Ministers squirmed tonight as they denied Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules when he drove 260 miles to his parents’ home while in coronavirus self-isolation.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Downing Street briefing that the No10 chief had the ‘full support’ of Boris Johnson, as he faced a barrage of questions.
Mr Shapps insisted Mr Cummings had been entitled to travel from London with his wife and young son to get ‘somewhere where members of his family can assist’.
He insisted the important thing was that the adviser had ‘stayed put’ for two weeks once he arrived at the property in March.
Meanwhile, deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries dodged as she was pressed on whether the guidance allowed the behaviour. ‘If you are symptomatic you stay put,’ she said. ‘Take yourself out of society as quickly as you can with your family.’ She said the only exception was if there was ‘risk to life’.
Earlier, a defiant Mr Cummings responded ‘who cares’ when he was asked by reporters whether his actions looked bad.
‘It’s a question of doing the right thing. It’s not about what you guys think,’ he said.
He also berated photographers for not following social distancing rules by staying two metres apart.
The uncompromising stance came as the government launched a concerted effort to shore up the key aide.
In a statement, a No10 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.’
Although Durham police has confirmed the family was given advice on lockdown rules, the statement added: ‘At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported.’
A host of Cabinet ministers also rallied round. Michael Gove, Mr Cummings’ former boss, tweeted: ‘Caring for your wife and child is not a crime.’ Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock also offered backing.
But a tweet from Mr Johnson’s account this afternoon underlined the issue ministers face explaining the situation.
‘If you have symptoms of #coronavirus, you should self-isolate and get yourself tested,’ the message said.
The government guidance at the time said that those self-isolating ‘must stay at home and not leave the house’, as well as ‘staying away’ from vulnerable elderly people. In an account of their ordeal published last month, Mr Cummings’ journalist wife Mary Wakefield also described how he was nursed by their small son with Ribena – suggesting he stayed with them throughout. The PM’s official spokesman told reporters at the time that Mr Cummings was isolating ‘at home’.
The bombshell revelations sparked accusations of hypocrisy with Mr Cummings’ position branded ‘untenable’, and signs of disquiet among Tory MPs.
Labour tonight wrote to Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill demanding an inquiry into the adviser’s actions. Shadow minister Rachel Reeves said in the missive: The British people have made important and painful sacrifices to support the national effort, including being away from family in times of need. It is therefore vital that the Government can reassure the public that its most senior figures have been adhering to the same rules as everyone else.’
And Mr Cummings faced calls for his resignation in the Spectator magazine, where his wife works. Columnist Alex Massie wrote: ‘He must go and he must go now.’
Challenged by reporters at his London home this afternoon whether his actions looked bad, a defiant Dominic Cummings said ‘who cares about good looks’
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Downing Street briefing that the No10 chief had the ‘full support’ of Boris Johnson, as he faced a barrage of questions. Mr Cummings travelled with his wife Mary Wakefield (pictured right today)
Mr Cummings (pictured leaving home with his son today) insisted he was entitled to make the journey to get to family
Dominic Cummings was fighting for his political life today as pressure mounted on Boris Johnson to sack his chief adviser for flouting lockdown rules (duo pictured in September)
Dominic Cummings and wife Mary Wakefield, who wrote about her husband’s coronavirus battle
Mr Cummings’ parents’ farm, where he relocated with his wife and son when they came down with coronavirus symptoms
The property in Durham has a series of outbuildings, and it is thought Mr Cummings stayed in one of them with his family
No10 has insisted that Mr Cummings was in a separate part of the property, and had no contact with his extended family
The Downing Street aide is claimed to have travelled from London to his parents’ home in Durham in March
Repeatedly grilled on the controversy at the briefing this evening, Mr Shapps said: ‘The important thing is that everyone remains in the same place whilst they are on lockdown which is exactly what happened in I think the case you’re referring to with Mr Cummings.
‘The prime minister will have known he was staying put and he didn’t come out again until he was feeling better.’
Mr Shapps added: ‘The guidance says if you’re living with children keep following this advice to the best of your ability.
‘However, we are aware that not all these measures will be possible depending therefore on circumstances.’
Suggesting the guidance was down to individual interpretation, Mr Shapps said: ‘It’s for an individual to make the decision ‘how do I make sure I’ve got enough support around the family’, particularly in the case you are referring to with a potential of both parents ending up being ill and having a young child to look after.
‘How do you have that support network around them, and the decision here was to go to that location and stay in that location. They don’t then need to move around from there and so it would be for each individual to work out the best way to do that, which is what’s happened here.’
