Why on earth did they pick the rose garden for this bizarre political pantomime?
Did they think the leafy loveliness would somehow soften the abrasive image of Bo Jo's punchy puppet master.
Or was the venue - and that half hour delay- simply designed to make the reporters sweat on their purple velvet chairs?
Because Cummings' intention was clearly to stick it to the media and blame “mis-reporting” for making people angry.
Not his own breathtaking arrogance, irresponsible behaviour and staggering lack or remorse.
The oddball No 10 advisor HAD made a bit of an effort to look more human though.
He'd ditched the jumble-sale chic for a proper pair of trousers and an almost-ironed shirt.
And had he swapped the sinister specs for contact lenses...now the dodgy eyesight that prompted a test-drive to a beauty spot has cleared up?
But as he sat at his desk, beside a pretty alcove and pot plant, the dappled sunlight hit his balding pate and Cummings was soon sweating too.
Because his rambling excuses were rightly met with bemusement and utter contempt by the press.
Sky's Beth Rigby in her scarlet lippy could barely conceal her fury and Robert Peston sighed like a deflating balloon.
But Cummings just sat there, behind his picnic table (a put-up job, how fitting!) reeling off dates and insisting he'd done absolutely nothing wrong.
That's when we realised why they'd picked the rose garden.
It was clearly in need of a massive, steaming pile of manure.
