It’s not up to Dominic Cummings to pick our PM
The spurned adviser seems to have appointed himself as the nation’s kingmaker.
Dominic Cummings has never been elected to parliament, and is apparently not even a member of a political party. Yet over the past few years, we have heard more about what he thinks of the workings of government and the Tory party’s internal machinations than we have from every MP combined. As the furore over Downing Street’s socialising rumbles on, it becomes increasingly clear that while Cummings’ continued meddling might titliate the media, it is hindering democracy.
Since news first broke of the Downing Street lockdown parties, rumours have swirled that Cummings was the one responsible for leaking dates, times and photos. He has used his Twitter and Substack accounts to fuel allegations and to nudge the press in particular directions. Today’s headlines centre on his accusation that Boris Johnson knew that the now infamous ‘bring your own booze’ garden party was indeed a party and not a ‘work event’ – as if a thousand amateur meme-makers hadn’t already arrived at this conclusion.