That’s it for today from me on the UK side.
Thank you so much to everybody who got in touch throughout the day with tips and comments, and to everyone who thanked the Guardian for its coverage. It’s safe to say my inbox has never been so ram packed as it’s been today and, while it’s impossible to reply to everyone, it’s clear how much recent events have resonated with you and every message is hugely appreciated.
I hope you’ll join us again tomorrow as we continue to cover these important stories. In the meantime, you can follow the Guardian’s worldwide coverage of the pandemic on the global live blog.
Evening summary
- A government minister has resigned and nearly 40 Conservative MPs, including the former attorney general Jeremy Wright, as well as the Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw, have called for Dominic Cummings to go, as pressure continues to mount on the top adviser to resign. The junior Scottish minister, Douglas Ross resigned from the government over its continued support for Cummings. Ross said the way that Cummings had interpreted the lockdown rules was at odds with the vast majority of the public who followed them. The prime minister’s key aide was defended this morning by the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and at the daily press briefing by the health secretary Matt Hancock, who maintained his explanation had shown that he acted within the guidelines. A growing number of Tory MPs, however, disagree and have revolted against the government, calling for Cummings to either resign or be sacked.
- Westminster Opposition parties, bar Labour, penned a joint letter to the prime minister calling for Cummings to go. The leaders said in the letter, which was also sent to Patrick Vallance who chairs Sage, that the issue transcended politics and Cumming’s behaviour is “a matter of public health”. The letter urged Boris Johnson to restore trust and clarity to public health messaging by sacking his key adviser.
- Matt Hancock said the government would review the fines imposed on families travelling during lockdown for childcare purposes. The pledge was made following a question from a member of the public at the daily press conference, which put Hancock on the spot. The government then said Hancock had not announced a review, but that he had said he would pass on the concerns to colleagues.
- Matt Hancock described a new trial of the Remdesivir drug as “the biggest step forward” in treatment since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. The anti-viral drug was used during the Ebola outbreak, and the health secretary said early data suggests it can shorten recovery time from Covid-19 by four days.
- The UK’s death toll passed 37,000, rising by 134 to 37,048. The ONS figure, however, which includes all deaths where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate – so, both confirmed or suspected cases – is 42,173 deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales were recorded to 15 May (registered up to 23 May). That is more than 30% higher than the DHSC total, which only includes deaths where a person has tested positive.
Updated
There are nearly 300 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 among prison staff than previously thought, the Ministry of Justice has revealed.
Due to a change in reporting of cases among prison staff, and an additional evaluation, there were 873 workers who had tested positive for the coronavirus as of 1pm on Tuesday, compared to 573 recorded as positive in the last update as of 5pm Thursday.
There are now confirmed Covid-19 cases among staff at 104 prisons, nearly 90% of the 117 jails in England and Wales. The previous update revealed cases in 77 jails.
The figures do not represent live cases and the MoJ said the higher figure should not be interpreted as a rise in the previous total provided, adding that the overall declining trend in new cases continues.
The number of confirmed cases of the virus among prisoners is 445 across 77 prisons, a nearly 2% rise in five days.
The number of cases and deaths in prisons have been much lower than expected in part due to the highly restrictive regime introduced in March, which means prisoners are spending less than an hour of their day out of their cells.
Updated
Q. Cumbria is among the hardest hit areas, what tools will you give local authorities to deal with any future regional or local flare-ups?
Q. How will you ensure healthcare staff don’t face future risk as a result of PPE that was not fit-tested?
Hancock says on second checking, some PPE items that were put in the stockpile had to be withdrawn as they didn’t meet requirements.
He says he’s told that clinicians said the risk was low in those settings.
Newton adds there are national resources, eg the contact tracing system and the app, as well as regional and local ones, eg councils.
The whole of civic society needs to be involved as we’re all affected by it, he says.
Updated
Q. Can you ask people/families with no symptoms to self-isolate when the people giving the orders aren’t following them?
Hancock says it’s important people play their part in the test and trace programme.
People are doing this for their loved ones, he says.
If you’re phoned up and asked to self-isolate because you’ve been in close contact with someone who’s tested positive, it’s your civic duty to then self-isolate for yourself, your community and your family, he says.
This will allow us to start lifting blanket measures, he adds.
Updated
Q. How important is it to the success of the test and trace project that people obey the instructions they’re given to the letter and to the spirit?
Q. Can people follow their instincts to interpret the guidance given to them by contact tracers?
Hancock says the programme will be incredibly important in trying to move to a system of more targeted lockdown, e.g. local lockdowns if there are flare-ups, isolating individuals.
Newton says it’s very important but it must work alongside physical distancing measures and basic hygiene.
Clear instructions will be given – they will phrased as instructions, rather than advice – and we do expect people to follow them, he adds.
Q. According to a poll conducted after that press conference, 71% of the public believe Dominic Cummings broke the lockdown. Are you saying they misunderstood those rules and if so, does that mean you failed drafting them?
Q. Would you now advise people to use that discretion or is that discretion just for people who work in Downing Street?
Hancock says it’s incredibly important that people follow the guidelines.
He says the guidelines say that if you have adults who are unable to look after a child that is an exceptional circumstance.
Therefore, Cummings’ explanation was within the guidelines, though reasonable people may disagree, he says.
He moves swiftly on with no follow-up.
Q. 71% of people disagree with you and think Dominic Cummings did break the rules and confidence in the government has plummeted 20 points in four days. How much does this loss of confidence worry you?
Q. What do you say to people who think you are risking people’s health to save one adviser?
Hancock says he understands and regrets the anger that people feel, and that Cummings has said he should have got the facts out earlier.
He says it’s entirely reasonable for people to disagree with what happened.
He’s here to focus on and drive forward all the other important things that need to be done, he says.
He moves swiftly on without allowing a follow-up.
Q. You and your wife both tested positive for Covid-19 and you have three young children. What’s the relevant difference between you and Dominic Cummings?
Hancock says he had childcare readily available at home; Cummings didn’t.
