In response to Fandango’s Who Won the Week post, I have been looking at my own newsfeeds.
Did any of you guys ever hear of a chap called Dominic Cummings?
Okay, this one is a no-brainer if you’re in the UK, but I’m guessing our internal politics is of little interest if you’re not.
Cummings is a political hack. I think the word they use now is advisor. Formerly a spin-doctor, perhaps. But no matter, it’s all the same.
Cummings sprang to prominence during the UK’s Brexit referendum.He was in charge of the “Vote Leave” campaign. Our present PM. Boris Johnson, happened to be on the same side.
After the referendum, and after Johnson was elected UK Prime Minister, their working relationship continued. Cummings became Johnson’s most powerful advisor. In this Rasputin-like position, he wielded lots of power.
Bear in mind at this point that Cummings was never elected. Unlike Johnson, he had never submitted himself to the electorate for endorsement. But while dining at the top table, Cummings also made lots of enemies, and eventually Johnson found it expedient to cut him loose. Cummings, as a result, is pissed and his once-healthy relationship with Johnson has turned sour.
I’m almost done with Cummings, except to say that all of this is ongoing. It happened now, during COVID. And not so very long ago, after he was fired, Cummings was called before a parliamentary scrutinising committee.
Now, he was a man with an axe to grind. Top of his hit list seemed to be a guy called Matt Hancock. He was the UK’s Health Minister, who obviously got thrown into the limelight because of COVID,
Incompetent, Cummings said. Should have been sacked multiple times over. But, Cummings is grinding an axe. Hearsay evidence – we only have Cummings’ word that what he says happened, happened.
Cummings released alleged WhatsApp transcripts, where the Prime Minister purportedly agreed that Hancock was a waste of space. More hearsay – we have no guarantees that the transcripts are genuine. Furthermore, in public Johnson continued to have faith in Hancock.
But there were also stories from other sources. For example, the owner of Hancock’s local bar won a contract to supply Test Kits to the NHS, and that his neighbour won a large contract to supply PPE. I mean, heaven knows whether these stories are true or not, but certainly national newspapers felt comfortable to run them. If they are true, doesn’t that smell a tiny bit?
But Hancock has gone, and for that reason he wins the week. My reason is simply that Johnson has committed himself to a public enquiry next year. Any shit that comes out about Hancock, doesn’t matter. Because he’s already gone. By the time any of it comes out, he’ll be earning six figures in the City, lobbying for new masters.
So, there’s my winner, Matt Hancock. I have no doubt that shit wil come out, but Hancock has jumped before he could be pushed.
Incidentally, you might be wondering what caused Hancock to go. You might think taxpayers’ money is paramount, but it was not for any of these dodgy-sounding deals. It was not for any of these imcompetences cited by Cummings.
Hancock was discovered to be having an affair with one of his own advisors. There was a video of them kissing. The infraction? They broke the 6ft Social Distancing rule by their embrace.
How lame is that?
Mister Bump 
He sounds like our joke called Joe Biden…
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It’s not really surprising with any politician. They get where they are through contacts, not necessarily through ability.
Biden was obviously elected because he was the most pallatable, but that doesn’t necessarily translate as the most able.
But it kinda has to be that way because if you simply pick the most able people to run the show, who decides what “able” actually means?
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Have you seen any of his videos that were on TV here? The guy is a crackpot! He acts in in so many un-presidental ways. They guy isn’t fit for any office. period.
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No I have not seen any videos. Out media is preoccupied with the UK, esp at the moment.
But that’s the thing though, isn’t it? He’s fit for office because a majority decided he was fit for office? Which might seem scary, if you think he’s low quality.
But I think it is incumbent on all of us to demand better from our politicians. All flavours.
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In any case, if there is one thing the US does well, it is crackpots 🤣
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He’s like a dog with a bone.
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Cummings? Yeah, there’s a lot of bad feeling there. Ultimately, I’m not sure I give any credence to what he now says because he was happy enough to be dining at the top table for so long.
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If his gripes and grievances are untangled from his words, there might be a few elements of truth in it.
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I’m just hopeful that these things are true, but that there are more credible witnesses, I never thought that we would end up with such a lightweight running the show. Not just Johnson but really the last 20 yeats. It’s verry depressing, X Factor politics.
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Disheartened is what I feel.
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Do you think it is an age thing? As in, we lookm up to these people as youngsters, but as they get older we see them for what they actually are? I suspect there’s something in that.
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Very possible. We go into it hopeful and full of idealism, and then start knocking them off their plinths. Perhaps as we age we start to see ourselves in their shenanigans. It takes the shine off a bit. 🤷♀️
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you see terms like “grumpt old men” and you realise how true it is. Because as we get older we realise that the world is not as it was cracked up to be. Politics the same.
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I rather enjoy being a grumpy old bat; I’ve earned the privilege after so many years of being accommodating and agreeable.
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well thanks for warning me 🤣
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😆
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Lame rule, but I’m sure his wife was non to keen on a more sacred rule/vow that was broken. Still, risking it all for just one kiss. Hmm, wonder if he’d say it was worth it. Really well written article, Mr. Bump.
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Left his wife in the process, apparently. Three kids between the two of them (the minister and the aide), which is sad.
But I left that bit out because, who am I to judge? None of us know what goes on behind one another’s front door. You’d like to think of a marriage as a forever thing but people do have affairs, for all sorts of reasons. I’m not sure I’d like to be the one to sift the good reasons from the bad.
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