Coogan is in the former camp, with no room for wiggle room. It’s the rhetoric he employs on the subject, though, that might raise some eyebrows.

Dominic Cummings is a political strategist and advisor to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Cummings is doing what he can to make Brexit a reality following a 2016 election on the matter.

Coogan isn’t a fan, and that’s putting things mildly. Here’s what he said when THR asked him about the matter of Brexit:

“I think it’s contemptible. Boris Johnson is a contemptible individual. I think Dominic Cummings should be hung, drawn and quartered, publicly. Like most people in the country, I’m exhausted by it. But I am vehemently pro-European, especially with Putin, China and Trump’s USA as the power brokers in this world.”

Source: Coogan: Brexit Advisor ‘Should Be Hung, Drawn and Quartered’ – Hollywood in Toto

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