Mr Shapps added: ‘You have to get yourself in lockdown and do that in the best and most practical way – and I think that will be different for different people under whatever circumstances, their particular family differences, happen to dictate, that’s all that’s happened in this case.’
On whether Mr Johnson knew of Mr Cummings activities, Mr Shapps pointed out that the PM had been ill himself at the time. ‘I can tell you the PM provides Mr Cummings with his full support and Mr Cummings has provided a full statement,’ he said.
Asked to clarify guidance about travelling during lockdown, Dr Jenny Harries said it was ‘clear’ someone with symptoms should self-isolate along with their family.
But she said all the guidance had a ‘common sense’ element about safeguarding. Dr Harries said: ‘So we don’t want an elderly person sitting at home without their medication because they feel they can’t come out.’
Dr Harries said if there was a ‘safeguarding issue’ where a child had ‘no support’, that was also an issue.
‘There’s always a safeguarding clause in all of the advice,’ she said, adding: ‘The interpretation of that advice is probably for others.’
Sources close to Mr Cummings say there is ‘zero chance’ of him quitting.
High-profile resignations of architects of the lockdown who flouted rules, such as Prof Neil Fergurson and Scotland chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood, have paved a precedent for Mr Cummings to quit.
There has been little sympathy from Britons wrestling with equally difficult situations during the health crisis, who are expected by the government to stick to the measures.
Dorset police and crime commissioner Martyn Underhill warned this morning that the breach will be thrown in the face of officers as they tried to restrain sun-seeking visitors on what is expected to be a hot bank holiday weekend.
Mr Underhill said the furore would inevitably be cited by people flocking to beauty spots and beaches in Dorset this weekend.
‘It is unfortunate the timing of this as it is going to be the busiest weekend Dorset has seen this year,’ he said.
Tory aides who have felt the wrath of Mr Cummings were also withering about his controversy.
‘Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,’ one told MailOnline. ‘But I’m sure they won’t concede him.’
Another agreed that Mr Cummings would not go. ‘He’s too needed,’ they said. ‘Who else will be willing to fulfill the role he’s created?’
Labour claimed Number 10’s explanations for Mr Cummings’s behaviour ‘raised more questions than they answer’ including when the Prime Minister was made aware of his decision to travel from London to Durham during lockdown.
The letter added: ‘The British people do not expect there to be one rule for them and another rule for the Prime Minister’s most senior adviser.’
It comes after the SNP wrote to Sir Mark earlier to call for an investigation into the matter.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: ‘He ought to have resigned by now, but it’s quite clear after that performance today by the Transport Secretary that there is no real defence and that Dominic Cummings should now be sacked by the Prime Minister.’
He added: ‘We should have been hearing from the Prime Minister today… The Prime Minister needs to come clean about when he knew about this, whether or not he authorised this, why he hasn’t taken his responsibilities in asking Dominic Cummings to resign? But, failing that, making sure that he sacks him.
‘Because this man has undermined the public messaging that the UK Government has sought to deliver.’
But Mr Raab said today: ‘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.’
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden tweeted: ‘Dom Cummings followed the guidelines and looked after his family. End of story.’
A close friend of Mr Cummings said overnight: ‘He isn’t remotely bothered by this story, it’s more fake news from the Guardian.
‘There is zero chance of him resigning.’
Durham’s acting police and crime commissioner sadi Mr Cummings’ journey from London to County Durham was ‘most unwise’.
In a statement, Steve White said: ‘Given the whole ethos of the guidance and regulations issued from the Government was to reduce the spread, regardless of reason, by travelling to County Durham when known to be infected was most unwise.
‘To beat this crisis we need to be selfless as millions have been. The response by the people of County Durham and Darlington have been exemplary, which makes this most frustrating and concerning.’
Mr White, a former head of the Police Federation in England and Wales, added: ‘Incidents such as this do not help, and I can appreciate that the longer this goes on the harder it gets, but I encourage the people of County Durham and Darlington to keep up the outstanding effort seen so far by using common sense when following the guidance to stay alert and continue to social distance.’
Neighbours were ‘shocked’ to see him in the North East a few days after he was pictured in Westminster and announced to be isolating with Covid-19 symptoms.
His wife, the journalist Mary Wakefield, wrote about his struggle with the disease and suggested he was holed up at their London residence, as did the Prime Minister’s spokesperson at the time.
But last night a Mirror and Guardian investigation revealed that he was quizzed for breaching lockdown curbs restricting travel.
