Downing Street doubled down on its support for Dominic Cummings this afternoon, despite Boris Johnson’s popularity plummeting in the polls .
The Prime Minister’s spokesman faced further questions from the press over Mr Cummings’ alleged breach of the coronavirus lockdown rules.
It comes just hours after a junior government minister resigned saying he could not “in good faith” defend the controversial top aide’s behaviour .
Douglas Ross, a minister in the Scotland Office, quit saying that the “vast majority” of people do not share Dominic Cummings’ interpretation of lockdown.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “From the Prime Minister’s point of view, he has set out that he believes Dominic Cummings acted reasonably, legally and with integrity and with care for his family and for others.”
Asked if the Prime Minister would accept that the decision to retain Cummings had split the government, he replied: “No. Cabinet met yesterday and they had a very positive discussion on the government’s roadmap to recovery.”
It was also revealed today that Mr Johnson’s approval rating has plunged by 20 points in four days.
According to coronavirus data tracker Savanta the Prime Minister’s rating was previously +19 per cent just four days ago. But it has now dropped to -1 per cent. It also said that the overall government approval rate is now at -2 per cent.
Meanwhile a fresh survey by YouGov showed that the number of people who think Mr Cummings should resign has gone up from 52 per cent to 59 per cent. It also found that 71 per cent think Mr Johnson’s most senior aide disregarded government lockdown guidelines.
The Prime Minister is under mounting pressure from his own MPs to sack his most senior adviser after details emerged that he had driven 260 miles from his London home to a cottage on his parents’ farm estate in County Durham amid concern he and his wife would be unable to look after their child if they became ill with coronavirus.
Mr Cummings also said he drove his family to the town of Barnard Castle, around 25 miles away, to test his eyesight to see if he could make the trip back down to London – 15 days after he had displayed symptoms. He said he had some eyesight problems during his illness.
Tory MPs who have called for Mr Cummings to go include Peter Aldous, Steve Baker, Peter Bone, Damian Collins, Roger Gale, Robert Goodwill, Simon Hoare, Caroline Nokes and Craig Whittaker.
During today’s Downing Street briefing the spokesman was also grilled over why he had previously said Mr Cummings was isolating “at home” during the lockdown.
The Number 10 spokesman said he did not know the aide’s actual location at the time but had been pointing out he was not working in Number 10.
Asked if he meant Mr Cummings was in London, the spokesman said: “No, and the context of my answer was pointing out he wasn’t at work.”
Asked if he knew where Mr Cummings was at the time, the spokesman said: “No. As in he wasn’t at work, I simply meant it in that context.”
