Dominic Cummings lambasts UK constitutional system in Lords committee hearing

During a hearing of the House of Lords constitution committee, former chief adviser Dominic Cummings offered a blistering assessment of the United Kingdom’s unwritten constitution, calling it a "fake charade" and a "duff" system. He claimed that the modern civil service, created after 19th-century reforms, has eroded ministerial accountability and driven talented individuals away from public service. Cummings blamed the Cabinet Office for dominating policy and portrayed civil servants as the true power holders, even suggesting they hinder learning from Ukraine’s drone use.

He dismissed Vladimir Putin as a "tiny problem" and targeted ex-health secretary Matt Hancock, referencing the latter’s pandemic-era affair. Committee chair Lord Strathclyde noted Cummings’ familiar rhetoric, and other peers reacted with grimaces and smirks as he repeatedly urged the institution to assume responsibility.