6388/19308
Alan Partridge the greatest comedy character of all time? You’re welcome guys.
The weeks fly by so fast and yet somehow lockdown has only been 10 weeks? It doesn’t make sense.
I didn't have a drink all week and it didn't make any difference to how the week passed. I was feeling I needed booze to get through this, but it all just washes over you the same regardless.
I am over the hump with the fatigue now, but the Cummings debacle couldn’t really come at a worse time psychologically. Anyone with kids, even without any illness in the house, knows how tough this has been and how much they would have liked just 12 hours where they could deposit the children with the in-laws. But most of us haven’t, because, you know, we were told not to and we didn’t want to kill anyone.
So this cavalier behaviour - most obviously, how can you argue you are protecting a child if you put them in a car for a 250 mile journey with one or two people who have the virus? - is a real kick in the nuts, even if you haven’t had to watch your relatives die on FaceTime or not been able to go to a family funeral or cuddle your ailing child. And the brazen bullshit of trying to defend it just feels like kicking us in the nuts.
No apology, no regret, just doubling down.
Some people are incapable of apology, even when they are definitely in the wrong. Usually political leaders or comedians in my experience. Though this whole thing might possibly have gone away with an early apology and an admission that a mistake had been made. But the loss of face for some men (and it’s usually men) and little kids is often too much to bear (though my kids will usually finally let out a sarcastic and reluctant sorry in the end).
This should be a case of consistency. Other experts who have broken their own rules have had to go and this one is the worst of all because the virus was actually present. The idea that someone as powerful as Cummings had no other choice but to drive 250 miles for sanctuary is insulting. So many families have got through this with no help at all. It just beggars belief that they would try to defend this or that some people are so invested in the regime that they try to argue he’s just been a good dad.
“Any father, any parent would frankly understand what he did†dadsplains one of the worst dads in the world. Sorry to let the other parents down, but I do not understand.
It’s blood boiling stuff, but this is the moment that we will look back on as either the time we said “Enough†or the point where they had it confirmed that they could get away with anything as long as they just dug in and refused to apologise or tell the truth. In thirty years time when the regime has crumbled and the criminals strung up from lamp posts the Civil Service tweeter will be given some kind of honour for daring to speak the truth (maybe posthumously). If they get through this then they can get through anything.
But they got through lying to the Queen and the Tories somehow got through that surge of despair and anger that followed Grenfell. If you just refuse to acknowledge errors and lies then you will last longer than those with the honour to step down when they have made a mistake. And we’re just left with the worst and most mendacious politicians.
It’s all obvious to state, but it’s worth writing down nonetheless. Be great to think that this might be the moment that things galvanise and changes are made, but I am not optimistic.
