London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Dominic Cummings: Politicians too focused on Twitter and gossip

Dominic Cummings: Politicians too focused on Twitter and gossip

Boris Johnson's outgoing aide Dominic Cummings has attacked a system which he says "incentivises politicians to focus more on Twitter and gossip-column stories about their dogs" while ignoring "existential threats".

In the Spectator, he also warned that parts of the UK's "nuclear enterprise have rotted from years of neglect".

And he called for more focus on "low-probability, high-impact events".

Mr Cummings is leaving No 10 following a fractious internal power struggle.

His departure was announced last month and he has been working out his notice from home.

On Thursday, government figures revealed that his salary rose during 2020 from between £95,000-£99,999 to £140,000-£144,999, making him among the highest-earning special advisers in government.



By the conventional literary standards of Dominic Cummings, this is an unquestionably pithy contribution.

His blog posts traditionally demand a long train journey and a lot of scrolling to reach their destination.

But rather like his personally published reflections, this nugget in The Spectator combines a sweep of history with a few sharp political jabs.

No names mentioned, of course, but which prominent resident of Downing Street combines a love of dogs and social media?

Ah yes, the Prime Minister's fiancee Carrie Symonds, frequently pictured in the company of Dilyn, her Jack Russell cross.

And who was seen as particularly influential in Mr Cummings' departure from No 10? You guessed it....


Dilyn the dog has his own instagram page

In a feature for the Spectator Magazine, contributors were asked to nominate their "highlights of history".

Mr Cummings chose a moment in 1983 when a Soviet Union officer, Stanislav Petrov, potentially averted nuclear war by ignoring his country's nuclear weapons alert system.

The satellite system suggested that the US had launched a nuclear-armed missile strike, but Mr Petrov decided it was a false alarm and chose not to inform his superiors, thereby preventing a retaliatory attack.

Praising his reaction, Mr Cummings wrote: "It was only because of his intensive training and quick wits that many millions of lives weren't lost."

He added that there have been many such near-misses since the 1960s and that "protocols combined with flawed early warning systems remain a huge danger today".

"In Britain parts of the nuclear enterprise have rotted from years of neglect, though thankfully the new cabinet secretary knows and cares and is acting to remedy this.

"As Covid has shown, far greater intellectual and material resources ought to be deployed on such apparently low-probability, high-impact events."

Earlier this year Lord Sedwill stepped down as cabinet secretary - the top job in the civil service - to be replaced by Simon Case.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×