'Disgraceful, insulting and demeaning': Public anger as Dominic Cummings accused of breaking lockdown rules

'It’s been f***ing hard but everyone else stuck it out and now we’re told we didn’t need to?'

People on social media have reacted with fury after it emerged the government’s chief advisor Dominic Cummings drove from London to Durham during the lockdown despite fearing he could be infected with coronavirus.

Since the revelations in the Daily Mirror and The Guardian on Friday evening, a string of senior cabinet ministers have defended Mr Cummings’ actions, arguing it was not wrong to make the journey even though government rules banned non-essential trips.

But this has been dismissed as “disgraceful, insulting & demeaning” by many people online, who say Mr Cummings has made a mockery of their own efforts to keep to the strict lockdown regulations.

“It is genuinely enraging that cabinet ministers are out there today effectively saying parents who’ve been up against it on the childcare front and who didn’t ask family for help are mugs,” tweeted Matthew McGregor.

“It’s been f***ing hard but everyone else stuck it out and now we’re told we didn’t need to?”

A statement from Downing Street claimed Mr Cummings went to stay with his family in County Durham because his wife was ill with Covid-19, he feared he would soon catch it and thought he would need help looking after their young son.

It also insisted the couple stayed in a separate house to his family, who only dropped off shopping on their doorstep and never came inside.

Several ministers have tweeted defences of the 500-mile round trip, with Michael Gove arguing “caring for your wife and child is not a crime”.

But many on social media have dismissed this as hypocritical.

“It’s disgraceful, insulting & demeaning of Cabinet Ministers – all now suggesting that if you cared for your loved ones enough, you should break the law,” tweeted Nazir Afzal, a former senior prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service.

“No, we thought we were in this together, that’s why we made these sacrifices.”

Independent journalist Jim Moore wrote in response to Mr Gove: “Thing is Michael, I’m disabled and type 1 diabetic. My key worker wife was on the verge of hospitalisation with Covid while I was seriously ill with it. My son (12) is autistic. My daughter is 9. We managed the situation without our relatives or travelling to Durham.”

Others suggested the government’s defence of Mr Cummings meant they had in effect changed the rules.

Kelly Oakes replied to the foreign secretary Dominic Raab’s own tweets supporting Mr Cummings with: “Good to know that if @tomwphillips and I get ill we can drive across the country so our newborn son can finally meet his grandparents.”

Another Twitter user, Beth Desmond, added: “I think a lot of people would go to their parents’ if they became ill and were worried about not being able to look after their children... if they hadn’t been told by the government Dominic Cummings works in that they can’t.”

Channel 4 news anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy sarcastically praised the government’s messaging on the lockdown.

“The advice is very clear. If you are well you used to have to stay at home apart from essential travel but now you must stay alert but not stay away from home. If you have the potentially deadly virus you can stay away from home if you need help with childcare. Thank you.”

Tim Payton wryly added: “Anyone who is concerned about a relative they haven’t seen for a while – their physical or mental health – should absolutely go see them this weekend. Now approved from top of Government that you can break all laws, rules and guidance for this reason. Family lockdown over.”