He moves swiftly on with no follow-up given.
Updated
Matt Hancock defends Dominic Cummings' lockdown trip
They are taking questions from journalists now.
Q. Nearly 40 of your colleagues believe the PM’s top adviser let the country down. Do you feel that way, or at least see why they do?
Hancock says Cummings set out all the details on this yesterday.
What he did was within the guidelines, though he can understand why reasonable people would disagree, he says.
The guidelines allow for exceptional circumstances in the case of a small child, he says, so he acted within the guidelines.
Q. Do you accept that it’s damaging the government’s credibility and undermining the message?
Hancock says it’s incredibly important people keep their resolve and play their part by acting responsibly both for themselves and for their community.
Updated
Ellie from Kent asks if people can start to shop for non-essential items and kids can return to school, why can’t we visit another household who we know have been self-isolating.
Hancock says he understands people’s yearning to see loved ones, but it’s difficult to know where the virus has passed from and to. They are looking at how to do this in a safe way, he says.
Newton says if social distancing measures are being implemented properly, the risk of transmission is low.
Whereas, the risk within households is highest, he says, so the advice has to be different.
The gradual increase in contact will get us all back to normal, but everything has risk attached to it, he adds.
Government to discuss reviewing fines given to families in lockdown
They are taking questions from members of the public now.
Martin from Brighton asks whether the government will review all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown.
It’s a very good question, Hancock says.
They understand the impact and need for adequate childcare, one of the significant concerns they’ve had during this time, he says.
He says he will discuss with Treasury colleagues and write to Martin with a full answer and commits to making an announcement on this topic.
Updated
Prof Newton is going through the slides now.
There is a small trend upwards in car use, commensurate with the gradual easing of lockdown, he says.
The numbers of tests are fluctuating on a day-to-day basis as is expected, he says.
The seven-day rolling average in confirmed cases is trending downwards, which is promising, he says.
The number of admissions to hospital with Covid-19 is 471, down from 639, the lowest number since this data started being collected on 20 March, Newton says.
The number of patients on mechanical ventilators is also falling steadily, he says.
There is a steady, although slow, decline being seen all over the country, he says.
The numbers of registered deaths with confirmed or suspected coronavirus are falling, he says, and 23% of Covid-related deaths have occurred in care homes.
Updated
Anti-viral drug is 'biggest step forward since crisis began', Hancock says
R&D into treatments taking place across the UK is leading the world, Hancock says.
Not every project will bear fruit but every possible avenue will be explored, he says.
Hancock announces a new trial for selected NHS patients of an anti-viral drug called remdesivir.
There have already been some promising early results on coronavirus patients, with early data indicating it can shorten recovery time by around four days, he says.
Use of this treatment will be prioritised where it can give the greatest benefit, he adds.
This is the biggest step forward in treatment since the crisis began, he says.
Updated
He will provide an update on PPE and treatments, Hancock says.
Contracts have now been signed to manufacture 2m items of PPE in the UK, he says.
Around the world, deals have been signed with more than 100 suppliers, he adds.
There’s a long way to go but this is significant progress, he says.
Updated
Today’s figures from the ONS show the lowest levels of deaths from coronavirus in six weeks, Hancock says.
We can’t let up on this, he says.
The number of deaths is falling. We must keep our resolve.
The health secretary is speaking now.
He is joined by Prof John Newton, the government’s test and trace coordinator.
Hancock goes over the daily figures:
As of 9am 26 May, there have been 3,681,295 tests, with 109,979 tests on 25 May.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) May 26, 2020
265,227 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 25 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 37,048 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/qNNPHGUDvQ
For the first time since the 18 March, yesterday there were no deaths from coronavirus recorded in Northern Ireland, Hancock says.
He pays tribute to the efforts of the public and health authorities in achieving this.
Updated
Matt Hancock's press conference
As the government grapples with a ministerial resignation and a growing Tory revolt – with more than 30 of its own MPs now calling for Dominic Cummings to resign – the health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock, will front this afternoon’s press conference, which is due to begin shortly.
Updated
All pupils in Scotland to return to school on 11 August
All pupils in Scotland will return to schools on 11 August, to begin a new model of “blended” learning in school and at home, Scotland’s education secretary, John Swinney, has told the Holyrood parliament this afternoon.
He added that councils will be asked to expand the school estate by using community facilities and vacant office accommodation, to allow children to spend as much time with their friends as possible. He also acknowledged the difficulty of enforcing physical distancing between younger children, which would likewise be helped by offering more indoor space.
Recognising the difficulties faced by parents, Swinney said employers were being encouraged to allow working from home wherever possible – but didn’t really address how parents are expected to carry on long-term semi-home schooling alongside their own working commitments.
He confirmed that the Scottish government has ordered 25,000 laptops for disadvantaged children to support them with home-learning.
Updated
At this stage in the day, this has already been pointed out by many but I thought it should still make the blog.
The saying “Come, come! That’s Barney Castle!” is old Durham slang for “an expression often uttered when a person is heard making a bad excuse in a still worse cause”. In other words, a pathetic excuse for their actions. Do with that what you will.
In 19th century English, the expression ‘Come, come, that’s Barnard Castle!’ was used as a response to someone who had offered a flawed excuse for their actions.
— Haggard Hawks 📚🦅 (@HaggardHawks) May 25, 2020
(fr. English Proverbs & Proverbial Phrases: A Historical Dictionary, 1929) pic.twitter.com/l1qpOFSunS
Former attorney general Jeremy Wright calls for Cummings to resign
The Tory former attorney general Jeremy Wright QC has added his name to the growing list of Tory MPs calling for Dominic Cummings to go.
The Kenilworth and Southam MP wrote on his website that it could be argued that Cummings did not technically breach the lockdown laws, although he did call for further explanation.
However, in determining what should happen now, technical compliance cannot be the only consideration.
Our continued success in combating the virus may well rely on more of that and Mr Cummings’ actions and his justification of them will, in my judgment, make it less likely that others will continue to interpret those exceptional circumstances clauses restrictively.
