Why is Dominic Cummings visiting British military and security facilities?

It would be nice if Mr Cummings would come along and tell the public what he thinks he’s playing at, writes Sean O’Grady

Dominic Cummings talks to police officers outside Downing Street (EPA)

It is a poignant contrast. Sir Mark Sedwill, distinguished career civil servant and recently ejected from his roles as cabinet secretary and national security adviser and indeed government, was giving a valedictory performance at a parliamentary committee. It was a perfect model of transparent democratic accountability on the part of a senior public servant. Sir Mark was replaced as national security adviser by a political appointment, David Frost, currently the chief Brexit negotiator and with no significant experience in security matters. In due course, Mr Frost will become a peer.

Elsewhere in Westminster, the prime minister’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, who may have had something to do with Sir Mark’s changed circumstances, is planning his progress through Britain’s defence and security establishment. Mr Cummings is famously unelected (as is, or was, Sir Mark) but is far from an ideal example of accountability. Indeed so unkeen on scrutiny is he that he remains in contempt of parliament for his refusal to attend a session of a Commons Select Committee. Only a year or so ago, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee said Mr Cummings had shown “total disregard” for parliament in failing to show up to be interrogated about his Brexit campaign. For his part Mr Cummings offered to attend, provided all the MPs also swear an oath. It said everything.

At the height of the crisis over his lockdown drive from London to Durham he was pressured into giving a press conference to explain his actions, dragged from the shadows into the warm sunshine of the Downing Street rose garden. It was as bizarre as he is.