A leading Conservative figure on the Isle of Wight has said the whole Dominic Cummings episode was highly regrettable and is concerned the actions could have an adverse effect on the Island’s lockdown.
David Pugh, chair of the Isle of Wight Conservative Association, has said:
“I appreciate that this issue has attracted a lot of interest, comment, concern and – in some quarters – anger.
Article continues below this advertisement “I think the whole episode is highly regrettable, and I am concerned that the recent statements made by both the PM and Mr Cummings have evidently not brought closure to this matter. We will have to see what the next few days bring us.”
Mr Pugh said he has received a relatively small number of comments from Conservative members, expressing both negative and positive views in regards to the trip taken by Dominic Cummings, a special advisor to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
At a press briefing on Monday, Mr Cummings refused to apologise after it was revealed last week, that he took his wife and their son to Durham, after lockdown restrictions were imposed, so they could have family help with childcare — despite having symptoms of COVID-19.
After initially refusing to comment on the actions of Mr Cummings, Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, Bob Seely, said it was regrettable that more consideration was not given to how it may be perceived but after the statement on Monday, the explanation seemed ‘entirely reasonable’ and hoped now people could move on. He said:
“There are significant and important things that we need to focus on. Dominic Cummings’ understandable attempts to look after his family is not one of them.”
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Isle of Wight Conservative councillors, including the leader and deputy leader, refused to comment on his actions but some, however, again including the leader of the council, showed their support on social media, ‘liking’ tweets that defended Mr Cummings.
Vix Lowthion, Green Party representative, asked how could the council leader tell people to stay away from the Island, whilst condoning these actions? She said:
“Many Islanders would have loved to have welcomed vulnerable relatives to isolate here on the Island, but we followed the rules and told them to stay away. At great personal and economic loss.
“Is it one rule for us, and another rule for Conservative party politicians?”
Other political representatives on the Island have also not seen eye-to-eye with Mr Seely and have called for Mr Cummings to resign or the Prime Minister to sack him. Nick Stuart, chair of the Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats, said Mr Seely needed to recognise the anger at the ‘weaselly’ nature of Mr Cummings and listen to Islanders…
“Dominic Cummings should have resigned or been sacked by now for his failure to follow his own lockdown rules.
“The architect of the Government response to Covid flouting the very behaviour he starkly presented to us. “Stay at Home” A simple message to save lives and public health. So the arrogance of someone choosing to drive over 500 miles to Durham and back and now getting his minions to tell the public it was all ok is breathtaking.”
The Island’s Labour chair, Julian Critchley, said:
“Thousands of Islanders have denied ourselves and our families the contact we so desperately want, to keep others safe, by following the government’s rules. Even at the cost of missing final goodbyes to dying relatives.
“This is why what Cummings did is so appalling, and why Johnson and his cabinet’s backing of Cummings is so utterly toxic.
“To suggest that we who obeyed the rules did so because we didn’t care for our families as much as Cummings did is disgusting and insulting.”
cummings is not a politician – he is an employee of the government – an economic advisor
he has never been a member of the conservative party, however, has spent two decades attempting to upset the established order and defying conventional wisdom. – He actively courts unpopularity as routine.
he once described Brexit Secretary David Davis as “thick as mince” and as “lazy as a toad” and so irritated David Cameron, the former prime minister, who called him a “career psychopath”.
he is instrumental to johnsons forward plans, however, he should remember – he is not indispensable.
He is an employee of the Taxpayer.
so are millions of others
Dominic Cummings – Arrogant, Ignorant, put simply he should go. His attitude has angered 71% of this country.
mark – 71% is not accurate – there was no poll conducted that involved all 66 million people in this country.
71% must refer to the outcome of a small poll conducted by someone somewhere – probably 71 out of 100 people. Not representative of the entire country – as your post infers.
anyhow…
we have had
Austerity
Brexit
Coronavirus
seems like they are following the alphabet..
must be
Depression next,
Economy after that
Fighting – (countries – China/US/Australia etc)
Gold revaluation upwards
Hardship
Inflation
Jobs
…………..
Sadly Boris has damaged any integrity he had with the public by not distancing himself from Dom. Maybe it’s time that he should resign too.
Cummings is a self cantered toad of a man. His excuse for traveling all that way because of his concern for the wellbeing of his child is just a poor excuse. You cant tell me that there is not professional child care available in London ??? Ok , maybe you would feel more comfortable with your own family involved, but these are exceptional times. Then he has the nerve to go out on a jolly to test his eyesight, what a load of old tosh. Just to think he is a senior government advisor beggars belief. Will soon be allowed to have garden parties, sounds like one of Cummings ideas.
