X : Do you think schools should start to re-open on the 1st June?
Me : Since we're fond of learning from the private sector in some political circles, I think we should let the private sector take the lead i.e. Eton isn't opening until September. So after then sounds good.
Me : Since we're fond of learning from the private sector in some political circles, I think we should let the private sector take the lead i.e. Eton isn't opening until September. So after then sounds good.
... basically, when some member of the elite is saying send your kids to school whilst at the same time their own are kept away .... well, it's a bit like eat cake, tends to cause pitchforks to sharpen. Leaders should lead. The elite need to fill their schools first.
"Acting very early was really important and I would have loved to have seen us acting a week or two weeks earlier" ... I couldn't agree more. Our start was very poor indeed - standard.co.uk/news/uk/govern…
The "we" vs "me" debate in one truly amazing talk.
The line "I'm supposed to trust you in a firefight? I can't even trust you not to make unnecessary trips to the store to get twinkies" is the stuff of legends.
Brilliant, Brilliant and Brilliant ->
The line "I'm supposed to trust you in a firefight? I can't even trust you not to make unnecessary trips to the store to get twinkies" is the stuff of legends.
Brilliant, Brilliant and Brilliant ->
X : Any views on track and trace in UK?
Me : Anything which is test, test, test and isolate - including track and trace - is a positive in my book.
Me : Anything which is test, test, test and isolate - including track and trace - is a positive in my book.
Worth thinking about ->
X : Do you agree with immunity passports?
Me : No. I view them as a truly dreadful idea of exclusion, labelling and marginalisation based upon science that isn't even settled. So, it is adding ethical horrors to very imperfect science. You don't get much more flawed than that.
Me : No. I view them as a truly dreadful idea of exclusion, labelling and marginalisation based upon science that isn't even settled. So, it is adding ethical horrors to very imperfect science. You don't get much more flawed than that.
X : But we need to get the economy running.
Me : It should be possible through adaptation rather than exclusion. We will need support structures but these can be created and afforded through redistribution which would have minor impacts on a tiny minority (about 600) of families
Me : It should be possible through adaptation rather than exclusion. We will need support structures but these can be created and afforded through redistribution which would have minor impacts on a tiny minority (about 600) of families
... the real challenge, and the question we need to ask is about the balance of "me" vs "we". Are "we" a society with shared responsibility and values or a group of "me" masquerading as such. We face our EU / Greece moment ... are "we" in this together, do "we" collectively pull?
These ideas of stratification, of different risk profiles, of immunity passports .... all hail the "inner circle" of the "immune" etc.
Adaptation is good ->
Something for the weekend ->
"BBC’s political editor is currently running crisis management PR for Dominic Cummings" ... is this really news? Outside of Radio 4, does anyone trust the BBC these days? ->
Oh, it's going from bad to worse. The law is your flexible friend ->
I took a long look in the mirror and the mirror said "the law applies equally to everyone" ->
i.e. "Police spoke to Dominic Cummings about breaching the government’s lockdown rules after he was seen in Durham, 264 miles from his London home, despite having had symptoms of coronavirus" - theguardian.com/politics/2020/…
It would be nice to get a statement on what other laws are "flexible". Do you have to be part of a special club? Are tickets available?
Because, I think the Police have been pretty clear about this. Government and ministers should not try to condone such exceptionalism.
Because, I think the Police have been pretty clear about this. Government and ministers should not try to condone such exceptionalism.
Anyway, i's a pity that this isn't Scotland and Dominic wasn't "one of the boys" ... because otherwise there would be no discussion on resigning as it would just happen - bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotla… ... I know it's the BBC but I double checked the page with other sources, so it's ok.
X : Do you not think that losing Dominic Cummings would be a blow for UK?
Me : No. He is no Deng Xiaoping. He can be replaced easily enough. What can't be easily replaced is trust and public confidence.
Me : No. He is no Deng Xiaoping. He can be replaced easily enough. What can't be easily replaced is trust and public confidence.
As usual, @ChiOnwurah hits the nail on the head. This is an issue on equality in the eyes of the law which means trust and public confidence ->
... and rightly so, the parodies begin ->
Oh, I so miss the writing of @garyyounge ... always asking the right question ->
The punches are coming in heavy and fast now ->
Independent SAGE group reports that 1st June is too early to re-open schools and recommends delaying by at least two weeks - independentsage.org ...
I am so delighted @Sir_David_King set this group up. Building trust with the public is essential and Gov is failing here.
I am so delighted @Sir_David_King set this group up. Building trust with the public is essential and Gov is failing here.
I have to be clear, the Gov is failing in this example.
There are others aspects of Gov such as the Citizen's Assemblies and use of sortition which are exceptional - climateassembly.uk
There are others aspects of Gov such as the Citizen's Assemblies and use of sortition which are exceptional - climateassembly.uk
So choices, choices ... in this case, I'm for civil disobedience because frankly whilst I trust the police, healthcare and civil service, I don't trust our Gov. I have no confidence in SAGE or our ministers ... so I will take the advice of the Independent SAGE group ... 
