Junior minister quits

LONDON: Douglas Ross, a junior minister in the Scotland Office, resigned from the British Government late yesterday over the handling of accusations that the prime minister’s senior adviser had broken the coronavirus lockdown by travelling for help with childcare.

Dominic Cummings, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s closest adviser, earlier refused to resign, saying he had done nothing wrong by driving 400km to northern England when Britain was under a strict lockdown to prevent the spread of the infection.

Johnson’s defence of Cummings has stirred anger in his Conservative Party, with several MPs calling over the weekend for the aide to quit.

Ross said in a letter he accepted Cummings’ statement when he ‘‘clarified the actions he took in what he felt were the best interests of his family’’ but he added: ‘‘However, these were decisions many others felt were not available to them.

‘‘I have constituents who didn’t get to say goodbye to loved ones, families who could not mourn together, people who didn’t visit sick relatives because they followed the guidance of the Government. I cannot in good faith tell them they were all wrong and one senior adviser to the Government was right.’’

A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘‘The prime minister would like to thank Douglas Ross for his service to government and regrets his decision to stand down as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland.’’

After Ross’ resignation, Adam Tomkins, a member of the Scottish Parliament, said Cummings should be sacked and that to lose Ross from government was a disaster. — Reuters