Politics

11 times Dominic Cummings made the news for all the wrong reasons

Jamie Jones. Updated November 17th, 2020

After surviving controversy after controversy, the seemingly indestructible Dominic Cummings has finally left Downing Street.

With his relationship with Boris Johnson now officially over, what better time to take a look at the controversial advisor’s very, very public highlights. Here are 11 memorable moments from his time in number 10:

1. When he released a Civil Service recruitment ad calling out for “weirdos” and “misfits”.

In what reads like a recruitment call hiring a team to take down Batman, Cummings wrote: “By definition, I don’t really know what I’m looking for…”. Perfect. For anyone wanting to have their brain turned to mush, here’s a link to the entire thing.

2. When news broke that Boris Johnson had tested positive for Covid-19 and he was spotted pegging it from number 10.

Cummings’ best impression of Usain Bolt occurred shortly after Downing Street announced that Boris Johnson and the health secretary, Matt Hancock, had both tested positive for coronavirus.

 

 

3. When despite his best efforts to outrun an airborne virus, he still ended up catching Covid-19.


The diagnosis came just weeks after Dominic Cummings was alleged to have suggested that the death of some elderly people was a price worth paying in an attempt to establish herd immunity against Covid-19. Unsurprisingly, not everyone was entirely sympathetic to his illness.

4. When he broke the government’s own lockdown rules on several different occasions.

Despite Cummings admitting that he traveled 260 miles from London to Durham after contracting symptoms of coronavirus, Boris Johnson stood by the side of his most senior aide. The situation allowed Cummings to further perfect his greatest skill: refusing to resign.

5. And in perhaps his most infamous moment, when his excuse for visiting Barnard castle was so that he could conduct a self-administered eye test:

In a live press conference, Cummings kindly provided a boost to both Barnard Castle’s tourism numbers and British comedians looking for new material.

 

6. When he ~mysteriously~ had a council tax bill written off.

The taxes were in relation to two buildings – built without planning permission, it’s worth adding – owned by the Cummings family in Durham. Coincidentally, it’s the same property where he fled with his family during lockdown.  Double naughty.

 

7. When he did the unthinkable and actually wore a suit to work.

This wouldn’t be a career highlight for most people, but Cummings usual outfit resembles that of a man forced into an impromptu outfit change after being an accidental accomplice to a bloody crime.

8. And in other fashion news, when he almost bared his arse to the world.

There’s not much to add to this one, other than to reiterate that the government’s most senior advisor struggles with the concept of belts.

9. When he nonsensically rambled about a kids’ TV show when asked a simple question by a reporter.

 

For those out of the loop, PJ Masks is an animated children’s show about kids who transform into superheroes during the night – their relation to matters regarding  HS2, or any other planned high-speed railway, remains unclear.

10. When Mark Francois threatened the army with the ultimate weapon: Dominic Cummings.

We never got to find out if the general’s time spent in Kosovo, Basra & Afghanistan had prepared him for a face-to-face meeting with Cummings.

11. And finally, when he left Downing Street clutching a cardboard box.

Instead of simply using one of the many, more private side entrances to No10., he chose to roleplay an American sitcom character and publicly walked out of the front door carrying his work belongings inside a cardboard box.

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