I really can't see a vote of no confidence in Johnson happening, but would love to see it.

I'm afraid that's since been walked back by government spokesman, according to Kuenssburg.

No more than ******* usual.

BBC saying

So the usual shambles.

I can’t be the only one to think Cummings has some dirt on Johnson that’s so bad he is effectively prime minister instead of Johnson. I know it’s bordering on CT territory but it makes no sense that Johnson would need to go to such lengths for an advisor.

So you're caught sitting next to a river in a beauty spot, with your wife and child, on your wife's birthday - and you've driven thirty miles to get there from your (temporary) residence. When questioned by the police you invent a series of obvious lies to excuse your behaviour - lies that any jury in any court would see right through.

But Cummins wasn't questioned by the police - so he's had six weeks to come up with his pathetic cover story. I think most of us here could have invented something more plausible than the eyesight test drive combined with feeling sick lies that Cummins trotted out.

And even if you're credulous enough to believe all his lies, they still don't justify his actions.

Shame we don't seem to have enough Tory MPs or cabinet ministers that have the integrity to resign and force Boris to belatedly sack Cummins. Should Boris do that tonight or tomorrow (and right now it seems unlikely that he will) he has already done tremendous lasting damage to his policies and to any small fragments of reputation he still held.

I have a gut feeling it's connected to Russian interference in the Brexit (and possibly subsequent) vote, that report still hasn't been released.

From the comments and too good not to share-:

The problem with this method is that I can never remember the result . . . when I wake up on the floor of the bathroom in the morning.

If it's your bathroom you were alright, if it's someone else's and there's headlights shining through the wall you weren't.

Police break up illegal lockdown birthday party at Tory MP's house

https://mirror.co.uk/news/politics/p...kdown-22091335

Restock you pasta, beans and toilet roll before the panic buying starts again.

Second Wave is coming in a week or two.

This is particularly stupid when under the UK system, the 21 bishops with longest service (outside ex-officio senior bishops and some female appointees) are required to be in politics as Lords Spiritual.

John Inge can’t stay out of politics, as he is required by the church to be in, unless he resigns as Bishop of Worcester.

"especially coming from a man of the cloth" *vomit*

Holy crap!

Johnson, Cummings, Hancock. Wankers by name; wankers by nature.

I wonder if Marina Hyde has hit the nail on the head:

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ified-sack-him

This is rather a nice turn of phrase from the article:

No biggie - it wasn't my car either

Technically true :D

The unquoted lede

Just a note on this - an increase in infections isn't anything to do with a second wave, it's a continuation of the first.

The second wave won't start until after the first is finished, and that's maybe 10% of the way through in UK.

Remember Dominic Cummings is one of the few men to have ever been found in contempt of Parliament.

When the story broke and he was accused of doing things that look bad, he said he didn't care how things looked.

He's moved on to contempt of everything.

Thanks! I finally managed to remember who he reminds me of!

https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Bowerick_Wowbagger

A government who managed to infect each other, give mixed advice and unclear regulations that they do not necessarily follow, it is no wonder UK excess deaths is about to tip over 60,000.

Another 10,000 excess deaths and COVID-19 will overtake WWII for the number of UK citizens dead.

All Cummings needed to do, to ensure his eyesight was sufficient to drive a car under S96 of the RTA 1988, was to stand 20m from his own car and read the number plate.

I think he'd need to use another car surely? I can 'read' my own car plate with my eyes closed looking the other way. :)

Civilian citizens.

Rather more service personnel died.

He hangs around here sometimes.

Wait until the second wave hits. USA is already 1/4 of the way there.

McHrozni

UK now has more deaths per million than Italy. We surpassed Italy on the deaths per million over 7 day average a few days ago.

Cummings is described as “the PM’s energetic right hand man.” No wonder he’s losing his eyesight.

Even his name fits!

BJ is nothing without Cumming's. Totally unsatisfactory and without purpose.

Well done :D

His absence must have been very frustrating.

So no change, then?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...ing-on-twitter

At least his first name is not Dick. That would just be too much.

What about using "Rasputin"?

Or Satan?

(With apologies to The Evil One),

Eta: capitalized for clarity

To quote Voltaire, “this is no time for making enemies.”

Boris tweeted

Boris Johnson #StayAlert
@BorisJohnson
Together we have made it through the peak, but we’re not yet back to normal.
Please continue to #StayAlert and keep 2 metres away from others when outside.

So, listening to Johnson "answering" questions from members of the Commons' Liaison Committee, what have we learned?

He really does not sound comfortable dealing with persistent, intelligent women (Meg Hillier and Yvette Cooper in this instance).

He's still trotting out the "Aaaaaah, but many of the stories weren't true!" line about Cummings without bothering with any details or facts about which particular stories are not true.

He still comes over as a waffling public school debating society b*********r.

Nothing new, then!

Over the peak? 55% increase in reported deaths for yesterday.

It was 412 , not 209 as reported, someone made a 'mistake'

For me, the biggest loser in all this is the reputation of Eton school.