This is more important than the position of any individual in Downing Street and therefore, fairly or unfairly, I have concluded that it would be better for Mr Cummings to leave his position at Downing Street.
Updated
Philip Davies, the Shipley MP, has called on Dominic Cummings to “do the honourable thing and resign”, according to the Telegraph and Argus.
In his statement, he added that the prime minister’s key aide “no longer has trust of the overwhelming majority of the public” and that Cummings should repay Boris Johnson’s loyalty to him by resigning.
Updated
The Conservative rebellion continues to grow, with the former minister Harriett Baldwin calling for Dominic Cummings to resign.
The MP for West Worcestershire said:
While I have every human sympathy with Dominic Cummings, I think there is a higher bar for members of the government.
If the government wants people to follow the public health advice in order to protect our NHS and save lives, then members of the government giving that advice, including the prime minister’s adviser, need to follow it too.
The government relies on moral authority to receive the consent of the people to such draconian reductions in their freedoms. Therefore, for the sake of future adherence to public health guidelines, I believe he should resign.
Updated
The Tory MP Christian Wakeford said Dominic Cummings should have been “reprimanded” for his actions which broke the “spirit – if not the letter – of the guidance”. The Bury South MP said:
We cannot give the impression there is one rule for some and another for the rest.
Writing on Facebook, Wakeford said:
In my opinion he has broken the spirit – if not the letter – of the guidance designed to limit the spread of coronavirus.
He should now have the courage to admit his judgment was questionable, and should be reprimanded.
He has undermined the essence of the government’s key stay at home messaging and has muddied the messaging moving forward when we need clarity more than ever.
My statement on Dominc Cummingshttps://t.co/3iJyVfTjcn pic.twitter.com/6kCbrGwCL5
— Christian Wakeford MP (@Christian4BuryS) May 26, 2020
Updated
This is Lucy Campbell, back from lunch. Please do continue to get in touch throughout the afternoon with your news tips and comments. Your thoughts are always welcome and apologies in advance if I can’t reply to everyone.
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_
Conservative MP and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said he does think Dominic Cummings breached lockdown rules, but doesn’t think he should resign.
In a letter to a constituent, seen by the Guardian, Hunt said:
Having watched the broadcast yesterday, my own view is that what he did was a clear breach of the lockdown rules - coming back into work when he had been with his wife who was ill, driving to Durham instead of staying at home and visiting Barnard Castle.
These were clearly mistakes - both in terms of the guidance which was crystal clear, and in terms of the signal it would potentially give out to others as someone who was at the centre of government.
However, he said he will not add his voices to the list of those calling for Cummings to resign, adding that “as someone who has been at the centre of media storms with a young family, I know you do make mistakes in these situations”.
I am also not convinced that politics gains much from the spectacle of scalp-hunting even though I recognise that accountability is central to our democracy and sometimes people do need to resign.
He concluded by saying it was more important to hold the government to account on “whether we really are going to follow global best practice and introduce Korean/German track and trace so we kill off a second wave of the virus and get the economy back on its feet.”
“I will be questioning the Prime Minister about this at the Liaison Committee on Wednesday,” he said. “I actually think this matters far more than Dominic Cummings although I am sure he will get plenty of questions on that too.”
Three people were arrested after an illegal rave was held at a nature reserve near the centre of Leeds, police have said.
Local groups have claimed that up to 200 people were involved in the party at the Kirkstall Valley nature reserve, on the banks of the River Aire on Monday evening.
West Yorkshire police said young people were seen wading across the river to get to the party and officers were called at 6.37pm.
A spokesman said:
There were also concerns for the safety of individuals attending, as a shallow part of the river was being used as a crossing.
Officers attended alongside other emergency services and three arrests were made. Sound equipment was also seized.
Supt Chris Bowen said: “We would urge people to consider their own safety and the safety of others, particularly during the warmer weather and the ongoing period of lockdown.”
Members of a Kirkstall community group on Facebook expressed their anger about the damage to the reserve.
A post read:
Well the fine youth of Leeds ONCE AGAIN show NO RESPECT for wildlife in bird breeding season never mind lockdown.
Once again on the Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve, youths, people have a full blown amped up music rave on the nature reserve last night from approx 9pm.
Not content with the damage they caused at the last one in 2018 burning down meadows full of moths and butterflies and causing disturbance to waterfowl wildlife. This time it was on the protected nature reserve island.
The group said bird life will have been scared away from their nests by the ravers, and chicks and nests will have been abandoned or trodden on.
They wrote: “We are left heart broken for the likely damage to birds nests and their young and to other species breeding at this time of year.
“We are DISGUSTED with the LITTLE RESPECT people show for wildlife thinking only of themselves and where they can get the next high from.”
Updated
Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw calls for Cummings to resign
The Scottish conservative leader, Jackson Carlaw, has finally called for Dominic Cummings to resign, after coming under intense pressure while a number of his own MSPs expressed their strong support for their colleague Douglas Ross, who resigned as a UK government minister earlier today in protest at the Cummings row.
After an earlier equivocal statement, in which he said that “this is a difficult situation for many, and people will arrive at different judgments,” Carlaw told STV this afternoon:
It is absolutely a matter for the prime minister himself who serves him and for how long they serve but given the furore, given the distraction we are now in, given the distraction to the prime minister onto this issue if I were Mr Cummings I would be considering my position.
A number of the Scottish Conservative MSP group called directly for Cummings to quit as they expressed their solidarity with Ross.
Adam Tomkins described Ross’s resignation as “a disaster”, stating: “His was one of clearest voices for the union in government. It shows exactly why Cummings should be sacked.”
A number of senior Holyrood colleagues followed suit, privately expressing frustration at Carlaw’s weak initial statement.
With Holyrood elections only 12 months away, Scottish Tories are all too aware of how this plays to Scottish voters in terms of the apparent entitlement of distant London elites.
