PM wants to ‘move on’ from Cummings
MPS PRESS JOHNSON ON INQUIRY INTO AIDE’S ACTIONS
Political Editor
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson has ruled out holding an inquiry into the behaviour of his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings.
He told a Committee of MPs that the country wanted the Government to focus on fighting the Covid-19 coronavirus instead.
Mr Johnson said he understood “why people have been so concerned” but said he wanted to “move on”.
Mr Cummings and his wife drove from London to Durham during the lockdown, to stay at his parents’ farm because he feared he couldn’t look after his young son. He also drove his family to Barnard Castle.
He’s insisted he broke no rules, but critics claim be broke the spirit of the lockdown rules, at least, while many people were making sacrifices in an attempt to prevent the spread of Covid-19. More than 30 MPs have called for his resignation.
There have now been 37,460 Covid-19 related deaths according to official figures, an increase of 412. Another 2,103 cases were confirmed, taking the total of positive tests to 267,240.
The figures appear to show a spike in deaths but this was put down to a delay in deaths being reported over the bank holiday weekend, with the downward trend “continued and sustained”, according to health officials.
Speaking to the House of Commons Liasion Committee, Mr Johnson rejected calls for Dominic Cummings to face an inquiry over his actions during the coronavirus lockdown.
The Prime Minister told the House of Commons Liaison Committee: “Quite frankly I’m not certain – right now – that an inquiry into that matter is a very good use of official time. We are working flat out on coronavirus.”
Mr Johnson said he thought it would be a “good thing” for people to understand what he had been told by Mr Cummings, as he admitted the row over his aide’s trip to Durham had been a “very frustrating episode”.
Defending Monday’s press conference in the 10 Downing Street garden, the PM told the committee: “I thought that it would be a very good thing if people could understand what I had understood myself previously, I think on the previous day, about what took place. And there you go – we’ve had a long go at it, and yes look it’s been a very frustrating episode and I understand why people have been so concerned.”
Conservative MP Simon Hoare told the PM the nation will be “far less energetic” about obeying future restrictions as “a direct result of the activities of your senior adviser”.
Mr Hoare asked what MPs should tell constituents who ask “if other people don’t abide by it, why on earth should we” because “we know what your views are, frankly Prime Minister, I don’t think anybody understands why you hold those views”.
Mr Johnson replied: “I don’t think that’s true about how the British people will respond to the next phases, to how to work the test and trace system, I don’t think that’s how they responded at all throughout the crisis.”