Until yesterday the story of Dominic Cummings and his drive to Durham was small beer.  An unelected adviser, known for his arrogance and aggression broke the lock down rules: true he had participated (wrongly in my view) in meetings of SAGE, true he has the ear of the prime minister, but at the end of the day he was just an adviser; and advisers are dispensable.

That was the case until yesterday when the Flatulent Leader, the prime minister himself, took to the podium to defend Cummings and his actions.  At that point the affair took on a significance and a gravity far beyond the actions of one man.  This was a government condoning the breaking of its own rules, placing the interest of one man above the welfare of the entire nation, a prime minister no longer bothering to disguise his contempt for the public.  It could hardly be more serious.