Updated
Opposition leaders write joint letter to the PM calling for Cummings to go
The leaders of opposition parties (excluding Labour) have sent a joint letter to the prime minister, urging him to sack Dominic Cummings over his lockdown breaches.
The letter, which was also forwarded to Sir Patrick Vallance, chair of Sage, reads:
It is now a matter of record that Mr Dominic Cummings broke multiple lockdown rules.
He is yet to express any apology or contrition for these actions. There cannot be one rule for those involved in formulating public health advice and another for the rest of us.
This is an issue that transcends politics. It has united people of every party and political persuasion, who believe strongly that it is now your responsibility as Prime Minister to return clarity and trust in public health messaging.
We are clear that this can now only be achieved by removing Dominic Cummings from his post without further delay.
The letter was signed by:
- Ian Blackford, SNP
- Sir Ed Davey, Liberal Democrats
- Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru
- Colum Eastwood, Social Democratic and Labour party
- Caroline Lucas, Green party
- Stephen Farry, Alliance party
New: letter from opposition parties (bar Labour) to PM (copying in Vallance) calling for Cummings to go. Says issue transcends politics, PM must return trust and clarity to public health messaging pic.twitter.com/Co2RxqqUTX
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) May 26, 2020
Updated
Scots should wear face masks on public transport, government urges
Scots should wear face coverings whenever travelling on public transport, other than ferries, the Scottish government’s transport secretary has announced, as he published further travel guidance in advance of the easing of lockdown restrictions across the country on Thursday.
Michael Matheson told the Holyrood chamber:
Even with the measures being put in place by transport operators, it may be difficult for people to maintain physical distancing throughout their journey in some forms of public transport.
I know these are real concerns of the travelling public, operators and transport staff. For that reason, people should, and are expected to, wear face coverings as an additional measure when using public transport and as a consideration to staff and fellow passengers.
Matheson urged the public and employers to “adapt to a new environment which has flexible and remote working at its core” as he revealed that transport operators estimate capacity will be between 10% and 25% of normal availability even with full services resumed.
He said that there remains a need to reduce demand for transport, and encouraged employers to show as much flexibility as possible, allowing later or earlier starting times as well as encouraging home working in order to flatten peak travel demand.
He said there would be a strong focus on active travel – like walking and cycling - through a range of schemes, including the national cycle training scheme for schoolchildren.
Updated
Charity shops are expecting a large volume of donations when they reopen and plan to isolate items for 72 hours before they go on sale as part of measures to ensure the safety of customers.
The government said charity shops are among retailers that can resume trading from 15 June, but at least one charity is saying it will only commit to reopening once it is “safe to do so”.
Charities are asking people who have spent time decluttering their homes during lockdown not to leave donations outside shops and to be “thoughtful” about when they donate.
The government is also being urged to give more “definitive” guidelines regarding how long items should be left before being put out on sale.
Oxfam said it was working on a “detailed plan” to enable its shops to reopen but does not currently have a confirmed date, and pointed out that many of its 20,000 shop volunteers are elderly people.
The charity said in a statement:
We are following government advice and are taking comprehensive steps to create a safe environment, including ensuring social distancing within the shops, providing personal protective equipment, regular cleaning of all surfaces, doors and equipment, and the isolation of donated items for 72 hours prior to listing for sale.
Traid (Textile Reuse and International Development) is planning a phased reopening of its charity shops around 18 June, beginning with the most spacious stores in Dalston, Kilburn, Peckham and Shepherd’s Bush.
Chief executive Maria Chenoweth said:
Currently, the Charity Retail Association recommends quarantining clothes and textile donations for 72 hours, which we are able to do.
However, Traid is keen for something more definitive from the government regarding how long clothes and textile donations should be left before putting on sale.
The British Heart Foundation said “a small number” of its shops will reopen from mid-June, with the rest to reopen over the following weeks once safety measures are established.
Updated
Hi everyone, this is Jessica Murray, I’ll be steering the blog for the next hour.
Feel free to get in touch with your comments and story suggestions.
Email: jessica.murray@theguardian.com
Twitter: @journojess_
UK death toll passes 37,000
Across all settings, the number of confirmed reported deaths in the UK has risen to 37,048, the Department of Health and Social Care said. That is an increase of 134.
As of 9am 26 May, there have been 3,681,295 tests, with 109,979 tests on 25 May.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) May 26, 2020
265,227 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 25 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 37,048 have sadly died. pic.twitter.com/qNNPHGUDvQ
Updated
Another Tory MP says Cummings should resign
Another Tory MP, Mark Harper, has said Dominic Cummings should have offered to resign.
The Forest of Dean MP said in a statement shared on Twitter that Cummings’ decision to travel to Durham “is certainly not the conclusion I would have reached, given the sacrifices many are having to make in the interests of the nation’s health”.
More damningly, he wrote:
As for the trip to Barnard Castle on 12 April, there is no credible justification for this.
In these circumstances, as an absolute minimum, an apology should have been made and level of regret expressed. I am disappointed that Mr Cummings did neither.
I have always said that politics is a team effort, not an individual one. Difficult times are ahead, which will require the Government to be able to deliver clear and credible public health messages. In the interests of us all, I hope this will still be possible. pic.twitter.com/R7hymZE843
— Mark Harper (@Mark_J_Harper) May 26, 2020
Updated
Artists in rural and urban locations across the world have been invited to create temporary light installations in their homes at dusk over the weekend of Friday 29 – Sunday 31 May as part of the online art project Lockdown and Light.
The project has been developed by Suffolk-based artists David Campbell Baldry and Jane Watt as part of the ongoing biennial series Landscape and Light. They hope the installations will be visible to neighbours and passersby.
To take part, participants are asked to upload still or moving images of their installations to Instagram and tag with #lockdownandlight and @lockdownandlight.
Updated
People in England could be allowed to socialise in larger groups in gardens or parks, Michael Gove has confirmed, but visiting family and friends indoors still appears some way off, my colleague Rowena Mason reports.
