Glóin the Dark

Gandalf the Red

Apparently Johnson can't do without him.

That's why I also cited Milne, the nearest equivalent to Cummings. But the difference isn't so important: the relevant point is that he (Cummings) is one of the leading figures in the administration. There certainly are. But the story would have been investigated and reported anyway (as were those of Neil Ferguson and Catherine Calderwood, even though they were comparatively unknown figures with presumably no prior media grudge against them), and it would still have escalated due to the attitude of Johnson and his cabinet ministers, which has gone down atrociously even in quarters normally expected to be supportive of them. The clamour of voices who want Cummings out for any reason is present, naturally, but it isn't the reason that this has become a scandal and a crisis for Johnson's government.

I'm pretty certain that, in a parallel universe where Jeremy Corbyn is prime minister, they'd be going after him at least as much, or his chief adviser Seumas Milne. Can you imagine the frenzy if it was Diane Abbott?! I don't think it's the breach itself which has given this story the fuel to grow into its current state; it's the nature of the government's response to it. In that respect, perhaps the situation is somewhat unique to Cummings. He would have stood a chance of surviving had he issued a prompt admission of culpability and an apology, and Johnson had explained his acceptance of both; that would probably have been enough for most of the Conservative MPs and their media supporters/sympathisers, and once the possibility of a resignation seemed to be off the table the story would have begun to subside. Instead, they've managed to infuriate various different groups of people (including Tories and Brexiters) for different reasons, and have just been pouring petrol onto the fire for days now...

Reporting on public officials who breached the lockdown instructions was already happening, and Dominic Cummings is a far higher profile target than those who had previously resigned. No doubt the journalists and publications who broke the story got an extra kick out of it due to their relationship with Cummings, but it isn't realistic to posit "revenge" as the true agenda.

Exactly. The only way it could have been more profound is if they'd made it a spinning cat.

No way. But a hundred and twenty-eight would be fine.

Variety is the spice of life, but I'd like there to be more really long films. Like four hours, or eight, or sixteen, or thirty-two...

But the thing spins at the end and you don't know whether it will topple or not! I watched Jaws a few weeks ago.

Indeed, not praying and not eating much pizza are quite different things not to do, except perhaps to the devotees of some pizza god.

That's the etymology. The word refers to a lack of belief that there are any deities, which no more requires a religion to support it than does a lack of belief that there are any Santa Clauses.

No, you've misunderstood the meaning of the word.

It absolutely is. I've got it right here beside me. I'd love to see their choice for the smash hit comedy of each other year. "1972: Cries and Whispers!"

"The smash-hit comedy of the year!"

Ivan's Childhood, then Andrei Rublev. Or vice versa.