We can only imagine the insomnia and palpitations of government ministers since Dominic Cummings tweeted an enormous thread of savage accusations – and appeared before a parliamentary select committee to explain them.
The Guardian’s Paul Johnson summed up the former Special Advisor’s evidence.
Dominic Cummings so far:
-We failed
-I failed
-I warned Hancock
-I warned Johnson
-No plan
-People went skiing
-Its swine flu- PM
-I'll get injected live on TV- PM
-I urged lockdown
-'Cabinet Office terrifyingly shit'
-Problems with PM's dog
-'We are absolutely fucked'
-No plan— Paul Johnson (@paul__johnson) May 26, 2021
What that doesn’t show is how much of his vitriol was aimed at the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock. This does, though –
WATCH: Cummings: Matt Hancock 'should've been fired'
More explosive claims from the Cummings hearing… pic.twitter.com/8JG1QbuhhM
— Politics.co.uk (@Politics_co_uk) May 26, 2021
From the moment Cummings picked up his box and made a very public exit via the front door of Downing Street, his former colleagues must have known what was coming.
When you hire a political hitman, you can't be that surprised if one day you find he is firing at you.
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) May 26, 2021
But when Matt Hancock’s select committee appearance came and went with no sign of any evidence to back up the accusations against him, the PM and his inner circle may have allowed themselves to hope it would all go away. The fools.
Last week, when Hancock taunted Cummings in front of the committee for having failed to back up his claims, I thought: "You utter feckin ninny, why would Cummings provide it BEFORE your session? It allows you to spin it. Much better to let you deny everything on record first."
— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) June 16, 2021
On Wednesday, Cummings published the missing evidence in a 7000-word+ Substack blog, which he selectively tweeted.
The Dominic Cummings texts in full:
•Matt Hancock is hopeless
•Boris is useless
•Gove is evil
•Dido: see Matt Hancock
•The Government killed thousands
•The Pope enjoys mass
•Bears enjoy the woods
•Hancock is FUCKING useless
•Dom is great— Count Binface (@CountBinface) June 16, 2021
Time to read a Dominic Cummings Substack pic.twitter.com/yaAc1mgMA4
— Ahir Shah (@AhirShah) June 16, 2021
One item in particular grabbed the headlines.
Here’s a closer look at that exchange with the PM.
Yes, it looks bad that I let Matt Hancock stay on as Health Secretary during a pandemic, even though I knew he was “Totally fucking hopeless”. But on the plus side, I still have the perfect scapegoat ready for when I really need to save my own skin.
So, swings and roundabouts…— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) June 16, 2021
In Substack, he also shared this screenshot of Johnson suggesting replacing Hancock with Gove.
How bad to you have to be for Gove to be an improvement?
— WulfHelm
(@Wulf_Helm) June 16, 2021
It was a far cry from the assurances of confidence in Hancock that have been coming out of Downing Street.
I would just like to confirm that I have full confidence in the fact that Matt Hancock is totally fucking hopeless. I hope that puts this matter to rest.
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) June 16, 2021
People were incredibly shocked at the news that anybody might think Matt Hancock was ‘fucking hopeless’. Oh no, wait – they weren’t.
Refuse to believe this guy is fucking hopeless pic.twitter.com/iJKE2jlFti
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 16, 2021
Matt Hancock is "totally fucking hopeless"
Whatever is the opposite of Breaking News https://t.co/LbNyopSaow
— Russ Jones (@RussInCheshire) June 16, 2021
It wasn’t just Hancock getting it in the neck. Cummings explained that the PM’s behaviour in meetings was so counter-productive that his stay in hospital made Downing Street more efficient.
Oh how unbelievably embarrassing.
Dominic Cummings claims @BorisJohnson tells rambling stories and jokes in COVID meetings. Ending the meeting, with a thumbs up and saying forward to victory'.
He also leaks WhatsApp of Johnson calling Matt Hancock ‘totally fucking hopeless’. pic.twitter.com/KdQ2rctZEo
— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) June 16, 2021
Tweeters had a lot of thoughts on the allegations, and these were unmissable.
1.
I'm going to head off the impact of any future revelations by admitting here and now that I think the rest of my Cabinet are totally fucking hopeless too.
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) June 16, 2021
2.
ok who'd watch a badly lit TV channel that was just Dom Cummings angrily reading out his old whatsapps, because I'm in
— gabyhinsliff (@gabyhinsliff) June 16, 2021
3.
I don't mind Matt Hancock being 'fucking hopeless'
Hopelessness in this cabinet is not a firing offence
I object to his being such a fucking liar
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) June 16, 2021
4.
Boris Johnson:
Matt Hancock is fucking hopelessAlso Boris Johnson:
Please continue to be in charge of keeping everyone not dead, Matt Hancock— James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 16, 2021
The post Dominic Cummings shone a light on government failings with WhatsApp screenshots appeared first on The Poke.
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