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UK coronavirus live: Tory MPs call for Dominic Cummings to go UK coronavirus live: Tory MPs call for Dominic Cummings to go
(32 minutes later)
Grant Shapps defends No 10 advisor on Sunday morning politics shows amid revelations of further breaches of lockdown rules Seven Conservative MPs call for advisor to resign amid revelations of further breaches of lockdown rules
Marr presses him on how the government can expect the public to make huge sacrifices when Cummings keeps his job after these breaches of rules. This from the Conservative MP Craig Whittaker:
Sky News’ Joe Pike has counted seven Tory MPs who want Cummings to step down.
This from the Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton North, Caroline Nokes, who seems to be saying that she was pressing for Cummings’ resignation yesterday.
Anyone in public spaces “should wear a mask” according to Venki Ramakrishnan, the president of the Royal Society who also sits on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
Ramakrishnan told the Andrew Marr show that face coverings help to reduce transmission.
“I think anyone in public spaces should wear a mask because it’s simply another tool to reduce the possibility of infections,” he said.
“I don’t think masks are be all end all, you have to think of it as one leg in a multi-legged stool that holds up prevention of transmission.”
Asked if teachers should wear masks, Ramakrishnan said: “If they are socially distanced and there are all these other measures in place, where their use is not necessary, that is a policy decision, that’s not for a scientist like me to say.
“My view is that wherever social distancing is not possible, we must regularly wash our hands and I think it would be a good idea to wear masks.”
Peter Bone, the Conservative MP for Wellingborough, has become the fifth Tory MP saying Cummings should go.
In an interview with Nigel Farage on LBC he said Cummings “has to go” because he broke the rules and has not apologised.
“When an adviser becomes the story, the adviser has to go,” he said.“Boris Johnson can carry on without Dominic Cummings if he goes but it will be hard if he stays.”
My colleague Rajeev Syal has written up a story about Steve Baker’s efforts this morning:
Just a quick reminder that it’s worth refreshing the blog every once in a while, as some posts are being added to as we go along, and some typos magically disappear over time.
Here a video of Steve Baker speaking on the Sophy Ridge show. The MP led calls from Conservative ranks for Cummings’ resignation this morning.
The allegation that Dominic Cummings made more than one journey between London and Durham “is now an issue of Boris Johnson’s judgment and integrity”, according to the SNP’s Westminster deputy leader, Kirsty Blackman, PA Media reports.
She said:
Marr presses him on how the government can expect the public to make huge sacrifices if Cummings keeps his job after these breaches of rules.
Shapps reiterates that the guidance allowed for arrangements such as the one Cummings made, and that he does not think he needs to resign.Shapps reiterates that the guidance allowed for arrangements such as the one Cummings made, and that he does not think he needs to resign.
Says it is important to “remain locked down, particularly if you have the symptoms”.Says it is important to “remain locked down, particularly if you have the symptoms”.
Shapps says his “understanding” is that Cummings did not go up and down between Durham and London “three times”.Shapps says his “understanding” is that Cummings did not go up and down between Durham and London “three times”.
“Some of these stories are trying to suggest that he went up, he came back, he went up - three times I’ve seen suggested - and again my understanding is that’s not the case,” he said.
Shapps added there were “massive issues which will matter to people even more than where one family spent time isolating during this, including how we build our way out of this crisis”.
Marr presses Shapps on No 10’s denial from yesterday that Cummings had been speaking to police, which was contradicted by Durham police.Marr presses Shapps on No 10’s denial from yesterday that Cummings had been speaking to police, which was contradicted by Durham police.
Shapps states repeatedly the denial had only been in relation to the claim that police contacted Cummings, when it was his father who made contact himself.Shapps states repeatedly the denial had only been in relation to the claim that police contacted Cummings, when it was his father who made contact himself.
Asked about Barnard Castle, and whether he persoanlly had stated untruthful things in relation to claims Cummings was spotted there on 12 April, Shapps says he’s not sure about the date, and that it’s his understanding that Cummings did stay put while he needed to be in isolation.Asked about Barnard Castle, and whether he persoanlly had stated untruthful things in relation to claims Cummings was spotted there on 12 April, Shapps says he’s not sure about the date, and that it’s his understanding that Cummings did stay put while he needed to be in isolation.
He refuses to confirm that Cummings moved around outside the home of his parents in Durham.He refuses to confirm that Cummings moved around outside the home of his parents in Durham.