Speaking to broadcast media this morning, Gove signalled the possibility of more outdoor meetings – discussed at cabinet – could pave the way for barbecues, garden parties and other forms of socialising, although it is likely the physical distancing rules would still apply.
However, the prime minister gave no update about this on Sunday or Monday when he spoke at the daily press conference, while Gove talked only about bigger outdoor meetings being allowed “in the coming weeks”.
Gove also suggested it would be some time before pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars would return to normal.
There have been zero new deaths from coronavirus reported today in Northern Ireland by the Department of Health. The overall total according to the department remains at 514.
Public Health Wales said a further eight people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths in Wales to 1,282.
Another 141 people have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 13,556.
The latest number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Wales has been updated.
— Public Health Wales (@PublicHealthW) May 26, 2020
Data dashboard:
💻 https://t.co/RwgHDufHE7
📱https://t.co/P6UF1MTOwc
Find out how we are responding to the spread of the virus in our daily statement here: https://t.co/1Lza9meaTL pic.twitter.com/im2jEI7Grw
The Tory former minister Stephen Hammond told his constituents in Wimbledon that Dominic Cummings’ actions may have undermined efforts to protect people from coronavirus, and he should have quit.
He said:
Whilst one might have some sympathy with his motives and his concern for his family, I am angry that so many have sacrificed so much for public safety and yet this man has decided his interpretation of ‘doing the right thing’ overrode the clear instruction of stay at home.
It is clear to me that Mr Cummings has broken some of the guidelines which we all were instructed to follow.
He added:
Public adherence to the rules is achieved by consent in this country and that is made much harder if people feel it is one rule for them and another for senior government advisers.
A threatening email sent to the bishop of Ripon is being investigated by North Yorkshire police, the force has confirmed.
Rev Helen-Ann Hartley said she had received a message on Sunday saying, “Stay out of politics or it will be the death of you”, following her criticism of the government over the Dominic Cummings row.
Hartley said she was following up the hate email with police, and the North Yorkshire force said in a statement:
A complaint has been made to North Yorkshire police and inquiries are ongoing into the matter.
The bishop previously said in a Twitter post that the government lacked “integrity, trust and leadership” in response to Boris Johnson’s press conference defending Cummings on Sunday. She added she missed her father’s birthday during the lockdown as he recovered from radiotherapy.
Updated
Tenants could face eviction without any legal representation when the coronavirus crisis freeze on home repossessions is lifted next month, according to warning letters sent out by county courts in London.
The letter detailing “arrangements for listing possession claims” at Brentford and Uxbridge county courts was circulated to organisations and lawyers involved in housing cases. It said hearings would restart from 29 June after the temporary suspension of mortgage and tenancy home repossession cases is lifted.
Initially many cases will have to be heard over video links while social distancing requirements remain in place. “The result is likely to be that, at least until the autumn, most possession hearings will take place remotely ie not by way of a face-to-face hearing in our court building,” the official communication states.
There “will be no physical presence of the parties or their representatives at the court building” and consequently staff will have to “encourage the taking of early legal aid assistance by defendants, point out that there will almost certainly be no ‘duty solicitor’ scheme in operation [and] stress will have to file and serve in advance of the hearing a witness statement/bundle with all the evidence needed ...”
Sue James of Hammersmith and Fulham Law Centre, a solicitor specialising in housing cases, questioned whether those in danger of losing their homes would all have the necessary technology to participate in remote hearings to enable them to prevent evictions or ability to consult lawyers in advance.
Other courts around the country are preparing a variety of approaches. “There should be a uniform policy,” James said. “You can’t start from the premise that there will be no duty solicitors. At court you normally talk to the tenant and landlord before the hearing. Tenants may not have computers to access the court remotely or have sufficient credit on their phones. Remote hearings for repossession cases are not workable.”
Updated
Following his press conference, 59% of Britons think Dominic Cummings should resign from his role as Boris Johnson’s senior adviser over his conduct during lockdown, a poll suggests.
The YouGov poll found 27% of those surveyed believe Cummings should not resign while 14% answered “don’t know”.
The data showed 52% of those surveyed who voted leave in the 2016 EU referendum want Cummings to resign, with 38% answering “should not resign” and 10% “don’t know”.
YouGov said it surveyed 1,160 adults on Tuesday.
% of Britons who think Dominic Cummings should resign
— YouGov (@YouGov) May 26, 2020
23 May - 52%
25/26 May - 59%
(all 25/26 May data gathered after the press conference was held)https://t.co/8QjEJ1Xcsz pic.twitter.com/lBw2SLqgvP
% who want Dominic Cummings to resign, by vote
— YouGov (@YouGov) May 26, 2020
Labour - 76%
Remain - 71%
Lib Dem - 71%
Leave - 52%
Conservative - 46%https://t.co/8QjEJ1Xcsz pic.twitter.com/fI8OvAGq7V
Updated
All Scots with symptoms must book tests and isolate under test and protect scheme
At her daily press briefing, Nicola Sturgeon set out further detail of the Scottish government’s new test and protect strategy, which will go live across all of Scotland’s health board areas on Thursday, the same day as the country’s lockdown restrictions are due to be eased.
The first minister said the required capacity of more than 15,000 tests a day was now in place, and around 700 contact tracers will be needed in the early phase, although by the end of the month there will be a pool of around 2,000 to draw on.
From Thursday, if people develop coronavirus symptoms they must book a test immediately and isolate themselves. If the test is positive, they will then hear from a tracer who will ask them about recent contacts in the community. Sturgeon emphasised that people’s data would be secure and only available to NHS Scotland.
She said that, like lockdown measures, the test and protect system was a “collective national endeavour”. She stressed that it should not be considered optional, with everyone needing to play their part to ensure its success.
Updated
No 10 lobby briefing
Here are some key points from this afternoon’s lobby briefing, as Downing Street continues to grapple with the row over Dominic Cummings.
No 10 has reiterated its support for Dominic Cummings over allegations he breached the lockdown.