... I will certainly (at a minimum) be home schooling my child until the 15th June regardless of Gov intentions - possibly much longer, until the 1st Sept.
The Independent SAGE groups report is here -
independentsage.org/wp-content/upl…
The Independent SAGE groups report is here -
independentsage.org/wp-content/upl…
Ah ... the quarantine games have begun - france24.com/en/20200523-fr…
X : Do you think Cummings will resign.
Me : No. This is test. Moments such as these are matters of faith. To fail is to invite doubt into everything we believe, everything we have fought for. England prevails.
X : Eh?
Me : Don't worry BTN is out there spinning.
Me : No. This is test. Moments such as these are matters of faith. To fail is to invite doubt into everything we believe, everything we have fought for. England prevails.
X : Eh?
Me : Don't worry BTN is out there spinning.
No, you don't say ... oh you did -> "Trump is criticizing China and Beijing in a bid to deflect attention from his slow initial response to the pandemic" - politico.com/news/2020/05/2…
Good comments. The issue has expanded well beyond Dominic Cummings now. It questions Boris' own competence -
Well, that has jumped the shark ... and good. All are equal in the eyes of the law. This "post truth" era must be dismantled. BTN should get back to being the BBC ... and if by magic, and right on cue -
Boris is "treating the British people with contempt" ... well, he did this to Parliament and our Queen, so I suppose us serfs shouldn't have expected better -
Well, if the Daily Mail and the Mirror have joined forces then a leadership challenge can't be out of the realm of possibility - ... huge efforts must be going into finding something to deflect the issue. I wonder what Tory HQ will come up with?
"The true basis for any caring society must be public services" ... in all the noise and the shenanigans of our Tory Gov, something good, something worth remembering ->
Hmmm, this is astute of @bbclaurak - "there is hardly a long queue of supporters willing to defend him" -> bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi…
The options for gameplay that you have depends upon the values that your collective espouses, your success as a collective and what (success or failures) have become embedded in memory. This can be a reinforcing or destructive cycle ...
... hence my V comment ... "This is a test. Moments such as these are matters of faith. To fail is to invite doubt into everything we believe, everything we have fought for."
What @bbclaurak points to, is political capital must have already been spent by Dominic internally ...
What @bbclaurak points to, is political capital must have already been spent by Dominic internally ...
i.e. there is recent memory of gameplay which doesn't fit with the values of the organisation but has been ignored because of success.
With a perception of failure, the support is withdrawn. Boris should have closed this down. Dominic should have gone. This could spiral.
With a perception of failure, the support is withdrawn. Boris should have closed this down. Dominic should have gone. This could spiral.
The only way I know to counter, to prevent this becoming an internal revolt is to pull back on the more frictional gameplay and / or appeal to other forms of memory - rituals, symbols and past heroes of the collective.
Hmmm. I better watch those PM briefings more closely.
Hmmm. I better watch those PM briefings more closely.
The anger expressed is completely reasonable ->
This scale of manipulation does not surprise me. In fact, given automation, I'm surprised that this is not far larger ->
This is quite a hefty accusation and I can't see civil servants doing this willingly ... are there secondary sources for this sort of behaviour ->
X : I don't understand your culture maps.
Me : That's quite common. They're not really there yet ... or maybe they never will be. This is part of me continuing to explore culture, so don't worry. I find them a useful mental aid for myself but there's a huge onramp.
Me : That's quite common. They're not really there yet ... or maybe they never will be. This is part of me continuing to explore culture, so don't worry. I find them a useful mental aid for myself but there's a huge onramp.
Well worth noting (H/T @Asher_Wolf).
Despite our needs, there are bad actors out there. A big shout-out to all those who work tirelessly to protect our interests from attacks both foreign and home grown. Thank you so much for all that you do ->
Despite our needs, there are bad actors out there. A big shout-out to all those who work tirelessly to protect our interests from attacks both foreign and home grown. Thank you so much for all that you do ->
"Constituents who have contacted me regarding Dominic Cummings can rest assured that my reply has been approved by HQ. We monitor all communication for training purposes" ... replacing local MPs with robots is not how to build public confidence ->
When we talk about bots accounting for 82% of the top 50 most influential RTers on twitter - .. that figure is not supposed to include our own local MPs - ... these MPs do a disservice to their constituents.
19 Tory MPs (R4) have now withdrawn support for Cummings by stating that he should go. The cycle is now becoming a spiral, the scope for gameplay is reduced, the image of failure is growing, public trust is in decline. Boris has to act or he will face a leadership challenge.
Along with the growing rebellion, we now have additional "special" circumstances for Cummings - ... all this will do is reinforce one rule for Cummings, one rule for the rest of us.
X : What do you think Dominic will say?
Me : No idea.
* A decent person with fortitude would apologise with grace and resign.
* An arrogant person would claim they did nothing wrong.
* An arrogant and manipulative horror would try to deflect the blame elsewhere.
Me : No idea.
* A decent person with fortitude would apologise with grace and resign.
* An arrogant person would claim they did nothing wrong.
* An arrogant and manipulative horror would try to deflect the blame elsewhere.
