When will this shit end?

[squirrelarmy]

I’m getting paid to sit on my PlayStation all day long. It’s pure hell. 

[Mouseboy11]

2 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

I’m getting paid to sit on my PlayStation all day long. It’s pure hell. 

Likewise, it's a struggle. However I'd much prefer to be working and know my job was safe.

[steviewevie]

meanwhile.

[efcfanwirral]

2 hours ago, Homer said:

Interesting to see the Times turning on Johnson too (they went weeks ago with the 5 COBRA meeting story. Is that a sign that Murdoch wants the UK to go The Full Gove?

 

1 hour ago, Ozanne said:

Ha I've made an effort to listen to his show this morning.

 

This does feel like a watershed moment for the county with the Tories, people are starting to turn on them.

Still concerned this could be an anti lockdown move, and that Gove will want to open up quicker. Murdoch will be wanting that  

1 hour ago, Simsy said:

The cold war wasn't actually that cold, it was fought on several fronts like Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan. And the nuclear "deterrents" nearly made it heat up to apocalyptic levels on a few close occasions (Cuban missile crisis, erroneous warning systems etc).

If it ever gets to the point that we have to launch trident, we're already fucked.

This is it - it must be based on a mantra of it being better for us all to be dead and the world to be destroyed than live under communism 

6 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

Presenter on sky news saying that the daily mail has now become a remainer newspaper 🤣

Remainer vs leaver is such a strange one - it's become an insult now with no meaning. They won, why can't the leavers get over it 😂

[efcfanwirral]

1 minute ago, steviewevie said:

meanwhile.

And people will actually use this to say Sweden were right 

[Matt42]

4 minutes ago, efcfanwirral said:

Remainer vs leaver is such a strange one - it's become an insult now with no meaning. They won, why can't the leavers get over it 

They won and they can’t face any criticism of their decision. It’s very Orwellian / North Korean and totalitarian in its brainwashing. Any criticism of your team, whether founded on facts or evidence is a plot by the other side to ruin everything. 

My leader hasn’t messed up, it’s a remainer plot.

my leader hasn’t messed up, it’s a democrat plot.

[gizmoman]

9 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

meanwhile.

That's a bit misleading as it just the last 7 days and different countries are at different stages of the virus spread, overall we are joint 4th worse with Italy behind Spain and Belgium. Spain is missing from this chart for some reason. We haven't done great but until this has finished we won't know exactly how bad it has been for each country.

[Brownie30]

Long post but I sent two emails to my MP yesterday, one pre-press conference, and one post (and yes, for my sins one of the most safe of safe Tory seats is my home constituency): 

1: 

Dear Mr Smith, 

As a constituent of yours, I was hoping to gain some clarification over the apparently tight and obvious lockdown regulations that have been in place across the UK and the Buckingham constituency since 23rd March 2020. 

 

As the regulations stated that everyone should remain at home unless taking part in their one period of exercise per day, shopping for essential supplies, attaining medical goods or attending essential work practice, I would like to know where the journeys taken by Mr Dominic Cummings in late March and early April, at the height of the lockdown, fit into these regulations? I am of course aware that regulations have been moderately relaxed since, but that is not of relevance to the time period to which this situation took place. 

 

I am sure that you must have received countless emails from terrified constituents over recent weeks and months, particularly from those with Coronavirus within the home. People across the Buckingham constituency and across the country have made monumental sacrifices - and may I point you in particular to the parents of 13 year old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab who were unable to attend their own son's funeral, in order to keep safe, healthy and within strict orders to "Stay Home. Protect our NHS. Save Lives." In my own home I live with my Father who is on the "shielding" list of citizens with serious medical implications, and has not set foot outside of our home since early March. If I catch Coronavirus and bring it home to my Father, his medical complications are so severe that Doctors have already insisted they would refuse the use of anaesthetic, and possibly urge against ventilation. He is at severe risk of death should he catch the virus. For people like my Father, I expect that "decent" Members of Parliament like yourself should be publicly critical of Mr Cummings' actions, and aware of how he has fundamentally undermined the guidelines and regulations he helped to create, subsequently putting more lives at risk at a time when people need to be as vigilant as ever.

 

I will make no bones about this - I am not a Conservative supporter, and you did not receive my vote in the 2019 General Election. As a constituent of Buckingham however, this does not reduce my concerns to be any less significant than any other, and I expect to receive a reply with your response to the following questions: 

 

1) Why was Mr Cummings able to avoid clear instructions to "Stay at Home"?

2) Why is it being deemed acceptable for a Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister to refuse to comply with guidelines in place to save lives? 

3) Is it now deemed acceptable for any parent to travel to the opposite end of the country to seek childcare? 

4) Is it now deemed acceptable for any individual WITH symptoms of Coronavirus to ignore guidance to stay indoors for 7 - 14 days, and travel lengthy distances in order to self-isolate in a separate environment to their primary residence? 

5) As a representative of thousands of citizens who have behaved impeccably in following strict guidelines to protect lives, how do you respond to evidence that a senior political figure could not make the same sacrifices as the general public have been expected to do? 

