UK min quits to protest PM’S aide lockdown trip
junior minister in the British government resigned on Tuesday as the controversy over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings breaking lockdown rules continued to fester.
Douglas Ross, minister for Scotland, referred to millions of people following government instructions to stay at home, while Cummings travelled over 400km to Durham in northeast England from London with his family in March end.
Ross said, “I haven’t commented publicly on the situation with Dominic Cummings as I have waited to hear the full details. I welcome the statement to clarify matters, but there remain aspects of the explanation which I have trouble with. As a result, I have resigned as a government minister.” Attempts by Johnson and Cummings to brazen out the row were met by furious headlines not only in left-leaning newspapers such as The Guardian and Mirror, but also Conservativesupporting mass circulation tabloids such as The Daily Mail.
Church of England bishops who joined calls for Cummings’ resignation said on Tuesday they had received death threats.
Cummings sought to justify his movements when he and his wife had coronavirus symptoms, but questions remained after he was provided a rare forum in Downing Street to address the press on live TV on Monday.
Critics say if millions had interpreted the curbs as he did and moved around, the UK would have been in a far worse situation than it is today - it already has the biggest death toll in Europe with 36,914 deaths and 261,184 cases as of Monday evening.