A spokesman for Durham Constabulary 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 guidelines around self-isolation and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel.’
A tweet from Mr Johnson’s account this afternoon underlined the issue ministers face explaining the situation (left). Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (right) offered backing to Mr Cummings
The government was still putting out information telling people not to visit the home of friends and family today
Amid a concerted Tory effort to shore up the key aide, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock voiced backing for his behaviour
The neighbour, who did not want to give their name, told the Mirror: ‘I got the shock of my life. There was a child, presumably his little boy, running around in front. I recognised Dominic Cummings, he’s a very distinctive figure.
‘I was really annoyed. I thought ‘it’s OK for you to drive all the way up to Durham and escape from London’.
‘I sympathise with him wanting to do that but other people are not allowed to do that. It’s one rule for Dominic Cummings and one rule for the rest of us.’
On April 14, the aide was pictured back in Westminster for the first time since his coronavirus recovery.
Mr Cummings was not slapped with the £60 fine for breaching the rules, which were ushered in on March 26.
They stated: ‘You should not be visiting family members who do not live in your home.
‘The only exception is if they need help, such as having shopping or medication dropped off.’
The day after these curbs were enforced, on March 27, Mr Cummings raised eyebrows when he was pictured sprinting along Downing Street after it was announced that Mr Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock had tested positive for coronavirus.
On March 30, news broke that the aide was self-isolating with Covid-19 symptoms, and the PM’s spokesperson later confirmed he was ‘at home’.
The PM’s official spokesman told journalists: ‘I think he’s in touch with No10 but he is at home, he is self-isolating, he has some symptoms.’
Several days later, on April 5, Mr Cummings allegedly remained at the property in Durham and was spotted by a neighbour of Mr Cummings’ parents, Robert, 73, and Morag, 71.
They claimed they spotted him outside the property while passing for their daily exercise and heard Abba’s Dancing Queen playing loudly.
The neighbour saw the political aide, wearing a scarf and coat, and with a small boy running around, believed to be his son.
The government issued its latest slides showing the status of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK this evening
The revelations have stirred up fury and political rivals lined up to accuse Mr Cummings of hypocrisy and demand he resign
When he returned to work, Mr Cummings’ wife, an editor at The Spectator, wrote about their experience of self-isolating in lockdown.
In the same issue of The Spectator, Mr Cummings wrote: ‘At the end of March and for the first two weeks of April I was ill, so we were both shut in together.’
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick clung on to his cabinet job following revelations he had travelled from London to his country home.
Mr Jenrick was also criticised for travelling 150 miles from his London property to his Herefordshire home from where he travelled to his parents in Shropshire.
However, he defended his actions, saying he went to deliver food and medicine to his isolating parents.
This month Professor Neil Ferguson quit as a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) after it was revealed his girlfriend had been visiting him during lockdown.
Scotland Yard criticised his behaviour as ‘plainly disappointing’ but ruled out issuing a fine because he ‘has taken responsibility’ after resigning as a key Government adviser in the coronavirus response.
Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, also quit after making two trips to her second home during lockdown.
Despite Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon backing Dr Calderwood to remain in her position, she ultimately decided to relinquish her role so as not to be a ‘distraction’ from the Government’s social-distancing message.
Mr Cummings was is a long-serving political aide who has garnered a reputation as a maverick in Westminster.
He made waves as a special adviser to then Education Secretary Michael Gove, who locked horns with teachers he referred to as the ‘blob’.
The arch-Brexiteer masterminded the Vote Leave victory in the 2016 referendum, but was quickly cast into the political wilderness when Theresa May became premier.
He returned to government in 2019 as Mr Johnson’s most senior adviser in Downing Street.
The property where Mr Cummings is understood to have travelled 260 miles to with his family is a stone cottage with a separate building to the rear.
The period house, to the south of the historic city of Durham, is positioned in a rural setting, surrounded by trees and farmland, but on a busy main road.
One neighbour described how a big sign saying ‘Brexit means Brexit’ was on display for a time on family owned land in the area.
The substantial home, which is estimated to be worth around £695,000, appears to have separate accommodation at the back.
The average price of a house in Durham is just £193,000.
Some locals reacted angrily to the news the political advisor had apparently broken lockdown rules.
However, others remained defiant, and spoke in support of the 48-year-old. Amanda Fay, 46, a company director, a neighbour of the parents of Dominic Cummings, said: ‘He is an idiot, it’s a joke, it is unfair.
