Why trust in Dominic Cummings by Yorkshire MPs is misplaced

THIS is the text of a letter that I have sent to my local MP Kevin Hollinrake over the Dominic Cummings affair.

For the last two months my family and I have been largely confined to our home.

My wife is pregnant and therefore she is in the ‘higher risk’ category. She hasn’t seen a single member of her family, while any contact I have had with mine has been brief and distant.

I was unwell in mid-March with many of the classic covid symptoms and, in line with the guidance at the time, I stayed strictly at home. I couldn’t completely distance myself from our young son because he’s two years old.

The steps we have taken as a family pale into comparison with the sacrifices others have made. Those that have been unable to comfort loved ones as they died; those healthcare staff that haven’t seen their own children for weeks; those that died alone.

Your support for the behaviour of Dominic Cummings makes a mockery of the sacrifices all these people have made.

Your support for the Government, which appears to condone it, holds the law-abiding public in contempt.

The preference for party loyalty over integrity, over decency, over very basic values, will be the undoing of the Government.

You’ve already missed the chance to show that you place personal values above any other motive. At this point, I urge you to do the next best thing and pin your colours to the mast of public opinion. This episode will not end well for the Government; I suspect your constituents would embrace an MP who reflected their sense of disgust.

From: S Garbutt, Boroughbridge.

I DID not think that a Conservative government could every become so incompetent at delivery, yet so skilful with delivery of lies. For each of us who have watched our children grapple with working from home, concerned for their future employment, and home schooling, unable to offer assistance.

For those of us, new grandparents, watching a new mother cope with newborn and only contact with the midwife is via telephone, unable to help.

For every one of us who has exercised near our home, because we valued the health of the community over ourselves.

For every one who has not seen family or friends for 10 weeks.

This Government tells us. We didn’t love enough nor have enough integrity.

Margaret Thatcher is often, in my opinion misquoted, as saying there is “No such thing as society”. This Conservative Party does not believe in society.

What depressing times we live in.

From: Michael Green, Baghill Green, Tingley.

THE debate about Dominic Cummings’ travels seems to have degenerated into a party political slanging match. This is unfortunate, because the issue is actually much more serious than that.

What is at issue is the right for any of us – in a difficult situation, and mindful of any health issues involved – to take the course of action that we think best at the time. The message coming across quite clearly at the moment is that individuals are to be trusted and that we do have that right, even if, with the benefit of hindsight, our decision may seem questionable.

That’s a very important freedom. We just need to be clear that it applies to everybody. So, no whistleblowers if I meet others on the sand-dunes, please. And no police lurking behind bushes if I go to the park with my friends. Not too much to ask?

From: Ian Woods, Richemont Close, Whitby.

UNTIL today, I had sympathy and confidence for the way this Government was handling the Coronavirus pandemic–- in particular I had respect and admiration for the way they handled the impact of this devastating disease by introducing the furlough scheme and other financial measures.

But having just listened to the Prime Minister’s abysmal defence of his senior aide Dominic Cummings on the the BBC, all confidence I had has gone and I am extremely disappointed that my MP Rishi Sunak, MP for Richmond which includes the Yorkshire Dales where the police have had a torrid time preventing people from making unnecessary journeys, has publicly expressed the view that ‘taking care of your wife and young child is justified and reasonable, trying to score political points over it isn’t’.

This has nothing to do with political points – it has everything to do with the arrogance of an unelected senior adviser to the Government believing that the rules set out by the Government and science officers to control the spread of Covid-19 did not apply to him. It is beyond belief that Dominic Cummings could not have organised resources in his London setting to make sure he had the support necessary during the time of his sickness.

From: Phyllis Capstick, Hellifield.

RE Dominic Cummings, it just shows how ridiculous they believe their own rules on the lockdown to be, or they would all adhere to them without question.

They insult us all. Unlike themselves, not all of the population has had their common sense educated out of them. Most of us are still able to think for ourselves, and are very capable of deciding for ourselves.

From: Richard Godley, Meadowfields, Whitby.

FOR the record, the day before Dominic Cummings left for Durham, Stephen Kinnock MP and his sister Rachel went to visit his father Neil on his birthday. Naturally, Kinnock hasn’t resigned and as far as I’m aware did anyone, in a fit of vindictive, feigned outrage, suggest he should. In fact, critics said the South Wales Police were overzealous in publicly criticising the MP, as others warned they could lose the respect of the public.

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Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson