Cummings - a SPAD gone rogue

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Dominic Cummings was appointed as the senior SPAD when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister. He was dismissed last year, unceremoniously, after a disagreement with Johnson’s finance and other members of the Downing Street team. Before then he has unprecedented powers, control over all other SPADS and in charge of key policy initiatives. I have spoken about Cummings at length before. But since his departure he has decided to make it his personal mission to undermine his former boss.

Cummings does not just send tweets. He writes blogposts, long rambling tweet threads (he is currently on tweet thread number 51!) and he is just about to reveal all at the joint hearing of the Commons’ health select committee and the science and technology committee this Wednesday. He usually shuns the limelight, when he was previously at a committee hearing as the head of the Vote Leave campaign, he famously told the chair he had to leave for another meeting “by 4 o’clock”. It seems his busy schedule has been cleared, he has told the chairs that he can stay “for as long as they want”. He wants to make sure he twists the knife slowly.

What’s his claim?

He says the government wrongly adopted a strategy of Coronavirus herd immunity and was too slow to respond to lockdowns and shutting down air travel. He argues Johnson is at fault here, claiming he missed a number of key meetings early on in the crisis.

The government says there was no ‘herd immunity’ strategy. Cummings in effect calls Johnson a liar.

How does this help with the course?

Beyond making great TV, it helps us understand the modern Prime Minister’s control over the executive. Blair was criticised for bypassing the cabinet through advisors. Since then, SPADS have had to take a back seat until the current government.

It’s probably also correct to say that Johnson’s cabinet is probably one of the weakest in history, with a lack of experience and ability. In such an environment, SPADs thrive.

Remember…

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What to watch

Wednesdays Select Committee of course