Dominic Cummings, the former chief adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has faced little sympathy online after revealing that he had to undergo emergency eye surgery.
The news came after a routine eye check-up, when Cummings was rushed to Moorfields Eye Hospital. He took to social media platform X to explain why he had been absent from tweeting about the ongoing Covid Inquiry proceedings.
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On Wednesday night, Cummings wrote on X, “After a routine appointment this morning, I was immediately taken to the hospital for an emergency eye operation. I am grateful to the brilliant staff at Moorfields who took care of me with such kindness today.”
Was going to blog on Sedwill evidence but after routine appointment this am was shoved in a cab to an emergency eye operation, thanks so much to *brilliant Moorfields staff who looked after me with such kindness today*. And no this is not the result of my excellent drink with… pic.twitter.com/gjiJoBVrgF
— Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) November 8, 2023
However, users on X, formerly known as Twitter, were quick to draw a connection between Cummings’ eye surgery and his controversial ‘Barnard Castle eye test’ scandal in 2020.
Cummings seemed to acknowledge the connection, responding to the comments with humor. He wrote, “Once the bandage is off, I’ll need to test it out… Suggestions welcome…”
During the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Cummings found himself at the center of a media storm when he drove his family on a 52-mile round trip from Durham to Barnard Castle.
He later claimed that he made the journey to test his eyesight before embarking on a 300-mile drive back to London.
Many X users took the opportunity to remind Cummings of his previous actions. One user sarcastically commented, “Finally got an eye test! Did you not think about driving yourself?” Another user questioned Cummings’ decision to take a taxi to the hospital, saying, “The punchline writes itself.”
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Some users made light of the situation, with Andy Cribb joking, “Should have gone to Barnard Castle,” and Chris Strange adding, “Congratulations Dominic, you’ve just made the next edition of Private Eye.”
Despite the backlash, there were also users who expressed sympathy and wished Cummings a speedy recovery.