Are you absolutely sure he was not seen wandering around in Durham on 19 April, Marr asks.Are you absolutely sure he was not seen wandering around in Durham on 19 April, Marr asks.
Shapps answers evasively and says because something is reported in newspapers doesn’t mean it is true, says he goes by statements from No 10.Shapps answers evasively and says because something is reported in newspapers doesn’t mean it is true, says he goes by statements from No 10.
Marr asks why Shapps has not spoken to Cummings about details of the journeys to Durham.Marr asks why Shapps has not spoken to Cummings about details of the journeys to Durham.
Shapps says he is the transport secretary.Shapps says he is the transport secretary.
“I’ve communicated but I haven’t spoken to him directly,” he said.“I’ve communicated but I haven’t spoken to him directly,” he said.
“I assume he would have taken every possible measure to ensure he was not infecting anybody,” Shapps says, but admits he doesn’t know.“I assume he would have taken every possible measure to ensure he was not infecting anybody,” Shapps says, but admits he doesn’t know.
Grant Shapps is now on the Marr show.Grant Shapps is now on the Marr show.
He says the lockdown rules apply to everyone, buty says not all theses measures “will be possible” to follow in certain circumstances. He mentions Cummings’ childcare issues again.He says the lockdown rules apply to everyone, buty says not all theses measures “will be possible” to follow in certain circumstances. He mentions Cummings’ childcare issues again.
Marr reads out the governement’s guidance to him, which asks people not to leave their homes if they have symptoms “under any circumstances”, unless there is “an extreme risk to life”.Marr reads out the governement’s guidance to him, which asks people not to leave their homes if they have symptoms “under any circumstances”, unless there is “an extreme risk to life”.
He asks whether there was an extreme risk to life in Cummings’ situation.He asks whether there was an extreme risk to life in Cummings’ situation.
“They would have felt they had to put some measures in place,” Shapps said, stressing that Cummings’ four-year-old would not have been able to feed and bathe himself.“They would have felt they had to put some measures in place,” Shapps said, stressing that Cummings’ four-year-old would not have been able to feed and bathe himself.
A fourth Conservative MP, Roger Gale, has called on Cummings to step down.A fourth Conservative MP, Roger Gale, has called on Cummings to step down.
This from HuffPost UK’s Paul Waugh:
And this from my colleague Rafael Behr:
This from my colleague Dan Sabbagh:
The shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show that Labour was calling for an urgent investigation into Cummings’ behaviour.
“What we’re asking for, for two things: firstly for there to be an urgent investigation by the Cabinet Office, and second for the prime minister today to take the press conference, the daily press conference, himself to provide answers, because this is an extraordinarily serious situation,” he said.
“The British people have made sacrifices, extraordinary sacrifices, to get through this crisis by following the guidelines.
“We know of grandparents, for example, who’ve not seen their grandchildren for months, sometimes newborn grandchildren, people who’ve died alone without families by their side, people who’ve not been able to attend funerals, and that’s happened because people have followed the guidelines.”
This from the BBC’s Iain Watson:
Another Tory MP, Damian Collins, has joined those calling for Cummings’ resignation.
This from the journalist Joe Lo:
Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at Edinburgh University, has also called for Cummings to resign.
Speaking on the Ridge show, she said: “He undermined the core public health message which was to stay home, to make sure that children are not left with elderly relatives and also going from an area that was ahead of the country – London – to an area that was a bit behind, north-east England.
“North-east England is now one of the hardest hit parts of the country. So the clear thing is, yes, he needs to resign, but we also need to move on and bring focus to the key issues facing the UK.
“The UK now has close to 60,000 excess deaths, one of the worst death rates per capita in the world, we are in a lockdown.
“We don’t have a good way out of this lockdown because there is no testing and tracing infrastructure to let us safely lift the lockdown, and we have a lot of people suffering because of a lack of clear strategy of how we are going to move forward and get out of the deep hole that we are in.”
This from the FT’s Sebastian Payne:
Ridge asks Shapps about Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab again, and whether it’s right for Cummings to be able to see family when the boy died without his by his side.
Shapps is evasive in his answer, and reiterates that Cummings acted reasonably.
“This is somebody who followed the guidelines by going to ‘lock down’ in order to be in the best place to ensure provision was made for a four-year-old,” he says of Cummings.