Dominic Cummings and the government are undermining the struggles ordinary families face over coronavirus

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My husband and I were most dismayed after the recent revelations about Dominic Cummings to find out that childcare from relatives is apparently allowed during coronavirus to ensure children are kept safe.

My husband, a keyworker as a supply chain director, suffered a moderate bout of Covid-19 according to the doctor he spoke to when he called 111. He has suffered for three weeks with a fever, breathlessness and lack of appetite which caused him to lose a stone of weight. He is still weak and has a bad cough six weeks later.

We believed we were not entitled to support from wider family and so struggled on needing to care for our four- and six-year old children, the oldest of which has autism.

I am a secondary school teacher juggling homeschooling, online lessons and marking but we are not entitled to childcare support as my husband can work at home and my son does not have an Educational Health and Care Plan.

We are dismayed that by endorsing Dominic Cummings’ approach the government is undermining the struggles that ordinary families have had to face during this pandemic and is going to encourage a spread of coronavirus.

Rebecca Egli​
Knutsford, Cheshire

Rules demand that one must drive in the road and avoid the pavement. However, if a juggernaut lorry came thundering down the road, one may decide to go on the pavement to avoid collision. It’s called common sense.

Those who seek punitive sanctions against supposed “transgressors of the rules” are paving the way for an alarming future. After the pandemic, are we heading for a society where the population is closely monitored?

A society where anyone who infringes the rules will be heavily punished? A society where humanity and using common sense and one’s own judgement is outlawed?

Fawzi Ibrahim
London

Dominic Cummings, Catherine Calderwood and Neil Ferguson? Background noise.

Hundreds are dying daily out there. Focus, people, focus.​

Martin Redfern
Edinburgh

The very existence of Dominic Cummings at the heart of government is an enigma in itself.

He elicits vitriolic condemnation from both political wings. I would venture to propose that he is a living embodiment of the state of our political world.

The battle between the right and left is no longer relevant and the struggle now is between populist libertarianism and centralised control.

My anxiety is that we are entering a period of conflict between the two.

John Dillon
Northfield, Birmingham

Time for tea

I agree with Annemarie Plas that it is probably best to stop the “Clap for our carers” scheme. I must admit when it started I felt that – if I was a carer – it must be nice to be publicly applauded for your efforts, but that it would be better if something a bit more positive could be arranged.

Being in the so-called vulnerable age bracket I thought the least we could do would be to make them a cup of tea or something each week.

Just think if all pensioners decided to buy a cup of tea! I’m sure most pensioners would be happy to pay, say 25p per week for a cup of tea. Say £1 per month or £12 per year.

To keep it simple this could be deducted from our pensions and donated to the NHS. Surely that would be a better way of showing our gratitude for their help and efforts though the year.

W Sandys
Cheshunt

Being Schooled

Sascha Lobo in Alistair Campbell’s recent piece does not consider Boris Johnson as bad as Donald Trump, but I regard him as much worse.

We should be able to expect more from one who has had the benefit of the most expensive education (presumably the best?) that money can buy in this country. Donald Trump has not the same American advantage.

Joanna Pallister
Durham City

Busier beaches

Judging from your recent article, the good people of the north were the only ones who had the sense to stay at home rather than head to the beach.

Doug Flack
Derby