‘We fled after threats from demonstrators outside home’
DOMINIC Cummings yesterday claimed his decision to leave London was partly due to ‘threats of violence’ from protesters outside his home.
He said he was concerned about leaving his wife Mary, who had developed Covid-19 symptoms, to self-isolate with their child at their £1.6million Islington townhouse. He claimed the protests had become so threatening he felt it safer for them to be at his parents’ farm 260 miles away.
Mr Cummings insisted the threats had been triggered by ‘false reports in the media’. He said: ‘These stories had created a very bad atmosphere around my home. I was subject to threats of violence
– people came to my home shouting threats. There were posts on social media encouraging attacks. There were many media reports on TV which showed pictures of my house. I was also worried that, given the severity of this emergency, this situation would get worse, and I was worried about the possibility of leaving my wife and child at home all day and often into the night while I worked in No10.
‘I thought the best thing to do in all the circumstances was to drive to an isolated cottage on my father’s farm.’ Protesters heckled and scrawled graffiti outside Mr
Cummings’ home after news of his trip to Durham broke over the weekend.
Police dispersed crowds. On Sunday hecklers shouted ‘Resign!’ as he left and returned from work, while campaign group Led By Donkeys mounted a huge TV screen on a van outside. A clip of Boris Johnson was played in which he told the UK ‘You must stay at home’.
Yesterday a mother and son brandished a sign with a quote from George Orwell’s Animal Farm attacking the hypocrisy of a ruling elite. Former Conservative vicechairman Ben Bradley condemned the protests, saying nobody should be ‘harassed outside of their home’.