The PM’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing:
From the prime minister’s point of view, he has set out that he believes Dominic Cummings acted reasonably, legally and with integrity and with care for his family and for others.
Downing Street declined to answer numerous queries that remain unresolved after Cummings’ response to allegations he breached the lockdown, saying the adviser had “answered questions extensively”.
The spokesman said:
I can’t be a spokesman for special advisers, that’s not my job. If you have questions in that regard they’ll have to go elsewhere I’m afraid.
The PM asked Dominic Cummings to set out his explanation in public and he did that last night, he answered questions extensively.
Downing Street defended having previously told journalists Dominic Cummings was isolating at home during the lockdown.
The spokesman said he did not know the aide’s actual location at the time but had been pointing out he was not working in No 10.
Asked if he meant Cummings was in London, the spokesman said:
No, and the context of my answer was pointing out he wasn’t at work.
Asked if he knew where Mr Cummings was at the time, the spokesman said:
No. As in he wasn’t at work, I simply meant it in that context.
Downing Street was unable to explain why it said in a statement on Saturday that Dominic Cummings’ wife had been infected with suspected coronavirus, which the aide later contradicted.
The spokesman said:
He set out his account of what had happened yesterday. I think it was a very full and detailed account and there’s nothing for me to add to it.
Updated
This is from Sky’s Beth Rigby, highlighting more inconsistencies between Cummings’ rose garden statement and his wife Mary Wakefield’s piece in the Spectator.
A viewer points out an inconsistency in Cummings explanation of events
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) May 26, 2020
Mary Wakefield said when her husband fell ill (March 28) he couldn’t get out of bed for 10 days.
But in his statement yesterday Cummings said he drove to hospital to collect his son on Apr 3 pic.twitter.com/htA5gw1lqt
Updated
Asked about her reaction to the resignation of Scotland office minister Douglas Ross (see 9.31am.), the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said “fair play to him”.
She added that while she had already made clear her views on the handling of the row and the “retrospective rewriting of the rules”, she believed Ross had taken a “principled position”.
Updated
An NHS doctor has launched a legal challenge against the government for “the lack of protection provided by our ministers”. Dr Meenal Viz said:
I’ve seen many of my colleagues suffer and die due to the lack of protection provided by our ministers.
It was one death that hit home, the death of pregnant nurse Mary Agyapong - I held a one-woman protest outside Downing Street to show our ministers that we won’t stay silent and watch our colleagues die. I attended her funeral last week and saw the true depth of the grief that families are now going through.
Viz, who is also pregnant and has launched the legal action with her husband, said the government needed to be held accountable for its mistakes and had to “step up for all the doctors across the country” to protect all healthcare workers.
I'm a pregnant frontline doctor. #ClapForCarers is great, but for me it's not enough. 👏
— Dr Meenal Viz (@meenalsworld) May 21, 2020
This is my story...
Donate: https://t.co/mc5B3BRKEZ
Watch: pic.twitter.com/spHpBW1m81
The peri-peri chicken restaurant chain Nando’s has announced the reopening of a further 54 outlets for delivery and collection across the UK and Ireland, with 40 more due to reopen on Wednesday. In a carefully monitored trial, it has until now only reopened a handful for delivery only.
All delivery orders placed through the Nando’s website can earn reward points which can be redeemed when the restaurants eventually open their doors for a full dine-in service.
The menu will be reduced to help staff maintain physical distancing in the kitchen and food preparation areas.
Each restaurant was working under strict government guidelines on top of existing health and safety procedures, Nando’s said. Every staff member was washing their hands more frequently and PPE was available for all staff to wear. Designated waiting areas had been set up for drivers and collection customers, and order volumes would be monitored to avoid queues building up.
The full list of restaurants reopening is here.
Updated
A total of 1,200 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon said. That represents a total decrease of 69 from yesterday, including a decrease of 16 in the number of confirmed cases.
The first minister confirmed 36 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That is a decrease of four since yesterday.
Since 5 March, 3,589 patients who had tested positive and required hospitalisation had been able to leave hospital.
And in the past 24 hours, 18 deaths have been registered of patients who had tested positive for the virus. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement to 2,291.
Updated
McLaren to axe 1,200 jobs due to coronavirus pandemic
The supercar maker McLaren Group has announced that 1,200 jobs will be lost across its operations, representing around a quarter of its workforce.
The Surrey-based firm said in a statement:
Like many businesses, McLaren has been severely affected by the current pandemic.
The cancellation of motorsport events, the suspension of manufacturing and retail activities around the world and reduced demand for technology solutions have all led to a sudden impact on the group’s revenue-generating activities.
McLaren said the new annual spending cap for Formula One teams also led to the job losses.
Updated
For some, lockdown has felt like an eternity, but many key workers have continued to go to work through unprecedented circumstances.
In this video, Owen Jones asked four people – a postal worker, a cycle courier, a care home worker and a security guard – to give insight to their working life during the pandemic, and whether enough has been done to protect them from Covid-19.
Updated
The Welsh health minister, Vaughan Gething, has said he would no longer be in his position if he had been caught in a similar situation to Dominic Cummings.
He told BBC Radio Wales:
If it was me, and say my mum lived in Barmouth and I had driven from just outside Cardiff to Barmouth, because I was worried about my son, and I’d stayed on the edge of her property to do so, I don’t think I’d have lasted the end of the day once that story had broken.
Asked if he would have resigned, Gething said:
I think I’d have had to, or the first minister would have told me that my time was up anyway, because I think for a minister, I don’t see how I could possibly have stayed in office.
He added:
I’ve got real sympathy for lots of other families who have made difficult choices to follow the rules, and that’s the problem here, isn’t it?
Updated
With the number of Tory MPs going public with their outrage over Dominic Cummings still climbing, this morning’s London Playbook highlighted that Cummings’ rose garden address has also angered members of the cabinet.
This piece in the Times (paywall) reveals that some senior ministers are furious that he hasn’t been dismissed, though nobody else in the government has yet followed the junior minister Douglas Ross in resigning in protest (see 9:31am.).
One told the Times:
My jaw continues to drop. He’s saying he’s so much more important than us plebs. I think we’re in big trouble, we can’t campaign our way out of this. We’re losing trust and confidence — it’s draining away before our eyes. The fact he didn’t apologise speaks volumes.
Another said:
If people really start to think that senior people in government aren’t following their own rules, that will be catastrophic.
The article also reveals that ministers whipped into tweeting support for Cummings when the story broke on Friday “privately admit to feeling demeaned”.
What we can only assume added to that feeling is the revelation that the cabinet wasn’t even told that the rose garden press conference was happening.
Updated
This is from ITV’s Paul Brand
BREAKING: Understand that opposition leaders agreed on their call this morning that Dominic Cummings' behaviour is a "matter of public health".
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) May 26, 2020
They will continue their discussions today and discuss next steps, which may be a joint public statement or letter to the PM.
Indeed it wouldn’t take long to scroll through Twitter to find examples of anecdotal evidence over the weekend of Cummings’ name cited in excuses for ignoring the lockdown.
Just one example from LBC’s Iain Dale, who tweeted on Sunday:
A friend just asked when I’m coming to visit, and another told me he’s got his haircut. When I declined the first one cos you’re not allowed and queried whether the second was allowed, both independently said if D Cummings can do it so can they.
Another Tory MP, Mark Pawsey, has come out saying that Dominic Cummings “acted against the spirit of the lockdown” and called for Boris Johnson to sack him.
Here is an extract:
I believe that it is wrong that Mr Cummings remains in an important post in government. I had hoped he that would tender his resignation of his own accord.
As he has failed to do so, I now believe it is right for the prime minister to ask for his resignation.
A letter to the many constituents who have contacted me about Dominic Cummings will be sent out today and the text is now on my website. Mr Cummings has acted against the spirit of the lockdown and the Prime Minister should now ask for his resignation.https://t.co/0EmfWdeYZq
— Mark Pawsey (@MarkPawsey) May 26, 2020
Updated
In another muted response from a senior Scottish Tory to the resignation of Douglas Ross (see 9:31am.), the Scotland secretary, Alister Jack, has thanked Ross for his contribution to the Scotland Office, adding:
I know he will continue to be a dedicated and hardworking constituency MP for Moray.
Meanwhile, Douglas Cameron MSP has joined his Holyrood colleague Adam Tomkins in publicly backing the stand that Ross has taken.
Well done, my friend. https://t.co/3olEvEkRzX
— Donald Cameron MSP (@DAJCameron) May 26, 2020
While others have simply retweeted Ross’s statement or remained silent – for now – this speaks volumes in contrast to the tepid statement of the Scottish Tory leader, Jackson Carlaw earlier.
And in private, Scottish Tory MSPs in particular are deeply vexed by the Cummings row, all too aware how it plays to Scottish voters in terms of entitlement of distant London elites, and no doubt missing their former leader Ruth Davidson’s talent for distancing her group from Westminster clusterbourachs.
It’s worth remembering that these politicians face re-election next May, and are looking at Ipsos Mori polling for the BBC this morning that found 82% of Scots think Nicola Sturgeon has handled the coronavirus crisis well, in contrast to 30% saying the same thing about Boris Johnson.
Plus, Ross, who unseated the SNP’s then Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, in Moray in 2017, has a majority of little over 500, which can only sharpen his response to the outrage of constituents that he detailed in his resignation statement.
Updated
During that press conference on Monday, Dominic Cummings claimed that he had been worried about a pandemic for some time and that last year he had written about the possible threat of coronaviruses and the urgent need for planning.
However, Jens Wiechers, a data scientist, put Cummings’ blogpost mentioning coronaviruses through the Wayback Machine – a digital archive – and found that the relevant paragraphs had been added on 14 April – the day Cummings returned to work after the trip to Durham.
The BBC’s Faisal Islam’s thread has more on this story:
Weirder and weirder...@jwiechers put blog through Internet archive machine and reference to coronavirus, quote on coronavirus was not in the version of blog saved on Way Back MAchine on Apr 9 2020 ... but is there this month...https://t.co/Bwmwgm2jFg
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) May 25, 2020
Updated
The veteran Tory MP Sir Roger Gale said the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee should make it clear to Boris Johnson that Dominic Cummings should go.
I want the 1922 Committee to put pressure on the PM. They need to say that this has gone too far and there is huge public backlash in what has happened & the way it has been handled. The time I think, has come for Mr Cummings to resign or for the PM to dispense of his services. pic.twitter.com/YxouHAmPEz
— Sir Roger Gale MP (@SirRogerGale) May 26, 2020
Sir Roger, who has been an MP for almost four decades, said:
The time I think has come for Mr Cummings to resign or for the PM to dispense of his services.
The North Thanet MP told the PA news agency:
There are people on the 1922 executive who are courageous, and that’s their job.
They are elected to tell the PM what he needs to hear, not what he wants to hear.
Gale was one of the first wave of Tory MPs to say publicly that Cummings’ position was “untenable” and he needed to go.
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.
— Sir Roger Gale MP (@SirRogerGale) May 24, 2020
He told Sky News on Sunday:
How can I go on asking people to show self restraint when a very senior member of the government isn’t?
Good morning. I’m Lucy Campbell, taking over the live blog for the rest of the day. Please do get in touch with news tips, ideas, comments and suggestions. Your thoughts are always welcome!
Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_
Updated
Tory MP William Wragg, chairman of the influential Commons public administration and constitutional affairs select committee, has added his name to a growing list of Conservatives revolting against Dominic Cummings. He has tweeted this morning:
We cannot throw away valuable public & political good will any longer. It’s humiliating & degrading to their office to see ministers put out agreed lines in defence of an advisor. This is a time of national emergency and our focus must be unrelenting. We owe it to the nation.
— William Wragg MP (@William_Wragg) May 26, 2020
The MP had previously retweeted Steve Baker’s call for Cummings to go.