 

As a Member of Parliament at such a grave moment of national emergency, I would hope that you will acknowledge the severity of these concerns, and how to constituents of Buckingham who have safely followed all government guidelines over Coronavirus, your response to these above points are of critical importance. 

 

We have all made significant sacrifices for the good of others and as the family man you appear, I am absolutely certain that you too have made such sacrifices also for the greater good. Whether we are of the same political persuasion or not does not mean that I do not acknowledge the contribution I am sure that you have made. 

 

I would therefore be grateful if you could offer your assurances that you will be insistent upon a full and frank explanation of Mr Cummings actions, which has not yet been forthcoming in whichever statements that have been published or Ministers who have appeared on television. I would also expect you to follow the brave example set by many of your Conservative Party peers already today and call for his resignation, or termination of contract. If you do not believe that these developments are necessary, then as your Constituent I would be grateful to receive your personal reasoning for this, and not a re-hashed version of already published Government statements. 

 

2.

Good Evening Mr Smith, 

Having just viewed the Prime Minister insult our entire nation, I wanted to follow up my email to ensure that the importance of my above questions are stressed, and answered within the 14 days that your automatic reply states. 

 

The Prime Minister has this evening fundamentally undermined public health advice in favour of one special adviser who has been caught red-handed breaking these regulations. His assertions that people will "understand" that it is not one rule for the elite and another for the rest of us leaves me, and I am sure much of the British public, with a palpable taste of disgust. He could not be more wrong, patronising or insulting.

 

I do not know you Mr Smith, and am sure that you are a reasonable man. My ire is not directed at you, for you work for us, the people of the Buckingham constituency rather than Mr Johnson and Mr Cummings. However, as a representative of all of ours in a party led by a man who can show such blatant disregard for the millions across the country making sacrifices on a daily basis, I hope that you are aware that without distancing yourself from these actions then the rest of the Conservative Party can only be held as responsible as the Prime Minister for any ensuing ignorance towards lockdown regulations and social distancing measures. 

 

"Arrogant and offensive" - as quoted by the UK Civil Service Twitter page. I believe this perfectly describes the actions of the Prime Minister this evening, and I very much hope that as a respected representative of the people of Buckingham that you will endeavour to distance yourself from his remarks, his actions, and his blatant disregard for the British people. 

 

I still hope for a response to my original questions when you have the time available - but could not sit by and listen to such an insult to the British people without making further contact with you in the hope that our elected representative was willing to do something about it. 

 

I have also come across the below on Twitter this morning, which has been sent to my MP from another individual: 

 

[Guest]

We have certainly handled this amongst some of the very worst in the world, we don't need to wait till the end to be able to tell that.

[Ayrshire Chris]

Cummings and Johnson

[Guest]

Apparently Dominic Cummings is going to give a statement this afternoon and take questions. This isn't going to end well.

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, Ozanne said:

Apparently Dominic Cummings is going to give a statement this afternoon and take questions. This isn't going to end well.

He’s going to need police protection now ... and a safe house ... maybe one in Durham ? 

[Guest]

He's deeming us all worthy this afternoon of his comments, how very privileged we are going to be.

[Cream Soda]

15 minutes ago, Brownie30 said:

I have also come across the below on Twitter this morning, which has been sent to my MP from another individual: 

 

That is heartbreaking.  

[stuartbert two hats]

3 minutes ago, Ozanne said:

Apparently Dominic Cummings is going to give a statement this afternoon and take questions. This isn't going to end well.

He's not exactly a people person is he?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, stuartbert two hats said:

He's not exactly a people person is he?

The sheer arrogance that he thinks we want to hear from him. Can't he just fuck off.

[stuartbert two hats]

1 minute ago, Ozanne said:

The sheer arrogance that he thinks we want to hear from him. Can't he just fuck off.

🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

Au contraire.

[Matt42]

Has the man ever spoken on camera?

[jparx]

Hmm. Bit concerned about that. Makes me think they have an ace in the hole. They don't need to send him out - I don't think people particularly want/need to hear from Cummings and he comes across so combative in the media (which would just compound this), so it makes me think they've got something up their sleeve. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, jparx said:

Hmm. Bit concerned about that. Makes me think they have an ace in the hole. They don't need to send him out - I don't think people particularly want/need to hear from Cummings and he comes across so combative in the media (which would just compound this), so it makes me think they've got something up their sleeve. 

Yes I'm a bit concerned about this too, but what could it be. There's no reason that he has that could justify this.

[Crazyfool01]

if they had something why not produce it earlier ? 

[Cream Soda]

When/where is it on?

[jparx]

Just now, Ozanne said:

Yes I'm a bit concerned about this too, but what could it be. There's no reason that he has that could justify this.

I know his ego is a big barrier to this, but I honestly think if he came out and showed remorse, and apologised, enough people would let it go to the point he can stay on. Maybe that's the play?

[jparx]

1 minute ago, Cream Soda said:

When/where is it on?

Just "later this afternoon", and it'll be across the various news channels.

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, jparx said:

I know his ego is a big barrier to this, but I honestly think if he came out and showed remorse, and apologised, enough people would let it go to the point he can stay on. Maybe that's the play?

I think we are past this point ....