He should GO.
Please everybody on the island, be sensible and not undo what has been done.
Today at compton beach……HUNDREDS of people there, in large groups. All car parks full plus parking on the verges of military road. The lockdown should not have bee?n e?ases with this week being bank holiday and original “half term. Peopple obviously thinking “what dom cummings can do”……..
And the track and trace system is not yet fully operational and won’t be tomorrow.
he has always been a prick from the first day he entered his profession look at his record either he goes or I stop voting tory
I agree. Just read his background and he has no qualification what so ever in health issues let alone anything else. Even in education areas where he was an advisor. Someone described him as a political psychopath. Which is prabably true when you look at his record in various areas of industry and the like.
Mr Pugh has received a relatively small number of comments.
REALLY!?
If I recall correctly, Mr Pugh has a history of not exactly ‘playing by the rules’ and taking advantage of his (former) office.
Come off it Pugh, Cummings has been so arrogant and full of his own self-importance that he didn’t even (publicly at least) advise people that he had gone North.
If you look at all of the reports, firstly it was his wife who was ill, then she was not, then (apparently) he was ill, hence a 60 mile round-trip to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight, WITH his 4-year old in the car, and, oh yes, that day just happened to be his wife’s birthday.
I think Mr Pugh, instead of muttering nothings, you might actually get some support from the rank and file Tory members on the Island if you actually came out with a truthful statement.
Oh sorry, forgot you were a Politico at one time, they would not be able to tell the truth if it slapped them in the face!
The only thing politicians are interested in is holding their seat and getting re-elected, thus ensuring a continued income stream and apparent relevance in westminster. All other things come a poor third.
Anyone who supports what that odious little man did is a sycophantic, dead head !
He broke the rules that he helped write, other people in similar situations have all done the right thing and resigned when caught out, the fact that he doesn’t think he was wrong proves his arrogance, if he had any morals we wouldn’t be having these discussions.
Too right Mr Pugh, what D. Cummings did has undoubtedly caused great anger and could very well have a damaging effect on how the public conduct themselves in public. I think he is an arrogant man and it’s a case of “do as I say and I will do as I like”. People on the island and throughout the UK have adhered to the lockdown rules, majority, not all and have had to make sacrifices like not being able to be with a loved one who is dying from COVID and the families who have stayed AT HOME as instructed then he goes and drives 260 miles! This has understandibly not gone down very well and had lost Boris Johnson a lot of credibility
But Boris Johnson was already a documented and proven liar. What credibility did he have to lose? Surely anyone who voted for his party must have expected this sort of outcome.
It is sad, but true – Cummings broke the rules and, it appears, risked the lives of his wife and child by driving 60 miles to test his eyesight.
If you believe that you will believe anything, including that the current Tory administration knows the difference between a lie and the truth.
Going to his parents home and putting them at risk shows the character of the man.
It would be nice if the people of the Isle of Wight were actually told where ‘Seldom seen’ Seely MP actually lives. It appears he has a number of residences, including a holiday home on the Island. He and Duplicitous Dave share a common rate – they will do and say anything to slither up the greasy pole of self promotion.
It not only shows the character of the man, but also those who have defended him. Methinks he holds a lot of secrets.
These are the scum bags people trust to tell the the truth! Yeah, best of luck with that one!
i see the new test and trace plan relies on human testimony – if you have symptoms, you get a test, if you test positive you provide names, addresses, phone numbers of those you have been in close contact with – what could possibly go wrong with this.
If anyone hands over my name/email address – all calls will be ignored from unknown numbers, all non address book emails filtered to junk.. yet another state intrusion
I have deleted the tracing app in protest at Cummings and his blinkered defenders.Staggering how out of touch with the population these people are.I will not be following anymore lockdown rules apart from the 2m social distance rule.
I hope the country refuses to download this app until he goes.Tbe arrogant moron
Apparently the IOW app has a security flaw ! ! !
It will NOT be the APP being released Thursday, therefore the rest of the country will NOT be following where the Island led.
wonders what our Tory MP will be saying now?
Localised lock down? If it does happen, does that mean NO ferries to or from the Island?
Who on earth is going to enforce it now DC has proved you can break isolation and get away with it.
It will be impossible to police now and will have no public support.Who is going to isolate for two weeks now?
Now the Thursday applause for the NHS staff and key workers appears to be over ……
How about on Tuesday at 8 pm doing a SLOW clap to show how disgusted you are at how this government appear to have mishandled the virus situation since January ???