U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing his most serious political crisis since his election victory last year, with politicians from all sides including his own demanding the resignation of his top aide over claims he breached lockdown rules.
Johnson put his own authority on the line to back Dominic Cummings, his most powerful adviser, who is under attack for his decision to travel more than 250 miles to seek care for his 4-year-old child at a time when the official advice was to "stay home." The premier said that while he understood the confusion and dismay over the episode, Cummings's actions were "sensible and defensible."
Johnson's office confirmed Cummings will make a statement to reporters and take questions at 4 p.m. in the prime minister's rose garden at 10 Downing Street.
But Johnson's response did little to end the controversy. Monday's national newspapers made grim reading for the premier, with even the normally Tory-supporting Daily Mail's front page asking "What Planet Are They On?" Meanwhile, a growing number of politicians, including more than a dozen of Johnson's own Conservatives, said Cummings must lose his job, with many warning of mounting anger from voters.
Conservative Tim Loughton said Johnson's defense of the aide was not good enough. He told BBC radio on Monday that he had been "swamped" by emails from constituents about Cummings. "What I wanted to hear was a proper justification of why what Dominic Cummings did was fine," Loughton said. "I fear I didn't get that and what's more worrying is my constituents didn't get that." Sixteen Tory lawmakers have called publicly for Cummings to go.
The leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, said Johnson's decision was an insult to the sacrifices made by the British people since the country went into lockdown in late March.
"This was a test of the prime minister and he has failed it," Starmer said. "The prime minister's actions have undermined confidence in his own public health message at this crucial time."
DEATH TOLL
The controversy comes at a highly sensitive moment for Johnson, with Britons beginning to chafe after two months of restrictions in a country where fatalities from the virus have topped 36,000. That gives Britain the worst death toll in Europe and the highest in the world after the U.S.
Recent polls also show support is waning for Johnson's pandemic response. By backing Cummings so publicly, Johnson is taking a major gamble _ given how emotional the subject is for a public that has been banned from normal social contact outside their homes since March 23.
Yet the fact the premier has shown such overwhelming support demonstrates how vital Cummings clearly is to Johnson's administration. The risk now is that Johnson will be the one paying a political price.
Speaking at the government's daily press conference on Sunday, the prime minister faced a relentless barrage of questions from journalists over the adviser. The central charge against Cummings is one of hypocrisy _ with one rule for the governing elite and another for the rest of the country. Johnson took the issue head on. "As far as I can see, he stuck to the rules," he said.
"When he had no alternative, I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent and I do not mark him down for that," Johnson said. "I believe that in every respect he has acted responsibly and legally and with integrity, and with the overwhelming aim of stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives."
CONFUSED AND OFFENDED
Official guidance is "clear" that people with particular child care difficulties do not need to observe the same strict lockdown rules, according to Johnson. "It's absolutely responsible of Dominic Cummings to see the risk to his family and to see the risk to his child and to take steps to avert it."
Asked whether he understood why the public may feel angry over a sense of double standards, Johnson said he accepted the point.
"I can totally get why people might feel so confused and, as you say, so offended by the idea that it was one thing for people here and another thing for others," he said. "Having looked at what happened and having looked at his intention and what he was trying to do for the good of his family, I really think most people will understand what he was doing."
Johnson's defense of Cummings at the press conference did little to quell criticism from within his own ranks, with Conservative lawmaker Paul Maynard calling Cummings's actions "utterly indefensible" after Johnson's remarks.
Concerning the wider coronavirus response, Johnson confirmed a plan to reopen schools on June 1, with selected year groups going back to class.
"In line with the approach being taken in many other countries, we want to start getting our children into the classroom in a way that is as safe and manageable as possible," he said.
