Be going? Kent’s MPs have their say
love, see the family newborns that they will grow to love, visit the graves of parents, siblings or worse, children, and visit friends who are dying.
“I have had to give explicit advice on how to pick up children from university, repatriated family members from airports, how to care for a family member with a mental health condition, check in on elderly relatives with dementia. I have given advice on support for businesses that may never operate again, to people whose holidays might not get refunded, to those whose perfect wedding days plans have been ruined. So when a row like this rages it makes me as your MP put my head on my table and want to cry.
“Everyone’s lives have been turned upside down so we can fight this pandemic and keep capacity in the NHS and even though I point back to my first paragraph of “in defence” I can fully understand the anger of my constituents.
“Should Dominic resign or be sacked? This is not for me to say. I don’t really subscribe to the lynch mob, now or at any time, in part because I don’t think I would like the world to decide whether a member of my extremely loyal and able team should be sacked. I am pretty peed off though. At a time when we should be still focusing on the remaining weeks of this pandemic, spending my days replying to understandably cross and angry constituents is not what I should be doing.
“And this is also why I feel impotent in many respects. Lockdown is not over yet. I have to keep interpreting guidance and saying to constituents you can or you cannot do x, y, z. At the moment that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.”
“Dom Cummings has answered extensive questions about how he stayed within guidance and exercised his best judgement to care for his child; now let’s get on with what matters like saving lives, getting the economy going again and beating.”
“As a father myself, I know that you always seek to act in the best interests of your children when making decisions about the welfare of your family. However, as a result of the restrictions that were put in place following the introduction of the COVID-19 lockdown, we are not in a position where we can just act on instinct, instead we have to make decisions based on the rules that have been created to stop the spread of this deadly virus.
“I believe that the guidance given to ‘stay at home’ was clear, and that deciding to drive his family from London to Durham so that they could self-isolate at his parent’s farm was against the intention of the rules of the lockdown. Indeed, as the former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police has stated, had Dominic Cummings been stopped by the police whilst making this journey he would almost certainly have been told to go back to London. Also, whatever the reason behind his trip to Barnard Castle, that was also in breach of the lockdown rules.
“Dominic Cummings should have taken advice, and informed either the Prime Minister or senior staff at 10 Downing Street, before acting in this way. He did neither. Given the difficulties we have all experienced during the lockdown, I believe it would have been reasonable to have expected that he would have sought to isolate with his family in London and make the same kind of support arrangements that other families have had to make at this time.
“It would have been better if Mr Cummings had explained his actions sooner and apologised. His failure to do this has damaged his position and it would now be best for the government and the country if he resigned.”
“While as a father and as a grandfather I 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.”
“This is a matter for Mr Cummings and the Prime Minister. I have received a large number of emails, most criticising Mr Cummings, but some supporting him. Each email will receive a response from me.”
“We know this pandemic affects our whole community, whoever you are. Anyone can carry the virus, anyone can succumb to it, and though some are more vulnerable than others, we’re all responsible for each other at a time like this. That’s why, although I can appreciate the pressures that led to Mr Cummings leaving for Durham, I share the frustration of so many.”