A defiant Dominic Cummings said he did not regret driving 260 miles during lockdown and that he still believed his journey was “reasonable” as he broke his silence to fight for his political career.
During an extraordinary press conference in the rose garden of Downing Street, Mr Cummings also admitted what appeared to be second clear breach of the rules when he said he had taken a 30 mile trip to a beauty spot while in County Durham.
Despite calls from more than a dozen Tory MPs for his head, Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser said he had not considered standing down over the controversy.
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Last night a number of cabinet ministers lined up to publicly support Mr Cummings, for the second time in three days.
But rank-and-file Tory MPs reported that Mr Cummings’s statement had failed to win over their constituents.
One MP told The Independent they had received a flood of angry emails in the wake of Mr Cummings’s attempt to explain his actions.
Even an announcement by Mr Johnson that shops in England would reopen in the middle of next month appeared to do little to stem public anger over his most senior adviser’s behaviour.
During more than an hour of questions from the press, Mr Cummings said: “I don’t regret what I did. I think reasonable people may well disagree about how I thought about what to do in the circumstances, but I think what I did was actually reasonable in these circumstances.”
He said he hoped that people would understand his actions once they knew the “very complex situation” he was facing.
The 30 mile trip to Barnard Castle was to test his eyesight, he said, ahead of a long drive back to London. Mr Cummings was concerned his sight had been affected when he came down with Covid-19 symptoms in Durham, he added.
He travelled to Durham in the first place to seek help with childcare because he feared he and his wife were about to fall ill with the virus, he said.
He was also concerned about the safety of his young child in London, after his high-profile position in government attracted threats.
But he added that he never considered approaching a friend or neighbour in London for help with his child for fear of exposing them to a “deadly disease”.
And he said he was motivated in part by a desire to return to work in Downing Street and to ensure his family were safe if he did so.
The senior aide denied making any stops on the journey from London to Durham. But he could only say he was “95 per cent sure” he had stopped off on the way home.
He also admitted sitting near a river in Barnard Castle and that he and his wife had gone into some woods on the way back because his son needed to go to the toilet.
Mr Cummings said his trip north had not been sanctioned by the prime minister. But he admitted that he had told Mr Johnson about it shortly afterwords, meaning the prime minster had been aware of the breach in the lockdown rules for weeks.
Asked later, Mr Johnson said he had “regrets” but only about the anger and confusion the public felt over his aide’s 500-mile round trip.
left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch.
1/50 25 May 2020Dominic Cummings, senior aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street, London, over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions
AP
2/50 24 May 2020A demonstrator holds a sign reading ‘Why are you above the law?’ outside the house of Dominic Cummings in London, following allegations Cummings broke coronavirus lockdown rules by travelling across the country
Reuters
3/50 23 May 2020People take a walk near Durdle Door as cows graze in Lulworth
Reuters
4/50 22 May 2020Waves break onto a wall at Brighton beach
Reuters
5/50 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
6/50 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
7/50 19 May 2020A dog jumps into the water as families relax at a Lido in London
AP
8/50 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
9/50 17 May 2020People on Brighton beach after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown
PA
10/50 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
11/50 15 May 2020Estonian freelance ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve Mutso performs her daily fitness routine near her home in Glasgow, Scotland
Getty
12/50 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
13/50 13 May 2020Team GB’s karate athlete Jordan Thomas trains outside his apartment in Manchester
Reuters
14/50 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
15/50 11 May 2020Waves crash at Tynemouth pier on the North East coast
PA
16/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
Reuters
17/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
Getty
18/50 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
19/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
Reuters
20/50 6 May 2020Labour Party leader Keir Starmer listens to Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during PMQs
UK Parliament/AFP/Getty
21/50 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
22/50 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
23/50 3 May 2020Staff at The Berkeley hotel give food to ambulance workers
Reuters
24/50 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
25/50 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
26/50 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
27/50 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
28/50 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
29/50 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
30/50 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
31/50 25 April 2020A muslim woman walks past balloons outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London
Reuters
32/50 24 April 2020An empty Brighton Pier, closed during the Coronavirus pandemic as temperatures reach 20 degrees in the South East
Rex
33/50 23 April 2020Farmers work with vehicles to prepare a field next to a field of flowering rapeseed near Pontefract, West Yorkshire
AFP/Getty
34/50 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
35/50 21 April 2020Badger the Border Collie surrounded by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire
PA
36/50 20 April 2020A dog walker on Blyth beach in Northumberland
PA
37/50 19 April 2020A piece of coronavirus themed street art grafitti in East London
AFP via Getty
38/50 18 April 2020Members of the City Specialist Cleaning team spray disinfectant around posts in the town centre of Eastleigh, Hampshire
PA
39/50 17 April 2020A taped-up bench in the hamlet of Diglea, Greater Manchester
AFP/Getty
40/50 16 April 2020A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks past graffiti in Bow, London
Reuters
41/50 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
42/50 14 April 2020The new Nightingale Hospital in Washington, Tyne and Wear, being fitted out
PA
43/50 13 April 2020Walkers enjoy the bluebells in Wanstead Park in London
PA
44/50 12 April 2020A woman prays at the closed doors of Westminster Cathedral ahead of the Easter morning mass in London
PA
45/50 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
46/50 10 April 2020Military personnel testing people at a coronavirus test centre in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures
Reuters
47/50 9 April 2020Posters drawn by children displayed in support of the NHS in a building near St Thomas’ Hospital in London
Getty
48/50 8 April 2020A street cleaner in front of Coronavirus messaging on Picadilly Circus in London
Getty
49/50 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
50/50 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
1/50 25 May 2020Dominic Cummings, senior aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street, London, over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions
AP
2/50 24 May 2020A demonstrator holds a sign reading ‘Why are you above the law?’ outside the house of Dominic Cummings in London, following allegations Cummings broke coronavirus lockdown rules by travelling across the country
Reuters
3/50 23 May 2020People take a walk near Durdle Door as cows graze in Lulworth
Reuters
4/50 22 May 2020Waves break onto a wall at Brighton beach
Reuters
5/50 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
6/50 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
7/50 19 May 2020A dog jumps into the water as families relax at a Lido in London
AP
8/50 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
9/50 17 May 2020People on Brighton beach after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown
PA
10/50 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
11/50 15 May 2020Estonian freelance ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve Mutso performs her daily fitness routine near her home in Glasgow, Scotland
Getty
12/50 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
13/50 13 May 2020Team GB’s karate athlete Jordan Thomas trains outside his apartment in Manchester
Reuters
14/50 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
15/50 11 May 2020Waves crash at Tynemouth pier on the North East coast
PA
16/50 10 May 2020A woman passes street art and a poster in East London
Reuters
17/50 9 May 2020Police patrol the beach in Brighton
Getty
18/50 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
19/50 7 May 2020Team GB sailor Eilidh McIntyre during a training session at her home in Portsmouth
Reuters
20/50 6 May 2020Labour Party leader Keir Starmer listens to Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking during PMQs
UK Parliament/AFP/Getty
21/50 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
22/50 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
23/50 3 May 2020Staff at The Berkeley hotel give food to ambulance workers
Reuters
24/50 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
25/50 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
26/50 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
27/50 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
28/50 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
29/50 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
30/50 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
31/50 25 April 2020A muslim woman walks past balloons outside the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London
Reuters
32/50 24 April 2020An empty Brighton Pier, closed during the Coronavirus pandemic as temperatures reach 20 degrees in the South East
Rex
33/50 23 April 2020Farmers work with vehicles to prepare a field next to a field of flowering rapeseed near Pontefract, West Yorkshire
AFP/Getty
34/50 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
35/50 21 April 2020Badger the Border Collie surrounded by bluebells at Shrawley Wood in Worcestershire
PA
36/50 20 April 2020A dog walker on Blyth beach in Northumberland
PA
37/50 19 April 2020A piece of coronavirus themed street art grafitti in East London
AFP via Getty
38/50 18 April 2020Members of the City Specialist Cleaning team spray disinfectant around posts in the town centre of Eastleigh, Hampshire
PA
39/50 17 April 2020A taped-up bench in the hamlet of Diglea, Greater Manchester
AFP/Getty
40/50 16 April 2020A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves walks past graffiti in Bow, London
Reuters
41/50 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
42/50 14 April 2020The new Nightingale Hospital in Washington, Tyne and Wear, being fitted out
PA
43/50 13 April 2020Walkers enjoy the bluebells in Wanstead Park in London
PA
44/50 12 April 2020A woman prays at the closed doors of Westminster Cathedral ahead of the Easter morning mass in London
PA
45/50 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
46/50 10 April 2020Military personnel testing people at a coronavirus test centre in the car park of Chessington World of Adventures
Reuters
47/50 9 April 2020Posters drawn by children displayed in support of the NHS in a building near St Thomas’ Hospital in London
Getty
48/50 8 April 2020A street cleaner in front of Coronavirus messaging on Picadilly Circus in London
Getty
49/50 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
50/50 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
No 10 sources later suggested that Mr Cummings’s wife could not have driven the family home from Durham because she was not insured.
At least 15 Conservative MPs, including former ministers, have now called for Mr Cummings to go, while several others have spoken out against his behaviour.
The prime minister is also coming under mounting pressure from his own MPs to order a Whitehall investigation into the case.
The local police and crime commissioner has also asked the chief constable of Durham police to establish the facts about Mr Cummings’s movements in Durham and whether he broke the law.
Less than an hour before his statement the Tory MP for the area said she hoped reports he had taken a day trip in her constituency were untrue.
Boris Johnson on Dominic Cummings: ‘I regret the confusion and the anger that people feel’
Dehenna Davison, the MP for Bishop Auckland, said if the rules had been broken “appropriate action should be taken”.
Earlier, a number of senior clergymen issued stinging criticism of Mr Johnson’s defence of his chief aide.
The Right Reverend Paul Butler, bishop of Durham, said the public’s trust had been “broken”.
The Right Reverend Nick Baines, bishop of Leeds, tweeted: “The question now is: do we accept being lied to, patronised and treated by a PM as mugs?”
Meanwhile, the Faculty of Public Health, which represents public health professionals, said the government’s response to Mr Cummings’s actions had “undermined essential public health messaging”.
It added that it supported “at the very least an inquiry into the matter”.
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk