Prime Minister's advisor Dominic Cummings refuses to resign; Easter Ross MP slams 'breathtaking arrogance' and insists: 'He must go'
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The top aide to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to resign, apologise or admit any wrongdoing over accusations he flouted lockdown rules, insisting that he "behaved reasonably and tried to minimise risks."
Dominic Cummings drove to his father's farm near Durham in April with the aim of having access to relatives amid concerns his wife was displaying potential symptoms of Covid-19.
The revelations sparked national outrage that one of those most closely associated with the lockdown was allegedly able to freely transgress it without consequences.
Easter Ross MP Jamie Stone tonight again called for him to resign over an issue he said had provoked outrage amongst many of his constituents.
Mr Cummings though defended his actions saying he took all the precautions he could and was never in contact with anyone outside of his household. He said he did not discuss the matter with the Prime Minister until after his departure.
He did however suggest that the media has misrepresented the facts and its coverage provoked the current strong reaction nationwide.
After offering a detailed summary of his movements, Mr Cummings said: "In this very complex situation I tried to exercise my judgment as best I could.
"I believe that in all circumstances I behaved legally and reasonably, balancing the safety of my family and the extreme situation in Number 10 and the public interest and effective government to which I could contribute.
"I can understand that some people will argue that I should have stayed at my home in London throughout.
"I understand these views, I know of the intense hardship and sacrifice that the entire country has had to go through, however I respectfully disagree.
"The legal rules inevitably do not cover all circumstances, including those that I found myself in.
"I thought, and I think today, that the rules, including those regarding small children in extreme circumstances allowed me to exercise my judgment about the situation I found myself in.
"I accept, of course there is room for reasonable disagreement about this."
Asked if he will leave if the controversy continues to impact the government with a number of MPs calling for his resignation, he said it is: "Up to the Prime Minister.
"I am here to do the best I can for the government and change the country for the better. I am not saying I know I am right. I am saying this is why I did it at the time."
Speaking after watching the statement, Easter Ross MP Jamie Stone, who said he had been inundated with emails from constituents angry over the affair, said: "Cummings has shown breathtaking arrogance. He thinks he is the elite and can do what he wants and never has to say sorry. He must go."
Earlier Highland MP and the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said: "This should be a resignation statement not a PR exercise. It is about taking responsibility.
"When [Scottish Government former chief medical officer] Catherine Calderwood apologised she recognised it wasn't enough and resigned to protect confidence in the public health message.
"Failing to resign would not only be hypocrisy but far more importantly it would damage the public health message and could ultimately put lives at risk."
