Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

Full Fact's review of Dominic Cummins Lockdown trips.
https://fullfact.org/health/dominic-...ockdown-rules/

---------- Post added at 18:42 ---------- Previous post was at 18:40 ----------

If he'd apologised from day one and said I was under a lot of pressure, sorry, I made the wrong call, the story would not have had so much traction.

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

Everyone else doesnt get fined.

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

I believe that's reserved for repeat offenders. I suspect most just apologise and head home.

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

I'm not being argumentative for the sake of it. An officer can only determine what they think is reasonable at the time, yes. However upon appeal, and in front of that jury, they would be asked to consider reasonable in the context that I put earlier in the thread. What an average person would expect to do.

This is established in Case Law. So for example in HMRC penalties cannot be avoided because someone claimed to be ignorant of VAT - that's not considered reasonable. A person of average intelligence would be aware of VAT.

However could someone avoid a penalty, or receive a different type, on the basis of being unaware of intricate parts of the law - so long as they took reasonable steps.

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

I don't think you actually believe that!

The people still going on about this, in the main, are those who just want to take him down. Had he admitted wrongdoing, that would have been used against him, for heaven's sake!

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

:D

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

I do accept that you believe that, and that's the issue with the word reasonable in law. It permits people to disagree, often without an arbiter (e.g. the penalty most often being 'look mate, go home') - someone given a nod from the Constabulary to reconsider their 'reasonableness' will often decide that it's not worth disputing especially against the backdrop of a public health emergency.

This is why I suggested the other day he admit to an error of judgement. I think such an admission would have satisfied the majority of the 52% of leave voters and 46% of Conservative voters who say he should go - creating a distinction between those politically motivated and just don't like him and those who believe he was in the wrong.

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

I'll admit it has happened in other threads.:D

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

That's the trouble these days - leading politicians and their advisers are less than honest so everyone starts disbelieving each other.
The story has continued because it has not been killed by an apology or resignation. I've been consistent on this since my first post in this thread.
Cummins has continued to develop the story himself with the ridiculous eye test story on Sunday which I doubt you believe and by rewriting a blog post to make him look like the sage of CV-19. Conservative MPs have continued it by condemning him in emails to constituents.

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

There is nothing he needs to apologise for, he owes you nothing, he owes me nothing. The only reason this story has carried on is because of the media obsession, nothing else. But you knew that already. :rolleyes:

Re: Dominic Cummings visited parents during lockdown measures
 

You are plainly content that politicians and advisors you support can mislead the country without censure. However, the point was made that if this was a Labour administration, the current Tory supporters would the first in line to condemn, a point you chose not to address. Tribal support at the expense of objective reality.

Step back for a moment: the man in question is an advisor. An unelected employee of the Government. That's all. An objective assessment of this event would conclude that the message to the country, in the midst of a once in a century national health emergency was the priority here. No ifs or buts, the country would come first and any event that risked or compromised that message would handled accordingly. The real reason Cummings is still in place is what he holds over Johnson, Gove et. al. All this "nothing to see here", "media ****", etc. is just a smokescreen.

I do think that the Tories have miscalculated here and this will be an advantage to Starmer in the long run. The public mood, so at odds with you and the tribal Tories, is clear.