The PM may have missed COBRA meetings to write a Shakespeare biography to fund his divorce

You know that fear you feel when an ex who knows all your secrets takes the break-up really badly? Well, the government, in general, and Boris Johnson, in particular, must be experiencing a very similar sensation right now.

Former golden boy, Dominic Cummings has been spilling the beans like he’s on a sponsored bean spill for charity.

He went all-in on dishing the dirt with an enormous Twitter thread, which he started on Saturday night.

There’s something almost poignant about Dominic Cummings composing a 42-tweet thread while everyone ignores him and watches Eurovision

— Anita Singh (@anitathetweeter) May 22, 2021

Both the allegations from the thread and the utter panic at what else he might reveal painted a very bad picture of the government’s handling of the coronavirus, with a couple of bombshells, including this one.

Dominic Cummings confirms herd immunity was the plan all along. If he didn't agree, he should have told the person in charge – himself. https://t.co/GwuvyNoxgo

— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) May 22, 2021

Heartbreaking: the worst person you know just made a great accusation pic.twitter.com/NMq9dOMA4a

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 22, 2021

While it has long been believed that herd immunity was an early policy, the reason for the PM missing five crucial COBRA meetings has only been a cause for speculation. Until now.

Boris Johnson may have missed key COBRA meetings last year at the start of the pandemic in order to write a lucrative book and help pay for his divorce, according to the Sunday Times 👀 pic.twitter.com/5mAF3IVPJ0

— Tom Harper (@TomJHarper) May 22, 2021

Big story which Sunday Times doesn’t make enough of. They say officials fear Cummings will say Johnson missed 5 key Covid meetings at start of crisis as was writing his Shakespeare biography to fund his divorce settlement. I’d heard same from non- Govt source but couldn’t prove. pic.twitter.com/i7BChF5Z4M

— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) May 23, 2021

If true, the implications are both serious and profound.

The Cummings revelation shows that the government owe me my left eye, left ear, the dizziness, occasional brain fog and the months of April and May 2020. But that's nothing to the 130,000 dead and the many more with #LongCovid and the trauma of millions.

— Michael Rosen 💙💙🎓🎓 (@MichaelRosenYes) May 22, 2021

People shared their thoughts on the allegation.

1.

Looks like we'll soon find out if political ratings are affected by spending 27 grand on takeaways & missing Cobra meetings cos you were hacking out a crap book to meet divorce expenses…or whether we're totally through-the-looking-glass. Either way, quite a time to be alive

— John Harris (@johnharris1969) May 23, 2021

2.

Er, why does the Prime Minister have time to work on a book? I’m not saying he should be working 24/7, but I don’t think it is unfair to expect running the country to be, like, the thing he does when not relaxing. https://t.co/8JCkEI1NTu

— James O'Malley (@Psythor) May 22, 2021

3.

“‘Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got in infamy,’ wrote William Shakespeare and – alas, chums – I know how he felt as critics, like the reigning monarch King Alfred, banned his plays from Netflix”
– excerpt from Boris Johnson’s new book, ‘Shakespeare – Honestly, I Got Paid For This’

— Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) May 23, 2021

4.

Given the choice between a Boris Johnson book about Shakespeare or your Nan not dying, how many times do you want to punch the Prime Minister in the face?

— Kim Newman (@AnnoDracula) May 23, 2021

5.

BREAKING: No10 describes the claim that Boris Johnson missed coronavirus meetings to work on a biography of Shakespeare as “total nonsense” He was writing two books, one Pro and one Anti-Shakespeare.

— The DM Reporter (@DMReporter) May 23, 2021

6.

I for one think it’s wonderful that the health of the nation was sacrificed for the sake of Boris penned Shakespeare biography https://t.co/TFPRO88vgY

— Rosie Holt (@RosieisaHolt) May 23, 2021

7.

This is a national disgrace, imho.

That a publisher was willing to offer that idiot money for his – undoubtedly – dreadful and half-arsed Shakespeare biography is nothing short of scandalous. https://t.co/u6Qnnb8Wsq

— . (@twlldun) May 23, 2021

Of course, it’s currently just an allegation.

No10 spokesperson describes the claim that Johnson missed coronavirus meetings to work on a biography of Shakespeare as “total nonsense” https://t.co/c0rV8TWO51

— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) May 23, 2021

It isn’t proof, but this nugget of information from Mikey Smith certainly doesn’t look great for the PM’s defence.

So here’s a thing. On Feb 5 2020, a day he's accused of skipping a Cobra meeting to write his Shakespeare book, Boris went on an extended, unprompted monologue about the Bard during People’s PMQs. https://t.co/TXspWHSXuL https://t.co/lUKg4eNlp9

— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) May 23, 2021

Neither does Exhibit B.

I see @borisjohnson is saying the allegation he was writing a book on Shakespeare is utter nonsense. Cursory check of Amazon and lo, what have we here? March 2022. Well now. pic.twitter.com/pYpXhwgWxL

— Emma Kennedy💙 (@EmmaKennedy) May 23, 2021

And it all seemed a little unfair to broadcaster and best-selling author, James O’Brien.

I wasn’t even allowed to use book-writing as an excuse to avoid emptying the dishwasher. Boris Johnson reportedly used it to skip five COBRA meetings at the beginning of a pandemic that went on to kill 128,000 of the people he supposedly governs.

— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) May 23, 2021

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The verdict on whether Boris Johnson broke the ministerial code will be decided by …Boris Johnson

Source Michael Crick, Tom Harper Image Screengrab Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash