Dominic Cummings has broken his silence after it emerged he apparently flouted lockdown rules by travelling to Durham with his sick wife and child.
“I behaved reasonably and legally,” he told reporters.
He added: “Who cares about good looks. It’s a question of doing the right thing. It’s not about what you guys think.”
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No 10 have said the visit he made to Durham was “essential”.
In the first official comment since it emerged that the prime minister’s chief adviser had apparently flouted lockdown rules, Downing Street said his actions were “in line” with the guidelines.
But the SNP have written to Sir Mark Sedwill, the head of the Civil Service, calling for him to investigate both Mr Cummings’ trip and what was known about it in Downing Street.
left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch.
1/50 22 May 2020Waves break onto a wall at Brighton beach
Reuters
2/50 21 May 2020Cafe owner Francini Osorio serves customers in a trial phase during the coronavirus lockdown. Osorio has installed an air purifier and 35 clear shower curtains, which will divide customers and tables, in the Francini Cafe De Colombia, Worcester, ready for the re-opening of his business as lockdown restrictions are eased
PA
3/50 20 May 2020People at Bournemouth beach in Dorset, as people flock to parks and beaches with lockdown measures eased. The Met Office has predicted the hottest day of the year
PA
4/50 19 May 2020A dog jumps into the water as families relax at a Lido in London
AP
5/50 18 May 2020A fan celebrates outside Celtic Park after Celtic were crowned champions of the Scottish Premiership. Hearts were also relegated after a decision was made to conclude the season with immediate effect
PA
6/50 17 May 2020People on Brighton beach after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown
PA
7/50 16 May 2020Police lead away Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as protesters gather in breach of lockdown rules in Hyde Park in London after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown.
PA
8/50 15 May 2020Estonian freelance ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve Mutso performs her daily fitness routine near her home in Glasgow, Scotland
Getty
9/50 14 May 2020Senior charge nurse Jan Ferguson views artwork “Theatre of Dott’s” by Kate Ive, inspired by Professor Norman Dott and his neurosurgery theatres at the Western General from 1960-2019. It is one of a number of artworks which sit on the walls of NHS Lothians’ Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) which has been transferred into a purpose-built new home on the Little France campus in Edinburgh
PA
10/50 13 May 2020Team GB’s karate athlete Jordan Thomas trains outside his apartment in Manchester
Reuters
11/50 12 May 2020Nurses from central London hospitals protest on international nurses day about the chronic underfunding of the NHS and other issues surrounding the health service outside the gates of Downing Street, London
PA
12/50 11 May 2020Waves crash at Tynemouth pier on the North East coast
PA
13/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
Reuters
14/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
Getty
15/50 8 May 2020The British Royal Air Force Red Arrows conduct a fly past over the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) in Britain
MOD/Reuters
16/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
Reuters
17/50 6 May 2020Labour Party leader Keir Starmer listens to Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during PMQs
UK Parliament/AFP/Getty
18/50 5 May 2020The sun appears to explode over the horizon in this montage of images captured by photographer Nick Lucas near his home in Ringwood, Hampshire. Nick took a number of pictures just a few seconds apart on a tripod mounted camera which were then combined to give the eye catching dawn image
Nick Lucas/SWNS
19/50 4 May 2020Leeds Green Watch firefighters observe a minute’s silence outside the fire station in Kirkstall Rd, in memory their colleagues that lost their lives in the line of duty
PA
20/50 3 May 2020Staff at The Berkeley hotel give food to ambulance workers
Reuters
21/50 2 May 2020One of a small group of anti-lockdown protesters speaks to a police officer as they gather outside New Scotland Yard in Victoria, London
AFP via Getty
22/50 1 May 2020Bonnie the Llama grazes in a field in the Scottish Borders alongside a sign supporting the NHS as the UK continues in lockdown
PA
23/50 30 April 2020Colonel Tom Moore and his daughter Hannah celebrate his 100th birthday, with an RAF flypast provided by a Spitfire and a Hurricane over his home in Marston Moretaine. Colonel Moore, formerly a Captain, received a promotion in honour of his birthday and in recognition of the funds, in excess of £30m, he raised for the NHS by walking laps of his garden
Capture the Light Photography/Getty
24/50 29 April 2020Britain’s Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions, as members of Parliament observe social distancing due to the coronavirus, in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, April 29, 2020
UK Parliament/AP
25/50 28 April 2020NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
26/50 27 April 2020The sun rises behind redundant oil platforms moored in the Firth of Forth near Kirkcaldy, Fife. Global oil prices have crashed after the coronavirus pandemic reduced demand, with analysts warning that the oil majors may be looking at one of their biggest quarter-on-quarter profitability hits in history.
