Polecat Broke Rules - Braverman Is Bust

Durham Police have now concluded their investigation into the activities of chief Downing Street polecat Dominic Cummings while he was not in North London, but journeying to and from Durham, and enjoying a jolly to Barnard Castle for good measure. They are taking no further action, but that does not mean Dom has remained on the right side of the law.

Indeed he has not, as the Guardian has reported. “Dominic Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle potentially broke lockdown rules and would have led to police sending him back to his family’s estate had he been stopped, Durham police have concluded. The 60-mile round trip on 12 April by the prime minister’s senior aide from his family’s Durham farm is assessed by Durham police as a potential breach, but does not warrant any further action”.

They aren’t taking any action, but before all those on the right say it’s something and nothing, consider this nugget: “Had a Durham constabulary police officer stopped Mr Cummings driving to or from Barnard Castle, the officer would have spoken to him, and, having established the facts, likely advised Mr Cummings to return to the address in Durham, providing advice on the dangers of travelling during the pandemic crisis. Had this advice been accepted by Mr Cummings, no enforcement action would have been taken”.

He would have been turned round and sent back whence he came, on pain of enforcement action being taken. Like a fine for breaking the law. And on the question of Cummings’ trip from London to Durham, the cops are not taking a position at all.

This is what they said: “Durham constabulary does not consider that by locating himself at his father’s premises, Mr Cummings committed an offence contrary to regulation 6 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020. (We are concerned here with breaches of the regulations, not the general government guidance to ‘stay at home’)”. Which gives the green light to lockdown-busters everywhere.

As to that “might” which is being gleefully quoted by Polecat fans across the UK, The Secret Barrister has bad news for them. “Lots of excitement about ‘might’. The reason for this is that the police don’t determine breaches; they form an opinion. If that opinion is disputed, a court will decide. In this context, ‘might’ means the police concluded it *was*. Hence they say they would have sent him back”. Miles King had more.

“Durham constabulary don't think the Cummimgs trip to Durham contravened the Coronavirus regs. Yet they fined 2 people for making the same trip”. Then there is the position of Suella Braverman, which I noted earlier. Back to The Secret Barrister.

“The police, having considered the evidence have expressed the view that Cummings did break the law. While the Attorney General and superintendent of the CPS [Suella Braverman] immediately endorsed a partisan claim of no legal wrongdoing … This, I’m afraid, is a resigning issue for [Suella Braverman] . She has, through a wholesale failure to understand her role as Attorney General, politicised an independent criminal inquiry, presupposing the outcome and embarrassing the CPS”. She should resign.

But, given this is a shitshow presided over by Bozo and the Polecat, she probably won’t. Because only the little people have to obey lockdown, or resign when they screw up.

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