The Herald: Iain Macwhirter Unspun banner new

Could the hacks be next? As Dominic Cummings systematically attacks those he blames for his downfall - from the Prime Minister down - his next move may be to expose those journalists he has accused of attending parties in Downing St.  

On 6th December 2021, Mr Cummings tweeted that  “hacks” were trying to “bury” the partygate story to protect themselves.  He has little respect for the parliamentary lobby who he regards as malign cretins who hounded him over his lockdown-breaking trip to Barnard Castle.  

The Dom has never named names but there’s  been speculation that the political editors of Conservative-leaning papers like the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph might have been among the “hacks” attending parties.  In my experience it is just as likely to be non-Tory members of the parliamentary lobby attending Downing St. social gatherings.   

All prime ministers and ministers schmooze the media. First Ministers of Scotland used to hold Christmas parties at which politicians and journalists let their hair down.  Such gatherings both here and in Downing Street were of course halted during lockdown and after. 

But Mr Cummings claims that some pals of Boris Johnson, himself a former Daily Telegraph columnist, were still invited for the odd convivial “working” drink.


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