PA
27/50 26 April 2020Frankie Lynch celebrates on the Mall where the finish of the London Marathon was due to take place today after running 2.6 miles instead of 26 miles to raise money for The Running Charity
Reuters
28/50 25 April 2020A muslim woman walks past balloons outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London
Reuters
29/50 24 April 2020An empty Brighton Pier, closed during the Coronavirus pandemic as temperatures reach 20 degrees in the South East
Rex
30/50 23 April 2020Farmers work with vehicles to prepare a field next to a field of flowering rapeseed near Pontefract, West Yorkshire
AFP/Getty
31/50 22 April 2020The Northern Lights, the Milky Way and a Lyrid meteor at the Bathing House near Howick, Northumberland, as the Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak
PA
32/50 21 April 2020Badger the Border Collie surrounded by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire
PA
33/50 20 April 2020A dog walker on Blyth beach in Northumberland
PA
34/50 19 April 2020A piece of coronavirus themed street art grafitti in East London
AFP via Getty
35/50 18 April 2020Members of the City Specialist Cleaning team spray disinfectant around posts in the town centre of Eastleigh, Hampshire
PA
36/50 17 April 2020A taped-up bench in the hamlet of Diglea, Greater Manchester
AFP/Getty
37/50 16 April 2020A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks past graffiti in Bow, London
Reuters
38/50 15 April 2020A burned down mobile phone mast in London. According to reports, at least 20 mobile phone masts across Britain are believed to have been vandalised and government and telecom sources are increasingly concerned about the impact of conspiracy theories linking coronavirus to 5G networks
EPA
39/50 14 April 2020The new Nightingale Hospital in Washington, Tyne and Wear, being fitted out
PA
40/50 13 April 2020Walkers enjoy the bluebells in Wanstead Park in London
PA
41/50 12 April 2020A woman prays at the closed doors of Westminster Cathedral ahead of the Easter morning mass in London
PA
42/50 11 April 2020A man jogs on an empty beach in Scarborough as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
43/50 10 April 2020Military personnel testing people at a coronavirus test centre in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures
Reuters
44/50 9 April 2020Posters drawn by children displayed in support of the NHS in a building near St Thomas’ Hospital in London
Getty
45/50 8 April 2020A street cleaner in front of Coronavirus messaging on Picadilly Circus in London
Getty
46/50 7 April 2020A jogger on the Millennium Bridge in London, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
47/50 6 April 2020A Royal Signals soldier practices during training held by the British Army. They are preparing them to support the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust in the battle against coronavirus
Ministry of Defence/Reuters
48/50 5 April 2020A police officer advises a woman to go home after spotting her enjoying the sun in Primrose Hill, London
AP
49/50 4 March 2020New Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer speaks on the announcement of his victory in the leadership race of the Labour Party
AFP via Getty
50/50 3 April 2020Health Secretary Matt Hancock and NHS staff stand on marks on the ground, put in place to ensure social distancing guidelines are adhered to, at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel centre in London, a temporary hospital with 4000 beds which has been set up for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday April 3, 2020. Split into more than 80 wards containing 42 beds each, the facility will be used to treat Covid-19 patients who have been transferred from other intensive care units across London.
PA
1/50 22 May 2020Waves break onto a wall at Brighton beach
Reuters
2/50 21 May 2020Cafe owner Francini Osorio serves customers in a trial phase during the coronavirus lockdown. Osorio has installed an air purifier and 35 clear shower curtains, which will divide customers and tables, in the Francini Cafe De Colombia, Worcester, ready for the re-opening of his business as lockdown restrictions are eased
PA
3/50 20 May 2020People at Bournemouth beach in Dorset, as people flock to parks and beaches with lockdown measures eased. The Met Office has predicted the hottest day of the year
PA
4/50 19 May 2020A dog jumps into the water as families relax at a Lido in London
AP
5/50 18 May 2020A fan celebrates outside Celtic Park after Celtic were crowned champions of the Scottish Premiership. Hearts were also relegated after a decision was made to conclude the season with immediate effect
PA
6/50 17 May 2020People on Brighton beach after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown
PA
7/50 16 May 2020Police lead away Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, as protesters gather in breach of lockdown rules in Hyde Park in London after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown.
