Dominic Cummings and The Prince

We assume that those we consent to govern over us share a common decency and fundamental moral values — what happens when they reveal that is not the case?

Niccolò Machiavelli — remind you of anyone?

Dominic Cummings broke quarantine. That’s indisputable. What is claimed since is that, although uncounted thousands of families found themselves in similar or much worse circumstances and observed the regulations, the option was always there, for everyone, to ignore the rules based solely on their own judgement at the time.

This argument is clearly nonsense, and shows complete contempt for the public. Numerous instances have been posted on social media of direct government messaging, or of the Prime Minister or members of his cabinet stating repeatedly that this was absolutely not the case. In the past when ministers or senior government officials were caught out, revealed to be hypocritical or worse, and shamed by public opinion they would apologise and resign or in other cases, be sacked.

But when there is no shame, there is no shared common decency or moral value, what we have seen is that the public has absolutely no redress, no method of seeking justice, no way of venting their anger.

It’s true that throughout history, the overwhelming majority of our leaders have been motivated primarily through greed and self-interest. They have seen themselves to be…