That's decent of you, so thanks. I never joined in those threads as I thought them to be ridiculous. They were nasty, rather than just an attempt at a little bit of a p*ss take. Even you take it out of yourself sometimes with your convoluted word spaghetti.

Cummings being an effective campaigner is obvious but running a country isn't a campaign. The criticism that he has attracted seems, from all the circumstantial evidence, to be well justified. Johnson bears responsibility. He should never have continued with him. Let's hope we see some experience back in the government.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

There is plenty of evidence, albeit circumstantial, The reaction of many MPs, including some ministers. The way he treats civil servants. The reports from the political correspondents.

It isn't just Cummings. It's the basic idea of anyone in government having political "advisers". There are civil servants, who we pay to provide specialist advice. They outlast individual governments so provide continuity as well as experience. Advisers are fine in central offices helping analyse public perceptions and designing campaign strategies. They just don't sit well within a representative democracy.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

I don't remember that but the analogy doesn't really work does it?

Porridge is stiff, starchy and difficult to stir. There are many here who better fit that description than me.

I am much more like Cornflakes. Crisp, bright and ready to serve.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Civil Servants are not elected if they were you would have a point just like advisors they are appointed.

The Civil Service needs a structural reform it doesn't mean that there aren't good people in it just that its top down structure has to change to reflect the complexities of today's world.

For example if you embark on a new town you would need probably half a dozen different departments involved from Housing to environment, education, health etc. Each of these departments have their own priorities and will fight their own corner the people on that project owe allegiance to their department heads which is where they will return once the project is over.

What Cummings wanted to do is to change that structure so rather than top town you have lateral bubbles or groups of expertise and those people would be responsible to the management of that project rather than to their own departmental heads.

I can't see anybody in the Civil Service volunteering a plan to radically reshape it there are too many empires politics is all about fighting for your departmental budget.

As for politicians having advisors why not. A politician should have at least one person who is on their side.

You idea is idealistic but not realistic.

One more point

That is not how a virus mutates. In fact, what a virus wants is a host that can stay alive. What makes a virus mutate is lack of hosts, either due to vaccinations or, as has been attempted, lack of available transmission. You appear to make the assumtion that the virus wants to kill the host, when in fact, all it does is try to reproduce. Just like every other living thing that ever existed. It is as entitled to be on this planet as you or me.

edit: apologies, this is off topic.

Edited by Tim Gypsy Hill '64 (16 Nov 2020 7.28pm)

Systematically dragged down by the lawmakers

Bend over Wendover!