PA
8/50 15 May 2020Estonian freelance ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve Mutso performs her daily fitness routine near her home in Glasgow, Scotland
Getty
9/50 14 May 2020Senior charge nurse Jan Ferguson views artwork “Theatre of Dott’s” by Kate Ive, inspired by Professor Norman Dott and his neurosurgery theatres at the Western General from 1960-2019. It is one of a number of artworks which sit on the walls of NHS Lothians’ Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) which has been transferred into a purpose-built new home on the Little France campus in Edinburgh
PA
10/50 13 May 2020Team GB’s karate athlete Jordan Thomas trains outside his apartment in Manchester
Reuters
11/50 12 May 2020Nurses from central London hospitals protest on international nurses day about the chronic underfunding of the NHS and other issues surrounding the health service outside the gates of Downing Street, London
PA
12/50 11 May 2020Waves crash at Tynemouth pier on the North East coast
PA
13/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
Reuters
14/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
Getty
15/50 8 May 2020The British Royal Air Force Red Arrows conduct a fly past over the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) in Britain
MOD/Reuters
16/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
Reuters
17/50 6 May 2020Labour Party leader Keir Starmer listens to Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during PMQs
UK Parliament/AFP/Getty
18/50 5 May 2020The sun appears to explode over the horizon in this montage of images captured by photographer Nick Lucas near his home in Ringwood, Hampshire. Nick took a number of pictures just a few seconds apart on a tripod mounted camera which were then combined to give the eye catching dawn image
Nick Lucas/SWNS
19/50 4 May 2020Leeds Green Watch firefighters observe a minute’s silence outside the fire station in Kirkstall Rd, in memory their colleagues that lost their lives in the line of duty
PA
20/50 3 May 2020Staff at The Berkeley hotel give food to ambulance workers
Reuters
21/50 2 May 2020One of a small group of anti-lockdown protesters speaks to a police officer as they gather outside New Scotland Yard in Victoria, London
AFP via Getty
22/50 1 May 2020Bonnie the Llama grazes in a field in the Scottish Borders alongside a sign supporting the NHS as the UK continues in lockdown
PA
23/50 30 April 2020Colonel Tom Moore and his daughter Hannah celebrate his 100th birthday, with an RAF flypast provided by a Spitfire and a Hurricane over his home in Marston Moretaine. Colonel Moore, formerly a Captain, received a promotion in honour of his birthday and in recognition of the funds, in excess of £30m, he raised for the NHS by walking laps of his garden
Capture the Light Photography/Getty
24/50 29 April 2020Britain’s Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions, as members of Parliament observe social distancing due to the coronavirus, in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday, April 29, 2020
UK Parliament/AP
25/50 28 April 2020NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
26/50 27 April 2020The sun rises behind redundant oil platforms moored in the Firth of Forth near Kirkcaldy, Fife. Global oil prices have crashed after the coronavirus pandemic reduced demand, with analysts warning that the oil majors may be looking at one of their biggest quarter-on-quarter profitability hits in history.
PA
27/50 26 April 2020Frankie Lynch celebrates on the Mall where the finish of the London Marathon was due to take place today after running 2.6 miles instead of 26 miles to raise money for The Running Charity
Reuters
28/50 25 April 2020A muslim woman walks past balloons outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London
Reuters
29/50 24 April 2020An empty Brighton Pier, closed during the Coronavirus pandemic as temperatures reach 20 degrees in the South East
Rex
30/50 23 April 2020Farmers work with vehicles to prepare a field next to a field of flowering rapeseed near Pontefract, West Yorkshire
AFP/Getty
31/50 22 April 2020The Northern Lights, the Milky Way and a Lyrid meteor at the Bathing House near Howick, Northumberland, as the Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak
PA
32/50 21 April 2020Badger the Border Collie surrounded by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire
PA
33/50 20 April 2020A dog walker on Blyth beach in Northumberland
PA
34/50 19 April 2020A piece of coronavirus themed street art grafitti in East London
AFP via Getty
35/50 18 April 2020Members of the City Specialist Cleaning team spray disinfectant around posts in the town centre of Eastleigh, Hampshire
PA
36/50 17 April 2020A taped-up bench in the hamlet of Diglea, Greater Manchester
AFP/Getty
37/50 16 April 2020A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks past graffiti in Bow, London
Reuters
38/50 15 April 2020A burned down mobile phone mast in London. According to reports, at least 20 mobile phone masts across Britain are believed to have been vandalised and government and telecom sources are increasingly concerned about the impact of conspiracy theories linking coronavirus to 5G networks
EPA
39/50 14 April 2020The new Nightingale Hospital in Washington, Tyne and Wear, being fitted out
PA
40/50 13 April 2020Walkers enjoy the bluebells in Wanstead Park in London
PA
41/50 12 April 2020A woman prays at the closed doors of Westminster Cathedral ahead of the Easter morning mass in London
PA
42/50 11 April 2020A man jogs on an empty beach in Scarborough as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
43/50 10 April 2020Military personnel testing people at a coronavirus test centre in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures
Reuters
44/50 9 April 2020Posters drawn by children displayed in support of the NHS in a building near St Thomas’ Hospital in London
Getty
45/50 8 April 2020A street cleaner in front of Coronavirus messaging on Picadilly Circus in London
Getty
46/50 7 April 2020A jogger on the Millennium Bridge in London, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus
PA
47/50 6 April 2020A Royal Signals soldier practices during training held by the British Army. They are preparing them to support the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust in the battle against coronavirus
Ministry of Defence/Reuters
48/50 5 April 2020A police officer advises a woman to go home after spotting her enjoying the sun in Primrose Hill, London
AP
49/50 4 March 2020New Leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer speaks on the announcement of his victory in the leadership race of the Labour Party
AFP via Getty
50/50 3 April 2020Health Secretary Matt Hancock and NHS staff stand on marks on the ground, put in place to ensure social distancing guidelines are adhered to, at the opening of the NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCel centre in London, a temporary hospital with 4000 beds which has been set up for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday April 3, 2020. Split into more than 80 wards containing 42 beds each, the facility will be used to treat Covid-19 patients who have been transferred from other intensive care units across London.
