I think you are slightly missing the point
@horseman
You are right in that those who have flouted the rules are idiots. Full stop. Whether they are a politician, an accountant, a used car salesman - doesn't matter. Whatever their politics or views on this that or the other, they are thoughtless fools. Fine them, make sure they don't do it again, shame them in public and get them to say they are sorry. Everyone makes mistakes (although this is a particularly stupid one to make!). Should those people lose their jobs? No, I don't think so.
There are some added problems here though.
Firstly Cummings helped to write the rules - and is now claiming that they didn't quite mean what everyone else thought (and was told) that they meant. (Cumming's excuses and convoluted reasonings yesterday reminded me of the way tax evaders try to claim it was only 'tax avoidance'!).
Secondly, he apparently STILL cannot see that anything he did could have been wrong, and that there is absolutely no need to apologise (as the rest of the public figures who have been caught have done) - which shows a breath-taking arrogance and a complete misreading of the public mood.
Thirdly, he (and his wife) have deliberately tried to cover up the fact that they made this trip (if it was all perfectly fine - why?).
Fourth - driving about to test his eyes? The thought that anyone would be stupid enough to believe that claptrap again shows a huge disdain for the intelligence of the public - he hasn't learned his lesson.
Fifth - this is the man who has the ear of the PM and is (reportedly) the power behind the elected throne. Should an un-elected, arrogant and self-centred liar be in such a position? Perhaps that is par for the course though...
Sixth - this is a huge distraction. The government record over this pandemic has been (let's be kind...) 'unimpressive' in many areas. We seem to be just about starting to come through it, albeit at huge cost both personal and financial - what we don't want is for them to be faffing about with this matter when they should be concentrating on the matter in hand.
This could have been sorted weeks ago. A full and frank pre-emptive admission and a proper apology coupled with an explanation of how central his role is in the management of the current crisis and I think he would have survived.
It isn't just what he did, it is his attitude and the effect that is going to have on how people follow the health advice given by the government in future.
