Dominic Cummings proves democratic accountability is finally dead

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It seems that democratic accountability is finally dead. The unelected bureaucrat (remember when they were a bad thing?) Dominic Cummings is apparently untouchable even when he has clearly behaved despicably. He undeniably broke the lockdown rules – there can be no question, no doubt whatsoever, about that – and yet Gove, Raab and Hancock immediately came out snivelling in his defence.

One can only conclude that there is no sense of shame remaining among the sycophants that the bumptious blond blusterer who occupies No 10 has surrounded himself with. Cummings openly sneers at the public and treats us with naked contempt while, by continuing to retain his services, Johnson demonstrates that he has no integrity whatsoever.

I cannot think of any government that this country has ever had which treated its citizens with such insouciant disregard. I dread to imagine what depths they might yet stoop to.

Julian Self
Wolverton

It is reported that Dominic Cummings and his wife, while she was showing Covid-19 symptoms, chose to drive 260 miles to his elderly parents, so they could look after their young son. This trip took place, we are told, during the lockdown. For any ordinary Joe, we would be justified in asking whether such a long trip is acceptable (did they stop off at any point, for instance?), rather than self-isolating in their own home, as we were all told to do.

We are also told that local hospital provision is planned on the basis of local population size, which is one reason staying in our own homes was important, and would it be right for ordinary Joe to choose to self-isolate with elderly parents, who are themselves therefore vulnerable? Wouldn’t we question the judgement of ordinary Joe in these circumstances?

But Dominic Cummings is not an ordinary Joe. He was there, part of the government, that drew up these very instructions to ordinary Joes like you or I. Therefore, it is more important, not less important, that non-ordinary Joes that tell the rest of us what to do, do the very things they themselves dictate. They have to hold themselves to a higher standard, and be held to it, and show good judgement.

At his Downing Street briefing on March 18, the prime minister said that children should not be left with older grandparents, or older relatives, who may be particularly vulnerable or fall into some of the vulnerable groups. Three weeks later, Dominic drives to his elderly parents and 10 days later, the government changes advice on accessing family support to look after young children.

It’s a difficult circumstance for anyone with a young child to self-isolate in their own home. But many of us have had to make sacrifices to protect loved ones, strangers and our NHS, by staying at home and saving lives. Seeing a member of the privileged elite drive while sick, across the country to vulnerable relatives, telling us what to do, and then changing that advice after their own flouting of the original rules, makes our own sacrifice seem just that little bit sour. And it gives us less confidence in how government as a whole handles the worst crisis in decades.

The prime minister could give back a little of that confidence by sacking Dominic. But he won’t. Which gives us ordinary Joes more pause to question the judgement and the motives of all those in government. Ultimately, it is that consideration – the political – and not any legal or ethical matter that is telling here.

Ian Henderson

Norwich, Norfolk

It somewhat amused me that Dominic Cummings may have met his Waterloo, after being discovered in his parents’ garden while blasting out Abba by an observant neighbour.

Or will it be a case of when all is said and done and knowing me, knowing you Boris Johnson will answer his SOS, because Dom you are one of us!

Judith A Daniels

Cobholm, Great Yarmouth

Lack of creativity

Yet again, the government seems determined to come up with business destroying options when they should be thinking creatively. A 14-day quarantine effectively stops travel for visitors to and from the UK, as other countries adopt the same rules for British travellers.

Surely it would have made more sense to say you either quarantine for 14 days or you give a blood sample on arrival and get the test result with a certificate by email within 24 hours.

Make a charge for the test (£25?) and let passengers fill out a form on the plane/boat/train giving all the details required to hand in with the blood sample.

If the test result is good, passengers are then free to travel, otherwise it is a 14-day quarantine. The charge would pay for the companies the government employs to do the testing.

Richard Gibson
Winchester

Remembering clap for carers

So they want us to stop clapping. OK. The rainbow will surely be the logo of this strange and frightening time. Can the marketing wing of the NHS produce some memorabilia, mugs, cards, hats, stickers etc with the tagline, “Thank you NHS 2020”, for us to buy to show our permanent appreciation?

Any profit could go towards a bonus for the lower paid staff of this amazing institution.

Maura Fisher Peake
Ilkley, Yorkshire

Lockdown fuelled conspiracy theories

I read with interest your article describing the prevalence of conspiracy theories regarding Covid-19. It is well known that conspiracy theories flourish when people have their lives turned upside down and panic is widespread.

I would suggest that the lockdown is responsible for this, by destroying normality. And with government messaging designed specifically to intensify fear, a conspiracy theory has the perfect breeding ground. If people were living their normal lives and performing their normal work they would have little time for misinformation.

As these conspiracy theories have reduced public compliance with restrictions, it would appear that by going too far the lockdown has undermined itself. I would like to see if a similar study would find lower rates of belief in such theories in countries like Sweden which took a more relaxed attitude to the virus and limited viral spread via subtle encouragement rather than legal force. Speaking personally, my anger at the state’s discriminatory over-reach into private lives has left me far less bothered about the novel virus itself.

Robert Peck
York, North Yorkshire