‘I don’t know why he should be allowed to travel. ‘How can it be for childcare? How is that possible? He is staying with elderly parents as well which is obviously putting them at risk.
‘Considering he also had symptoms that makes it even worse, even more shocking. ‘It’s as though he can do whatever he wants. He is putting people in Durham at risk. Why should he not get reprimanded for it?
‘I agree with a lot of people, he should resign. Why make rules you can’t abide by?’
Another neighbour, who didn’t want to be named, defended him and said: ‘I never saw him in person. ‘But I am sure he behaved perfectly while he was here.
‘I think it is entirely reasonable, if it’s an emergency, I don’t see any reason to get up tight.’
Who are the other high-profile figures accused of breaking the lockdown?
Professor Neil Ferguson
The scientist, whose research helped usher in the lockdown, resigned from his role as a key Government adviser after admitting that he had undermined social distancing rules by reportedly meeting his ‘lover’ Antonia Staats at his home.
Scotland Yard criticised his behaviour as ‘plainly disappointing’ but ruled out issuing a fine because he ‘has taken responsibility’ after resigning as a key Government adviser in the coronavirus response.
Dr Catherine Calderwood
Scotland’s chief medical officer resigned in April after twice breaking lockdown restrictions in order to visit her second home, which was located more than an hour away from her main residence in Edinburgh.
Despite Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon backing Dr Calderwood to remain in her position, she ultimately decided to relinquish her role so as not to be a ‘distraction’ from the Government’s social-distancing message.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick
Robert Jenrick
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary was forced to explain himself after travelling more than an hour to visit his parents despite warning people to remain at home.
Mr Jenrick was also criticised for travelling 150 miles from his London property to his Herefordshire home from where he travelled to his parents in Shropshire.
However, he defended his actions, saying he went to deliver food and medicine to his isolating parents.
Stephen Kinnock
The MP for Aberavon in South Wales was publicly shamed by police after travelling to London to celebrate his father’s birthday.
After Mr Kinnock posted a photo on Twitter of himself practising social distancing with his parents outside their home, South Wales Police replied: ‘We know celebrating your Dad’s birthday is a lovely thing to do, however this is not essential travel. We all have our part to play in this, we urge you to comply with (lockdown) restrictions, they are in place to keep us all safe. Thank you.’
From Vote Leave to Team Boris: The rise of Dominic Cummings, the political maverick accused of breaking lockdown rules
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s senior aide Dominic Cummings has allegedly been caught breaking lockdown rules by visiting his parents’ home in Durham while he was recovering from Covid-19.
Mr Cummings rose to notoriety in politics, first as an adviser to Michael Gove and then as campaign director at the official Brexit group Vote Leave.
He was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch in a Channel 4 drama about the Brexit campaign, which played up his role in covering a red bus with the disputed £350 million a week figure, arguing the cash could be used to fund the NHS.
Mr Cummings, a hate figure for many pro-EU politicians, said the £350 million/NHS argument was ‘necessary to win’ the campaign.
Mr Johnson appointed Mr Cummings to his top team as senior adviser at Number 10 when he became Prime Minister in the summer of 2019
Mr Johnson appointed Mr Cummings to his top team as senior adviser at Number 10 when he became Prime Minister in the summer of 2019.
The appointment of the abrasive former campaign director was controversial, given he was found to be in contempt of Parliament earlier in the year for refusing to give evidence to MPs investigating misinformation.
Mr Cummings has built a reputation as someone who does not play by the rules of conventional politics.
He was once called a ‘career psychopath’ by former prime minister David Cameron, according to widely reported remarks.
But Mr Cummings is no stranger to an insult either, describing David Davis, then the Brexit secretary, as ‘thick as mince, lazy as a toad and vain as Narcissus’ in July 2017.
Mr Cummings rose to notoriety in politics, first as an adviser to Michael Gove and then as campaign director at the official Brexit group Vote Leave
The December 2019 election victory gave Mr Johnson the political capital he needed to take bold decisions – and Mr Cummings soon set to work on his goal of reshaping Whitehall, issuing a recruitment call for data scientists, economists and ‘weirdos and misfits with odd skills’ to shake up the Civil Service.
In April, it was revealed Mr Cummings has also been present at meetings co-ordinating the response to the coronavirus pandemic as part of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
This raised concerns over a lack of breadth in expertise of the meetings and political interference in science-based advice.
Mr Cummings had previously been observed failing to follow the two-metre social distancing rules as he walked along Downing Street flanked by fellow aide Cleo Watson on April 14.