Don't copy Dominic Cummings – MP in plea to public after lockdown rule breach fiasco

Kilmarnock and Loudoun MP Alan Brown hit out this week at Mr Cummings who is a special adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Furious local politicians have called on Dominic Cummings to go as the lockdown rule breach fiasco engulfing the Prime Minister’s special adviser continues.

Alan Brown, the Kilmarnock and Loudoun SNP MP, and Colin Smyth, Labour South Scotland MSP, told the Kilmarnock Standard Cummings should resign or be sacked by Boris Johnson.

Mr Cummings sparked anger after travelling 260 miles from his London home to his parents’ property in Durham at the end of March despite fearing he and his wife may be coming down with the coronavirus.

He said he self-isolated in another building on the estate with his wife and young son, and made the journey because he had childcare concerns should they both end up falling seriously ill.

At a press conference on Monday, Mr Cummings then admitted a further lockdown breach with a near 60-mile round trip to Barnard Castle on Sunday, April 12 – his wife’s birthday.

In a public statement, he told how the family-of-three got out of the car and sat by the riverside for 15 minutes – this was during Easter weekend when the whole of the UK was on strict lockdown and told to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

Mr Cummings was ridiculed for his explanation for the Barnard Castle trip when he said he had driven to the beauty spot to make sure his eyesight was good enough to make the journey back to London.

A number of Tory MPs have called on Mr Cummings to go with junior minster Douglas Ross, MP for Moray, resigning on Tuesday morning.

Police in Durham investigated the whole affair which has angered people across the United Kingdom who have been unable to see their families, visit relatives dying in hospital or go to funerals.

On Thursday afternoon, police said they did not believe Mr Cummings breached health regulations by travelling from London to Durham but stated there might have been a minor breach of the rules with regards Mr Cummings's Barnard Castle excursion.

They added that had an office spoken to him at the time, he would have received advice and likely been told to return to his Durham base.

Mr Brown said: “Since Cummings won’t do the decent thing and resign, he should be sacked. It is pathetic to see the UK Government including the Prime Minister make excuses on his behalf.”

When asked what people with similar circumstances and concerns as Mr Cummings should do, Mr Brown insisted they must stay put in their own home.

He added: “I would plead with constituents not to follow this example. If you are so physically ill that you cannot look after your child, then of course you may need to consider alternative arrangements.

“However, anyone who is ill should not be leaving the house at all – and getting public transport is a big no-no.

“Therefore, you may need your child to be picked up. However, this would only be in the most extreme circumstances as this still involves risks of spreading COVID-19.”

Mr Smyth added: “Without a doubt, Dominic Cummings should be sacked immediately for his actions during lockdown and Boris Johnson’s handling of the situation has been completely unacceptable.

“What is particularly upsetting for people listening to his statement is that they have followed the lockdown rules, while Dominic Cummings did not. Some people have missed the chance to spend final moments with a loved one, some have missed their loved ones’ funerals. Some have had no help with childcare, despite illness. Some people’s sacrifices during this time will leave a lasting trauma.”

South Scotland Conservative MSP Brian Whittle initially said people can look at the facts of the case and decide whether or not they would have made the same decisions.

But in a revised statement on Tuesday afternoon, he thought it was time Mr Cummings considered his position.

He said: “The rules are in place for good reason and many of us have had to make tough decisions to stick to them.

Many of us in Dominic Cummings’s position might have made the same choices for our own families, but we did not believe the rules would allow us to do what Mr Cummings did .

“Whether or not his actions were within the rules, Mr Cummings's actions have seriously damaged that trust and left the public feeling understandably angry.

“It is for the Prime Minister to decide whether Mr Cummings stays or goes, but his continued presence is a serious distraction at a time when we should be focused on protecting the public and ensuring the country is able to exit lockdown safely.

“I think Mr Cummings should seriously consider his position.”