To his critics, it is almost too perfect.
But Dominic Cummings' controversial trip to Barnard Castle has taken yet another strange twist after it emerged the town's name means 'pathetic excuse' in slang.
While isolating with coronavirus symptoms, the Prime Minister's chief adviser visited the County Durham town with his family.
Defending the trip on Monday, he claimed he made the trip to test his vision.
The statement was ridiculed on social media and attracted a police warning to the public not to drive if your sight is impaired.
And one Tweet, which showed a picture of a page inside the 2005 book 'Brewer’s Britain and Ireland', drew attention to the meaning behind the town's name.
The book claims Barnard Castle is a slang term, coined when Sir George Bowes refused to leave his fortified position inside the castle to engage in battle during the Northern Rebellion in the 16th century.
Hence the expression 'come, come, that’s Barney Castle', meaning 'that’s a pathetic excuse', states the book.
Despite mounting calls to quit, at an unprecedented press conference, Mr Cummings insisted he had never even considered resigning over the scandal.
He also refused to apologise, adding he had no regrets over travelling 260 miles from London to his parent's farm - allegedly breaking the lockdown rules.
Boris Johnson has backed him, although Douglas Ross, the junior minister for Scotland, resigned on Tuesday morning citing concerns with the explanation offered up by Mr Cummings.