PA
Defending Mr Cummings, a No 10 spokesman said: “Owing to his wife being infected with suspected Coronavirus and the high likelihood that he would himself become unwell, it was essential for Dominic Cummings to ensure his young child could be properly cared for. His sister and nieces had volunteered to help so he went to a house near to but separate from his extended family in case their help was needed. His sister shopped for the family and left everything outside. At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported. His actions were in line with coronavirus guidelines. Mr Cummings believes he behaved reasonably and legally.”
Members of the cabinet also defended Mr Cummings.
Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, tweeted: “Taking care of your wife and young child is justifiable and reasonable, trying to score political points over it isn’t.”
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, wrote in a similar vein: “It’s reasonable and fair to ask for an explanation on this. And it has been provided: two parents with Coronavirus, were anxiously taking care of their young child. Those now seeking to politicise it should take a long hard look in the mirror.”
Michael Gove, the cabinet office minister, added: “Caring for your wife and child is not a crime.”
Opposition politicians have accused No 10 of a ‘cover up’ after reports some in Downing Street knew Mr Cummings had made the 260-mile journey during lockdown.
Labour have called on Boris Johnson to say whether or not he sanctioned the trip.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said that Mr Johnson had questions to answer and should fire his chief adviser immediately.
Police have confirmed they visited a property in County Durham after Mr Cummings made the trip from his London home.
Following reports Mr Cummings and his wife travelled to his parents’ home to get help to care for their young son, Mr Blackford told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What I find interesting…is that (according to some reports) members of Downing Street knew about this so, first and foremost, Boris Johnson has serious questions to answer over what now appears to be a cover-up.”
Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, warned the “integrity of the prime minister” was at stake.
He called on Mr Johnson to state publicly if he believed Mr Cummings had adhered to the rules.
“It’s clearly a matter of public interest – lockdown has been heartbreaking for so many families, this looks like one rule for those at the centre of government and one rule for everyone else,” he said.
The details of Mr Cumming’s trip were revealed by the Daily Mirror and the Guardian.
A neighbour told the papers Mr Cummings was seen in the garden, while Abba’s Dancing Queen was playing loudly.
Durham police confirmed officers had spoken to the owners of an address after reports a person had travelled there from London.
A spokesman said: “On Tuesday, March 31, our officers were made aware of reports that an individual had travelled from London to Durham and was present at an address in the city.
“Officers made contact with the owners of that address who confirmed that the individual in question was present and was self-isolating in part of the house.
“In line with national policing guidance, officers explained to the family the arrangements around self-isolation guidelines and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel.”
Senior members of Mr Johnson’s own party expressed concern Mr Cumming’s journey could endanger the government’s plans to lift the lockdown.
Former Tory cabinet minister David Lidington, Theresa May’s de facto deputy prime minister, told Newsnight: “There’s clearly serious questions that No 10 are going to have to address, not least because the readiness of members of the public to follow government guidance more generally is going to be affected by this sort of story.”
Professor Neil Ferguson, the epidemiologist whose modelling prompted the lockdown, quit as a government adviser for flouting the rules when he was visited at this home by his girlfriend.
At the time Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said he was “speechless” and said he backed any police action against Mr Ferguson.
Sir Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, called for Mr Cummings to quit over the allegations, while a spokesman for Labour said: “The British people do not expect there to be one rule for them and another rule for Dominic Cummings.”
He told the BBC Mr Johnson had serious questions to answer. “Did he sanction this? Did he say “this is ok”?”
Allies of Mr Cummings said he was not “remotely bothered” by the story, calling it “fake news”.
“There is zero chance of him resigning.”
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk