The Conversation (0)
Liam O'Dell
May 11, 2022
Related video: Johnson dismissed lockdown as those dying were ‘all over 80’, Cummings says
BBC
Just when we thought UK politics couldn’t get any more chaotic, former special adviser Dominic Cummings is back tearing into a government.
The former Vote Leave figurehead left his role as Boris Johnson’s right-hand man in November 2020, following a dispute over the resignation of Lee Cain – another ex-member of the 2016 campaign to leave the European Union.
Since quitting Downing Street, he’s been a bit of a thorn in the side for Mr Johnson and his government.
In May last year, he gave evidence to a Commons select committee on lessons learned from the Covid pandemic, in which he didn’t hold back in criticising the actions of his old boss and the then-health secretary, Matt Hancock.
Now, Cummings has taken aim at the Tories’ approach to government just hours after they unveiled a whole host of upcoming legislation in the Queen’s Speech.
In a post on Twitter on Wednesday, he wrote: “Vote Leave: Yimby [Yes In My Backyard], build build build, think long-term, focus on public.
Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
“Tories: Nimby [Not In My Back Yard], stagnation, think short-term, focus on SW1 media blah do nothing.
“Tories summer 2024: we wasted four years + 80 majority + f***ed ourselves.”
Vote Leave: YIMBY, build build build, think long term, focus on public\n\nTories: NIMBY, stagnation, think short term, focus on sw1 media twitter blah do nothing\n\nTories summer 2024: we wasted 4 yrs + 80 majority + fucked ourselveshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY3-Y4Z5dUQ&t=22s\u00a0\u2026— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic Cummings) 1652263477
He then attached a video of a scene from the 1983 film Scarface, in which Al Pacino delivers the iconic line: “You know, Frog Face, you just f***ed yourself.”
However, not everyone was convinced by Cummings attempts to frame Vote Leave in a good light:
*Vote Leave: any old shit, true or false, that'll get us over the line— Square Melon \ud83e\udd40\ud83e\uddfc\ud83c\udf39 (@Square Melon \ud83e\udd40\ud83e\uddfc\ud83c\udf39) 1652263659
Two entirely self-interested factions, neither interested in improving the country. The sooner we are rid of both your tribes, the sooner our recovery can begin.— Mark Clowes \ud83d\udc99 (@Mark Clowes \ud83d\udc99) 1652263605
Sorry, when did Vote Leave stand for election? \n\nWho voted for you?— Andrew Carver (@Andrew Carver) 1652266755
Vote Leave "think long term"?\n\nHahaha.— Paul Smith (@Paul Smith) 1652266031
Others, meanwhile, were more interested as to whether we might get any juicy Partygate pics from him:
drop any partygate pics you may have and end it— johnwaters (@johnwaters) 1652264142
Those picture. Come on, you know you want to\u2026\u2026— John Chambers \ud83d\udc94\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@John Chambers \ud83d\udc94\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1652264248
With Cummings being another headache for the PM to deal with alongside Partygate, we can’t help but feel like Mr Johnson could do with a paracetamol.
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.