Dominic Cummings on Defense, procurement, MoD and the civil service

For everything else UK defence-related that doesn't fit into any of the sections above.
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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Dominic Cummings on Defense, procurement, MoD and the civil service

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

dmereifield wrote: unless he is forced by Boris to make concessions that breach his (and the UK's) stated red lines
Good point; he asked for the negotiation to go to 'political level' but the EU did not play along.
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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Zero Gravitas
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Re: Dominic Cummings on Defense, procurement, MoD and the civil service

Post by Zero Gravitas »

dmereifield wrote:Indeed, in the flurry of unnamed briefings over the past week or so it's not quite clear what's gone (is going?) on. This point is one of the few that I do tend to believe. I think there is zero chance of Frost going prior to the end of negotiations unless he is forced by Boris to make concessions that breach his (and the UK's) stated red lines
The way the apparently well connected Tim Shipman describes it in the Sunday Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ther ... s-marriage it seems it was mostly personality / power clashes rather than policy:

"The fall of Cummings appeared to be fallout from a bitter power struggle over government communications between Cain, a former tabloid reporter, and Allegra Stratton, the former television reporter Johnson had recruited to be his new press secretary."

"The row over the future of Cain exhumed long-standing ministerial hatred of Cummings and his culture of aggression. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, was furious when Cain peremptorily sacked Neil Tweedie, a special adviser to transport secretary, allegedly for leaking details of a meeting that Tweedie says he was not even in — a situation that is still the subject of HR negotiations."

"Insiders say Johnson’s relationship with Cummings had “effectively broken down”, beginning with the incident when Cummings drove 260 miles to Co Durham during the first lockdown. Multiple sources say Cummings treated Johnson with contempt, rejecting calls to apologise in a televised statement.

“Dom’s attitude, even to Boris, was: ‘I don’t answer to you.’” One recalls Cummings receiving a text message from Johnson and waving it around, making clear he was going to ignore it. “Dom didn’t bother returning calls for long periods of time,” another recalled."

"Mistrust was sown further by the most damaging leak of Johnson’s premiership when two newspapers announced the plans for a second national lockdown even before Johnson had definitively made up his mind. “Boris was apocalyptically incandescent,” said a Whitehall source. He was forced into a hasty weekend announcement of the plans and demanded a leak inquiry."

Also mentions Javid being offered the Chief of staff role and Lord Frost phoning Johnson to say he wouldn't be quitting.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Dominic Cummings on Defense, procurement, MoD and the civil service

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Zero Gravitas wrote:Also mentions Javid being offered the Chief of staff role and Lord Frost phoning Johnson to say he wouldn't be quitting.
The interesting bit is whereto from here?
And why is it that Feb is the 'date' when all of it is supposed to come out?
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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