Dominic Cummings is like a child telling fibs – just say sorry

We should not ‘move on’ as so many of Cummings’ supporters are asking the public and the media to do, until he does so. Because otherwise he will not learn that it is not acceptable

I have three children: Oliver, aged nine, Isabelle, eight, and Benjamin, four. They are my life. Like so many this half-term, we were meant to be going on holiday – camping at Hay-on-Wye. With the pandemic putting pay to this, we have spent the last three nights camping in our garden instead.

We have got to know each other a lot better even in this short space of time, and I have noticed that Ben lies – a lot. “Who spilt that?” “Oliver”. “Why is there Weetabix on the tent?” “Isabelle did it”. And to a soaking wet four-year-old standing next to a pile of smashed porcelain: “What happened to the birdbath Ben?” “The tree made me do it”.

I have been working hard to try to emphasise the importance of telling the truth, explaining that we all make mistakes and that it is OK to own up and say sorry. “Because if you don’t Ben, how are you going to learn?”

What I find so difficult to reconcile about the situation with Dominic Cummings is his refusal to admit he made a mistake, to own up, and to say, “Sorry”. We should not “move on” as so many of his supporters are asking the public and the media to do, until he does so. Because otherwise he will not learn that it is not acceptable.

Dominic. At the moment you are my four-year-old son. You are standing next to a broken birdbath, drenched in water. And when asked, “What happened?” your answer is, “The tree made me do it”.

Dr Jamie Parker is a GP in Nottingham.