More than 1 million people have signed a petition calling for Dominic Cummings to be sacked over allegedly breaching the lockdown rules.
Despite Downing Street’s attempts to shift focus away from the row, hundreds of thousands of people added their names to the petition demanding that the prime minister fire his chief aide.
Boris Johnson is standing by his top adviser amid controversy of Mr Cummings’ decision to drive 260 miles to his parents’ house in Durham at the height of lockdown.
Download the new Independent Premium app
Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
While there, Mr Cummings also made a 25-mile trip to Barnard Castle, which he sought to justify by claiming he wanted to test his eyesight ahead of the much longer drive back to London so he could resume his work at No 10.
On Thursday, Durham Constabulary said Mr Cummings may have broken the rules with the Easter Sunday visit to Barnard Castle, but concluded that no action would be taken against him.
But his earlier journey from London to his parents’ farm in County Durham was not an offence, the police said.
Mr Johnson urged people to “move on” from the row during a grilling by MPs on Wednesday but anger at Mr Cummings’ actions from the public, opposition MPs and even Conservatives showed no sign of abating.
Dozens of Tory MPs broke cover to call for his removal from Downing Street, while many privately fear that the row has diluted the public health message and damaged public trust in the government.
A recent YouGov poll found 59 per cent of people thought Mr Cummings should resign and 71 per cent believed he had broken the rules.
In a blow to the government, the Tory lead over Labour narrowed to six points, from 15 points on the week before.
The SNP’s Kirsty Blackman said: “The public outrage on this issue is clear. Over a million people have signed the petition, thousands have been in contact with their MPs, and polls show 63 per cent of the public want the prime minister to take his responsibilities seriously and show Mr Cummings the door.
“Most worryingly, leading public health experts and police officers have warned that the Cummings scandal has eroded public trust in the rules and those who make them – putting lives at risk.”
