Tory MPs break ranks and call for Dominic Cummings to resign: 'He creates an awful lot of collateral damage'

'I really just don't see... how this is going to go away unless Dominic goes'

A number of Tory MPs have broken ranks to call for Dominic Cummings' resignation amid warnings he is causing "collateral damage" for Boris Johnson's government, after it emerged he allegedly broke lockdown rules.

Steve Baker, MP for Wycombe, was the first to say Mr Cummings had to go. Speaking on the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, Mr Baker said: “It is ridiculous, it has got to stop. Dominic should go.

"If he doesn’t resign, we’ll just keep burning through Boris’s political capital at a rate we can ill afford in the midst of this crisis.

“It is very clear that Dominic travelled when everybody else understood Dominic’s slogans to mean ‘stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives’.

“And I think mums and dads who very much care about their children and who have been forgoing the childcare of their extended family will wonder why he has been allowed to do this," he added.

“I really just don’t see, as we approach the Prime Minister (appearing) at the liaison committee on Wednesday, how this is going to go away unless Dominic goes.”

The MP tweeted prior to the interview: “It is intolerable that Boris’ government is losing so much political capital. Three changes are immediately required: 1 – Govt needs competitive expert advice 2 – Govt must insist on high software engineering standards 3 – Dominic Cummings must go.”

Mr Baker has been joined by at least seven other Tory MPs calling for Mr Cummings to reconsider his position in the Government and resign.

Simon Hoare, MP for North Dorset, said Mr Cummings' actions and "cavalier tone" were damaging the government's reputation.

He tweeted: "With the damage Mr Cummings is doing to the Government’s reputation he must consider his position. Lockdown has had its challenges for everyone. It’s his cavalier “I don’t care; I’m cleverer than you” tone that infuriates people. He is now wounding the PM/Govt & I don’t like that."

Damian Collins, Tory MP for Folkestone and Hythe, later added: "Dominic Cummings has a track record of believing that the rules don’t apply to him and treating the scrutiny that should come to anyone in a position of authority with contempt. The government would be better without him."

Sir Roger Gale, from North Thanet, became the fourth Tory MP to call for the top advisor's resignation. He said although he could "fully appreciate Mr Cummings' desire to protect his child", there cannot be "one law for the Prime Minister’s staff and another for everyone else".

"He has sent out completely the wrong message and his position is no longer tenable," added Sir Gale.

Speaking on LBC, Peter Bone, Conservative MP for Wellingborough and Rushden, also said Mr Cummings "has to go". "When an adviser becomes the story, the adviser has to go. Boris Johnson can carry on without Dominic Cummings if he goes but it will be hard if he stays," he said.

Tory MP for Romsey and Southampton North, Caroline Nokes, joined her colleagues in calling for Mr Cummings' resignation in a tweet, saying: "There cannot be one rule for most of us and wriggle room for others. My inbox is rammed with very angry constituents and I do not blame them. They have made difficult sacrifices over the course of the last 9 weeks."

Craig Whittaker, Conservative MP for Calder Valley, became the seventh Tory MP to back the calls, saying the advisor's position is now "untenable".

"I'm sure he took the decision in the best interests of his family but like every decision we take we also have to take responsibility for those decisions," said Mr Whittaker. "You cannot advise the nation one thing then do the opposite."