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UK coronavirus live: Tory MPs call for Dominic Cummings to resign as he goes to No 10 UK coronavirus live: Tory MPs call for Dominic Cummings to resign as he goes to No 10
(32 minutes later)
Conservative MPs call for advisor to resign amid revelations of further breaches of lockdown rulesConservative MPs call for advisor to resign amid revelations of further breaches of lockdown rules
Here is a video showing Dominic Cummings leaving his north London home earlier this morning and denying that he had travelled to Durham a second time when he was asked by reporters.
This from the Telegraph’s Tony Diver:
This just in from the BBC’s Nick Eardley:
The number of people who have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Northern Ireland has risen to 506 after one more death was reported by the Department of Health.
The number of patients in Scotland who have died after testing positive for Covid-19 has risen by nine to 2,270, according to the latest statistics.
Figures published by the Scottish government show the rise in the past 24 hours.
The statistics indicate 15,101 people have tested positive for Covid-19, up of 60 from 15,041 the previous day.
There are 845 patients in hospital who have tested positive for Covid-19, up four from 841 on Saturday.
A further 147 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 25,691.
Patients were aged between 43 and 98 years old, according to NHS England.
Five of the 147 patients, aged between 46 and 84, had no known underlying health condition.
Former Labour MP for Bishop Auckland Helen Goodman, whose father died in a care home, said she found the behaviour of Dominic Cummings “incredible”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend, she said: “What was the point of the sacrifice that we all made? What was the point of the miserable, lonely death that my father had? I just find it utterly repellent.”
Asked if she was tempted to break the lockdown to see her gravely ill father, she said: “Yes of course, of course, everybody was just wresting with these intolerable dilemmas.
“I think the cabinet ministers are utterly craven to excuse and exonerate him.
Asked if Cummings should stay, she said: “Of course he shouldn’t, there’s no question that he shouldn’t. He’s undermined the public health campaign that they’ve been running – trying to run – for the last two months.
“I think it’s incredibly destructive – not just the act in itself, but the defence of the act, I think it’s incredibly destructive.”
This from ITV’s Robert Peston:
A protest group has appeared outside Dominic Cummings’ north London home, PA Media reports.
Political campaign group Led by Donkeys drove to Cummings’s home in a van displaying a video of Boris Johnson’s speech to the country, warning the public to stay at home.
Boris Johnson offered his “full support” to his chief adviser after the news emerged.
Led by Donkeys also put up a separate installation on Westminster Bridge Road on Friday.
Posting a photo of the billboard, which reads “Stay alert, Government incompetence costs lives”, the group said: “When the PM’s top adviser is criss-crossing the country with coronavirus, it’s definitely time to stay alert.”
My colleague Heather Stewart explains why the question of whether or not to sack Dominic Cummings is so agonising for the prime minister.
This from Tim Montgomerie, the founder of Conservative Home.
He previously described defences of Cummings’ behaviour ventured by Tory MPs and cabinet ministers as “embarrassing”.
Did Dominic Cummings break lockdown rules that were enshrined in law? My colleague Helen Pidd on today’s biggest question in the UK.Did Dominic Cummings break lockdown rules that were enshrined in law? My colleague Helen Pidd on today’s biggest question in the UK.
Piers Morgan has announced he is barring cabinet ministers from making appearances on Good Morning Britain, after allegations were broken by the Observer and the Mirror that Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules.Piers Morgan has announced he is barring cabinet ministers from making appearances on Good Morning Britain, after allegations were broken by the Observer and the Mirror that Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules.
Morgan said the only cabinet ministers who would be allowed on his ITV show are those who did not defend Cummings’s alleged infringement of lockdown.Morgan said the only cabinet ministers who would be allowed on his ITV show are those who did not defend Cummings’s alleged infringement of lockdown.
Morgan also tweeted that he believes the PM’s own position might be weakened if he doesn’t sack his top adviser.Morgan also tweeted that he believes the PM’s own position might be weakened if he doesn’t sack his top adviser.
The Labour MP for the city of Durham, Mary Kelly Foy, has told Sky her inbox is full of messages from “angry and upset” constituents, who had been in similar positions but didn’t break lockdown rules.The Labour MP for the city of Durham, Mary Kelly Foy, has told Sky her inbox is full of messages from “angry and upset” constituents, who had been in similar positions but didn’t break lockdown rules.
“Dominic Cummings has acted so irresponsibly,” she said.“Dominic Cummings has acted so irresponsibly,” she said.
This from the FT’s Sebastian Payne on the unfolding Cummings saga:This from the FT’s Sebastian Payne on the unfolding Cummings saga:
And this from earlier:And this from earlier:
This is Jedidajah Otte, taking back over from my colleague Aaron Walawalkar.This is Jedidajah Otte, taking back over from my colleague Aaron Walawalkar.
In all the furore about Dominic Cummings, a key announcement on 6,000 homes for rough sleepers by housing minister Robert Jenrick has gone largely unnoticed.In all the furore about Dominic Cummings, a key announcement on 6,000 homes for rough sleepers by housing minister Robert Jenrick has gone largely unnoticed.
Barrister Matthew Ryder QC has this to say on attempts to explain Cummings’s cross-country lockdown trip:Barrister Matthew Ryder QC has this to say on attempts to explain Cummings’s cross-country lockdown trip:
Unite calls for renewed HSE spot checks to reduce Covid-19 riskUnite calls for renewed HSE spot checks to reduce Covid-19 risk
The Unite trade union has urged ministers to rip up laws that were designed to reduce red tape but which are putting workers and their families at risk of Covid-19 infection, Rob Davies reports:The Unite trade union has urged ministers to rip up laws that were designed to reduce red tape but which are putting workers and their families at risk of Covid-19 infection, Rob Davies reports:
Read the full report here:Read the full report here:
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has called for a full explanation of the Cummings affair, adding that what “we’ve had so far has had more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese”.Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has called for a full explanation of the Cummings affair, adding that what “we’ve had so far has had more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend:He told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend:
Johnson, he said, should “not hide away, should come out today at the press conference and give us a full explanation as to Mr Cummings’ behaviour”.Johnson, he said, should “not hide away, should come out today at the press conference and give us a full explanation as to Mr Cummings’ behaviour”.
He added:He added:
This is Aaron Walawalkar in London here – taking over while my colleague Jedidajah Otte has a quick break and the Cummings saga continues to unfold. Please DM me any updates you have on Twitter at @AaronWala.This is Aaron Walawalkar in London here – taking over while my colleague Jedidajah Otte has a quick break and the Cummings saga continues to unfold. Please DM me any updates you have on Twitter at @AaronWala.
Conservative MP Robert Halfon has apologised for tweeting his support of Dominic Cummings on Saturday and said the PM’s aide should “face the consequences of breaking the law”.
In a statement on his Facebook page, the MP for Harlow said:
Here is the tweet which Halfon is apologising for:
His statement on Sunday added:
London mayor Sadiq Khan has reminded people in the capital not to forget that lockdown has not ben lifted over the bank holiday weekend, and has asked them to “stay at home as much as possible”.
The petition calling for the sacking of Dominic Cummings has garnered nearly 55,000 signatures, most of these just over the past few hours.
The hashtag #sackcummings is trending on Twitter.
But so far, there is no sign from No 10 that anything like this will happen.
A former chief constable of Durham police has meanwhile launched a strident attack on Cummings and the government defending him, branding them self-privileged hypocrites who have damaged the fight against coronavirus at a time of national emergency.
Mike Barton, who stepped down as chief constable last year, said that the government’s defence of Cummings was causing extensive damage as police try to get the public to obey lockdown rules.
My colleague Vikram Dodd has more.
This from ITV’s Robert Peston:
The Labour party has just gone on the offensive and tweeted this:
From ITV’s Paul Brand:
This from the Telegraph’s Tony Diver:
The Conservative MP Roger Gale had told Sky he thinks Cummings is “dead in the water” if his second trip to Durham can be confirmed.
He said it was “about trust”, and that he’d like to see the prime minister announcing Cummings’s resignation at the government’s presser this afternoon.
“Mr Cummings broke his own rules, […] and there are thousands and thousands of families in similar situations,” he said.
Gale said he could understand why other MPs and cabinet ministers had initially defended Cummings, as they had understood he was merely trying to make arrangements to care for his young child.
“I think an honourable man would fall on his sword at this point,” Gale said. “The prime minister has got to deal with this. I don’t think Mr Cummings is doing him any favours.”
A British man has been detained in an Indian prison after being accused of breaching the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown rules, my colleague Nazia Parveen reports.
Sohail Hughes, 29, had been on an extended holiday to visit family in the Gujarat region before undertaking a pilgrimage of mosques when he was detained last month.
His family, who have a launched a petition to have him freed, have claimed he is being unlawfully held by Indian officials.
An emergency medicine consultant has joined the scores of people venting their anger and disbelief about Dominic Cummings’ ignoring of lockdown rules, and has just tweeted this: