A neighbour really!

I didn't say you mentioned wealth did I? It was the Scottish MP and former Labour Advisor yesterday. Do you agree his familiy's wealth is an issue?

I have no view on his family's wealth

His 'power' is an extremely salient point,, don't you think?

True but why do they insist on keeping bringing up his wealth? Not really a salient point in this argument is it?

Oh do keep up

He was a family member where other family members had COVID. Geddit?

Several days later on April 5, a neighbour of Mr Cummings' parents, Robert and Morag, claimed they spotted him outside the property while passing for their daily exercise .

They heard Abba’s Dancing Queen blasting out loudly and peered over the hedge where they saw him, wearing a scarf and thick coat, with a small boy running around.

The neighbour, who did not want to give their name, said: “I got the shock of my life, as I looked over to the gates and saw him.

I am afraid that's untrue.

It has nothing at all to do with a dislike of Cummings and any desire to "get him" despite claims to the contrary.

I dislike Cummings. I dislike all political advisers and think they should be banned but I particularly dislike Cummings. I hate the idea of politics being treated as a marketing campaign and the people sold ideas with clever slogans, that have no truth at all inside them. I hate having a PM who appears, rightly or wrongly, to regard his senior adviser as some kind of comfort blanket.

Nevertheless, Johnson is the PM and is free to operate in whichever way he wishes, whatever I might think.

However, we are dealing with a crisis in which his own scientific advice has said that retaining Cummings in these circumstances will make dealing with the crisis harder and result in more deaths.

So deciding not to sack Cummings has nothing to do with any dislike of him. It's only about ensuring we don't jeopardise the future behaviour of the people.

It's beyond stupid to retain him. He should have been suspended the moment the story broke so that a thorough investigation could have been carried out and the PM, and cabinet, advised of the whole circumstances. Not just taken Cummings own account.

Once done he could have been asked to apologise, warned as to his future conduct but retained, and then we really could have moved on. People would have been satisfied that he had been dealt with fairly and so were they.

Blustering their way through this as the government has done just makes them look like amateurs. We don't need amateurs right now. We need real professionals.