Milton Keynes MPs accept Dominic Cumming's explanation over lockdown breaches

The city's two MPs appear to have accepted Dominic Cumming's explanation of his lockdown breaches and have not called for him to resign.
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Iain Stewart, MP for MK South, has not given his own statement but has retweeted the words of parliament's chief whip Mark Spencer.

Mr Spencer wrote yesterday: "A full, frank, honest and open statement from Dominic Cummings. He acted as a father and husband, within the rules. He has had lots of misinformation put out there about him. Time to move on and focus on solving this massive national challenge of Covid-19."

Iain retweeted these words soon after they were written but has otherwise stayed silent.

Iain Stewart (left) and Ben EverittIain Stewart (left) and Ben Everitt
Iain Stewart (left) and Ben Everitt

However the MP for MK North, Ben Everitt, today wrote a lengthy and candid statement giving his own views on the matter, saying he understood why people were upset and confused.

On balance, he said, he felt Mr Cummings should not resign.

"Although I can totally see what a tough decision that is," he added. "This whole palaver has been over whether he bent the social distancing rules and because his position is in the public narrative, if not until yesterday in the public eye, then it takes on a whole new level of importance. A tricky call...."

Ben described the events of the last few days as one of the most "unsavoury and abstract experiences" since he was elected.

"I can totally see why people are confused and upset, because I am too. Some of the worst parts of political discourse have been on show – tribalism, social media outrage, the blurred line between journalism and activism, the ‘them and us’ divisiveness and political opportunism. Awful stuff. No one comes out of this well," he said,

"I get that people are angry. The lockdown has been tough – there’s no getting away from that. We’ve all made sacrifices. The perception that someone in a privileged position has bent or broken the rules is a short fuse on a powerful bomb. We hate hypocrisy in Britain – so much so that even the whiff of it is a dangerous spark in this explosive atmosphere."

He added: "The way this story broke and the way it played out was emotionally challenging to those of us who’ve not visited our parents and followed the letter of guidance. The facts and explanation, of course, followed much later. And even now are eclipsed by the ripples of outrage and anger."

Ben said the press conference in the garden of Number 10 yesterday had a "strange abstract feel" to it.

"With the social distancing rules at play and the journalists walking up to a microphone to cross examine, it felt like a cross between a show trial and a school fete.

"Weird setting and circumstances aside, Mr Cummings did give his side of the story and it’s an account that I can accept. I can remember the utter helpless confusion I experienced when I first went down with Covid.

Add in the fear that there’d be no one able to look after his young child and the hounding of his family home in London and we can all see what a frightening experience this must have been for him and his family. I remember watching that footage of him running out of Downing Street. We now know he was running home to his ill wife and child. Cameras recording the whole thing."

He feels Mr Cummings should have told his side of the story earlier, if not immediately after the story broke in the press.

"The media circus created by the information vacuum has been a distraction. The government is communicating important public health advice at a crucial time – as, hopefully, we are winning our battle with the virus and now protecting livelihoods as well as lives. A less adversarial relationship between the press and politicians would help," he said.

He concluded: "So do I think that Mr Cummings should resign? On balance, probably no. Although I can totally see what a tough decision that is.

"Has it hurt public trust? Probably. And that’s critical at the moment. Beating the Coronavirus is a marathon not a sprint. The transition to the next phase of the social distancing rules, easing our way out of the lockdown is so important. We need to make sure we prioritise public safety and sustainably rebuild our economy. Trust in the plan is vital to that and we all have a role to play in generating that trust and communicating the plan.

"Where do we go from here? Well, we must get back to dealing with the virus. It’s the number one issue, of course. The whole of the machinery of government is focused on beating Covid. There are lessons to learn, especially about communications, but let’s get back to beating this killer disease together."

Finally Ben thanked the constituents who have written to him over the matter.

"The correspondence I have received over the last few days has helped me know that I’m not alone in my initial anger and frustration when the news broke," he said,