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REVELATIONS ABOUT THE British Government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, as recalled by aide Dominic Cummings, feature on the front of many of today’s papers.
His marathon seven-hour session of evidence to MPs gave the press plenty to write about, some calling it a “rain of fire”, others a “Domshell”.
They included suggestions Government failings lead to tens of thousands of people dying unnecessarily, through to Cummings saying he did not think Johnson was up to the job of Prime Minister.
The Times carries a sketch from Quentin Letts on its front page in which he refers to the session as “longer and bloodier than Hamlet”.
Dominic Cummings has branded Boris Johnson unfit to be prime minister and accused him of being responsible for tens of thousands of needless deaths from coronavirus.
— The Times (@thetimes) May 27, 2021
He called Johnson’s approach “completely mad”. https://t.co/OzvVdlrJtB
He writes: “Mark Sedwill, the former cabinet secretary, took a pyroclastic boulder smack in the face.
“The Department of Health was left smoking like Ground Zero. Carrie Symonds was ‘crackers’ and ‘desperate to get rid of me’.
“Even Dilyn the dog came up in dispatches and may well now have to give evidence to the official Covid inquiry. Only in England could a major health dingdong include a cameo for a Jack Russell. Barking.”
The Guardian, the Independent, i and Daily Mirror all use the same quote headline: “Tens of thousands died who didn’t need to die”, with the latter carrying a leader column headlined “damning testimony”.
The paper points out the problem of only hearing one side of the story, but that the Government “failed in this fundamental duty”.
It says: “Cummings’ evidence may have been onesided and selective but it should not be ignored. His criticisms of the Government’s handling of Covid demand an explanation.
“The coward Johnson is trying to hide from accountability by delaying the public inquiry into Covid until next spring. We need to learn lessons now, not at his convenience.”
The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 26, 2021
'Cummings takes his revenge as he lays blame on Johnson and Hancock'#TomorrowsPapersToday
📩 Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/nsReRDvOah
The Daily Telegraph takes a different angle, suggesting an element of revenge from Mr Cummings with associate editor Camilla Tominey writing “having expended his nine lives in government, this was also about settling scores”.
The Sun’s headline – “Do you need a hindsight test, Mr Cummings?” – pokes fun at his well-publicised trip to Barnard Castle during the pandemic, while its leader column claims Johnson will “dodge Dom’s bombs”.
It adds people “recognise that our Government was one of many whose Covid response was found wanting.
“The key difference since being the stellar success of our world-leading vaccine rollout.
“Voters are more likely to credit the Government with that and our rosier future than rake over the terrible bleakness of 2020 and the chaos in Downing Street.”
What kind of pollution in Ireland kills 1800 people per year..
Air pollution is non existent in Ireland.
Water pollution does not kill anyone here.
Does anyone know..
Ah….noise pollution?
@tom McCormack: The journal wont listen to people who talk since and look for answers. Thats why the remove comments, only use what serves there agenda.
@tom McCormack: What, if you can’t see it it doesn’t exist? Plenty of gases are colourless and odourless Tom. Anyone who’s every had the misfortune of cycling behind a Dublin Bus would strongly disagree with you there.
The Japanese won’t touch diesel for anything because of the amount of carcinogenic hydrocarbons in it…it makes up a tiny % of US road transport fuel as well. The links between diesel emission bi-products (PM 2.5, PM 10, SOx, NOx) and illness are pretty well established at this stage. I’d love to see a study of upper respiratory illness rates since 2008, when the road tax system was changed and diesel really took off.
1,800 deaths caused by pollution in Ireland? If only there was some sort of agency for protecting the environment….
@BlueSkyThinking: If only when they suggest something to help the problem, people would support it.
Can you name one?
Read up on the science behind Nuclear Power, understand it, support it or you’re part of the problem. It’s the only practical solution to air pollution and Climate Change.
@William Grogan: The poker table was never a good place to find solutions to problems.
@William Grogan: hazardous stockpile capable of making environment uninhabitable at a time when terrorism is rife hardly the answer. Contraception and liberalising women globally is as important as looking at energy.
Nature’s way of looking after itself and over population of its panet
Patriotic citizens consider it proper that they pay to provide for waste and sewage water disposal as it is a serious health issue.
Bonkers Fine Gael … no action on removing the tax incentives on purchase of new diesel cars and still penalising all of us pre-2008 car owners with bonkers annual motor tax of €580 for a modest 1.6 car v €280 for a new diesel Merc! … €300 annual tax penalty ….bonkers!
800,000 Irish pre-2008 car owners should bring their brains to the polling booths ..next time.
Thank you for calling it pollution and not climate change.
@iMoan Brutal:
Its only a matter of time!
Approximately 56 million, innocent human beings are killed by abortion, worldwide each year! That’s 45 million more than this alleged “pollution”. Given Ireland has virtually no air pollution should we have a referendum next year to introduce some?
Something has to be put on the death cert I suppose…pollution is as good as any.
have your say