The spiral spins faster -> C of E may refuse to work with government in pandemic after PM ‘breaks trust of nation’ - theguardian.com/politics/2020/…
I'm in favour of democracy and I don't like ‘unelected bureaucrats’ wielding power especially when they think there is one rule for them, one rule for others hence losing public confidence at this time.
Dominic, grow some humility. Do the decent thing since Boris is too weak.
Dominic, grow some humility. Do the decent thing since Boris is too weak.
Did I just hear @tomhfh say on BBC that people wanting Dominic Cummings to resign aren't level headed or a baying mob ... I've never considered the Church of England Bishops as a baying mob before, can't imagine they're happy about that -
theguardian.com/politics/2020/…
theguardian.com/politics/2020/…
I've admired some of Dominic's writing but no apology, trying to redirect, no humility, a "fake media" narrative, a "reasonable person" line ... I can't watch this.
I think, for the first time in my life I'm going to agree with the Daily Mail. What planet are these people on?
I think, for the first time in my life I'm going to agree with the Daily Mail. What planet are these people on?
After that shambles of an interview, I do feel sorry for the police. I suspect they're going to have a torrid time trying to maintain social distancing.
This is now only going to get worse -
This is now only going to get worse -
This spiral risks creating divisions and further erosion of public confidence. This is not needed. A leadership challenge is now the responsible thing to do.
I hope that someone steps up to the plate.
I hope that someone steps up to the plate.
Oh no ... "sorry, sorry, sorry" for calling on the wrong reporter to ask questions but not a hint of an apology to the British public. This interview was bad but it's now a complete car wreck.
Oh,no ... "I'm not saying I'm right" followed by "I don't think I made a mistake". Gosh, this is a painful attempt to appear contrite with no humility at all.
Someone should stop pull the microphone ... "it was not a nice place to be" ... didn't he describe it as a cottage with access to private woods. I'm sure the press is going to investigate.
Oh no ... now he is back onto the "fake media" narrative, redirecting from the issues.
Oh no ... now he is back onto the "fake media" narrative, redirecting from the issues.
I can't watch it but it's also compelling ... it's like a slow disaster movie. Must stop. Need to go finish off the garden and shout at the roses.
Wow, such a storm on twitter ... there is a real push (I would suspect mostly automated) to identify people who disagree with Dominic as "haters".
Yep, those well known "haters" the Bishops of the Church of England - theguardian.com/politics/2020/…
Yep, those well known "haters" the Bishops of the Church of England - theguardian.com/politics/2020/…
I have to say, it's hard for me. I do respect Dominic's ability, and I do agree with many of his ideas ... but you can' treat public confidence with such contempt. It's not enough to simply do right, you must be seen to do right.
Gosh, what a weird day. I find myself agreeing with the "What planet are they on" headline of the Daily Mail and now ... I find myself agreeing with Alastair Campbell -
Ah, the Autobots (Conservatives in Disguise) are out tweeting "move on", "haters", "reasonable" and "false" media (think fake news / decepticons)
Gosh, how low can we go?
A Bishop of the Church of England says what needs to be said and he receives death threats. All my support and kindest thoughts to the @BishopWorcester.
->
A Bishop of the Church of England says what needs to be said and he receives death threats. All my support and kindest thoughts to the @BishopWorcester.
->
X : Do you think Dominic will resign?
Me : No.
X : Even after that interview.
Me : That interview was designed to be both say "reasonable" / "calm" but also provide enough for others to get "angry" ... it was deliberate. It's part of the play and it has been used before.
Me : No.
X : Even after that interview.
Me : That interview was designed to be both say "reasonable" / "calm" but also provide enough for others to get "angry" ... it was deliberate. It's part of the play and it has been used before.
Look, the play is simple ... Dominic creates a position of "caring parent" / "reasonable person" but with enough porky pies in the interview that others get outraged. It's the same game played in Brexit and in the election ...
... you drip feed out more points of outrage over the next week and finally you have a position of an "outraged mob" vs "the reasonable". Dom wins etc. Basically, you're being played ... again ... for the third time ...
... all those Lib Dem / New Labour / Remainer types are now so attuned to "outrage" they'll fall for it ... hook, line and sinker.
Dominic is going nowhere and the outrage will just help him.
Dominic is going nowhere and the outrage will just help him.
Remember - twitter is very powerful tool for communication and democratisation. But it can also be used for exhaustion, marginalisation and disenfranchising. Watch your outrage. It might be fun but every time you use it, you loose the argument that little bit more.
I'm saddened that a Gov whose appalling early lack of action contributed to so many deaths is now willing to use outrage over clear examples of "one rule for them, one rule for us" to paint themselves as the party of reason. This is contempt and manipulation of the population ...
... I see Douglas Ross has resigned for reasons of morale authority. I completely agree and salute him. I cannot trust this Gov. It has gone way beyond simple lying, this is active manipulation. I now have no confidence in this Gov, its statements or its actions.
Anyway, expect lots of slooow, pondering interviews by Tory faithful reinforcing that message of "reasonable", "thoughtful" and the need to focus on the "big public issues" whilst trying to deliberately wind up interviewers / journalists / the press etc. It is so scripted.
