Perth and Kinross Conservative councillor launches passionate defence of Dominic Cummings

Councillor Ian James also attacked the media, branding it "politically-biased"

A Perth and Kinross councillor has launched a passionate defence of Dominic Cummings, branding the press who were reporting on the issue as “politically-biased”.

Councillor Ian James also said other public figures had broken the lockdown and not been subjected to the same scrutiny.

Mr Cummings, the prime minister’s chief adviser, sparked controversy when it was revealed he drove 260 miles across the country with his family during lockdown.

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Earlier this week he admitted travelling from Westminster to his home on March 27 after his wife fell ill with COVID-19 symptoms then returned to work hours later. He then drove his wife and son to County Durham to stay in a cottage on his parents’ farm.

He developed symptoms on March 28 and drove to the hospital on April 3 to pick up his wife and son after his son took ill.

On his wife’s birthday, Easter Sunday (April 12), he drove 30 minutes away to Barnard Castle to apparently test his eyesight then drove his family home to London the following day.

Boris Johnson has stoutly defended Mr Cummings despite widespread public anger.

The Perthshire Advertiser asked all 17 Conservative councillors for their views, but only four responded.

All four said they had not been contacted by constituents on the matter, but only Cllr James, who represents Strathtay, defended Mr Cummings.

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He said: “Dominic Cummings is without doubt a ‘Marmite’ character, especially given his involvement and success with Brexit and it is my belief that this latest hate campaign is politically motivated.

“The prime minister has already investigated this episode and has given his verdict. One which I fully support.”

Cllr James said Mr Cummings has “acted in the best interests of his wife and child” and insisted “no social distancing rules were broken and no interaction with anyone else was made.”

He also said he would have “probably” taken the same decision.

On the media who broke the story, Cllr James raged: “The sight of the baying press gathering outside his home to hound him this week was sickening. They were bunched so tightly together around his property that you couldn’t have placed a cigarette paper between them. They were breaking every social distancing rule in place, complaining about a man who had been legally self-isolating with his family. The sheer hypocrisy is unbelievable.

“This is polarising the country again and detracting from far more important issues that need to be dealt with rather than this nonsense, starting with testing for the virus in our care homes.

“I am dismayed with the way that this country panders to ill-informed social media ‘experts’ and politically-biased press and media.”

However, Mr Cummings did not have much more support locally.

Carse of Gowrie councillor Angus Forbes thinks Mr Cummings should resign.

But he added: “I don’t believe this will have any impact on lockdown.

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“In my opinion, the people of Scotland want to get back to some sort of normality as soon as possible anyway. No constituents have contacted me to express an opinion on this one way or another.”

Strathearn Tory councillor Roz McCall took a similar view. She said: “In my opinion, Mr Cummings should have resigned immediately and I agree with Jackson Carlaw’s statement that Mr Cummings should consider his position.

“I don’t see why it should have any effect on the lockdown here in Scotland as the Scottish Government has taken a different timeframe to easing the lockdown. The conditions are the same as England but the timing is different.”

However Dr Crawford Reid, who represents the Strathallan ward, said he feared Cummings’ actions would not only affect people heeding the advice to stay at home but would have wider implications on people adhering government advice in general.

Dr Reid, who died not back Boris Johnson for the party leadership, said: “I admire the PM’s loyalty, but disagree with his decision.

“I am concerned about the potential effect on adherence to government advice in general, not just lock down.

“The distraction caused by this story is unhelpful and Mr Cummings should do the honourable thing and resign.”