Andrew Willshire

The tragedy of Dominic Cummings

(Getty images)

Dominic Cummings’s main concern as he appears in front of MPs is to identify the failures of government and ensure everyone knows they weren’t his failures, but those of the fools who refused to listen to him.

It’s rather a tragic final act, for the truth is that Cummings did fail (and, to be fair, he has admitted some of his failings in front of the committee). Not so much as regards the pandemic (although given his influence, it is hard not to assign some culpability to him) but in his stated desire to improve the overall performance of government. For those of us who admired his intellect, his drive and his ambition to use data and technology to improve the decision-making that affects millions of people, it is a crushing disappointment.

For those of us who admired Cummings’ intellect, it is a crushing disappointment

The fact is that Cummings did have the opportunity to fundamentally re-shape the British state.

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