Updated
Here’s some more detail on the Office for National Statistics figures released earlier about the Covid-19 death toll. There were 42,173 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales up to May 15 (and which were registered up to May 23), according to the ONS.
This compares with 31,944 deaths of people testing positive for Covid-19 reported by the Department of Health and Social Care for the same period. The ONS total is 32% higher than the Department of Health total.
PA reports this is because the ONS figures include all mentions of Covid-19 on a death certificate, including suspected Covid-19, and are based on the date that deaths occurred.
The Department of Health figures are based on when deaths were reported, and are for deaths where a person has tested positive for Covid-19.
There are signs of tensions within Scottish Tory ranks after the resignation of the Scotland Office minister Douglas Ross.
Adam Tomkins MSP, the Scottish Tory constitution spokesperson, described the resignation as a “disaster”, saying that it underlined why Cummings should be sacked.
This came in contrast to Scottish Conservative leader, Jackson Carlaw, who on Sunday offered a fairly lukewarm response to Boris Johnson’s backing of Cummings, saying it was “a situation for him to judge”. Carlaw issued a similarly brief statement saying that he “respects” the decision of Ross to resign over the ongoing row, and describing it as a “huge loss to government”. Carlaw said:
I accept Douglas’s position and respect the decision he has come to. This is a difficult situation for many, and people will arrive at different judgments. Douglas will be a huge loss to government and I thank him for all he’s done at the Scotland Office. I am in no doubt that he will continue to serve his Moray constituents with diligence and commitment, as he has done since first being elected.”
Meanwhile, the former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson expressed her own sadness at the resignation, describing Ross as a “talented minister”.
Sorry to see @Douglas4Moray resign from the Scotland Office. A talented minister. https://t.co/XdCuT9786z
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonMSP) May 26, 2020
Updated
Away from Westminster, it has emerged that this year’s Turner Prize has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year's Turner Prize is cancelled. There will be ten one-off bursaries of £10,000 awarded to artists instead. Awardees will be picked by this year's jury and be announced in June. The prize will return as normal next year
— Lanre Bakare (@Lanre_Bakare) May 26, 2020
Ten one-off bursaries of £10,000 will be awarded to artists instead, with awardees picked by this year’s jury and announced in June.
Director of Tate Britain and chair of the Turner Prize jury, Alex Farquharson, said: “Gallery closures and social distancing measures are vitally important, but they are also causing huge disruption to the lives and livelihoods of artists.
“The practicalities of organising a Turner Prize exhibition are impossible in the current circumstances, so we have decided to help support even more artists during this exceptionally difficult time.”
The Scottish National party and Liberal Democrats have both seized on Douglas Ross’s ministerial resignation, renewing calls for Dominic Cummings to go.
The SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, tweeted:
This will have been a difficult decision to make and I respect Douglas Ross for taking it. This issue transcends politics. It is about protecting trust and confidence in the public health advice. The prime minister must remove Dominic Cummings from his post without further delay.
Acting Liberal Democrats leader, Sir Ed Davey, tweeted:
This must have been a difficult decision for Douglas. But he’s surely right. I hope other Conservative MPs consult their consciences, recognise what’s right to restore public confidence and trust & join other Conservatives in calling for Cummings to go.
Updated
Two other Conservative politicians have rounded on Dominic Cummings this morning, joining a growing revolt in the party.
The BBC reports that the Tory MP for West Worcestershire, Harriet Baldwin, has called for Cummings to resign, saying that members of the government and advisers should be “subject to a higher bar”.
Meanwhile, the Tory MSP Adam Tomkins said the ministerial resignation of Douglas Ross “shows exactly why Cummings should be sacked”, adding: “I suspect others will follow where Douglas has led.”
A new Tory MP calls for Cummings to go. Hard to keep track.
— Joe Pike (@joepike) May 26, 2020
Can’t add this to the previous list of 20ish MPs as some of them may have been convinced by the Cummings garden news conference. https://t.co/zhpcnZLoiO
Updated
Another Tory MP has come out against Dominic Cummings, saying if he had been in the adviser’s shoes he would have considered his position over his actions in making a 264-mile lockdown trip.
Simon Jupp, who represents East Devon, explained he had been contacted by hundreds of people in response to Cummings’ actions, saying he has “felt a mixture of anger, disappointment and frustration in recent days” over the revelations.
I decided not to comment publicly on the situation with Dominic Cummings until I’d heard the full details. You can find my response and actions in response to this deeply unhelpful and disappointing situation on my Facebook page. https://t.co/7MIUhIkAVN
— Simon Jupp MP (@simonjamesjupp) May 26, 2020
Writing on his Facebook page, Jupp said: “Although I believe his actions were motivated by a father’s desire to do what he felt was necessary to protect his family in exceptional circumstances, if placed in the same situation I wouldn’t have made the same decisions and would have since considered my position.”
Updated
UK Covid-19 death toll passes 47,000, data reveals
The number of deaths involving Covid-19 in the UK has topped 47,000, according to the latest available data.
The total includes new figures published on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics which show that 42,173 deaths involving coronavirus occurred in England and Wales up to May 15 (and had been registered up to May 23).
Meanwhile, the latest figures from the National Records of Scotland, published last week, showed 3,546 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Scotland up to May 17.
And the latest figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, also published last week, showed 664 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Northern Ireland up to May 20.
Together these figures mean that so far 46,383 deaths have been registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.
A further 964 hospital patients in England who had tested positive for Covid-19 died between May 16 and May 24, according to figures published on Monday by NHS England. PA reports that, together with the total figure of 46,383 registered deaths, this indicates the overall death toll for the UK is now just over 47,300.
Summary
Here’s some snap reaction to Douglas Ross’ ministerial resignation in protest at Dominic Cummings’ 264-mile lockdown trip across the country.
Sky News political editor, Beth Rigby writes:
Johnson has made up his mind. Q is whether Cummings can ride this out with the party and in court of public opinion. No 10 figure told me last night MPs were broadly calm. But this morning a govt minister resigns https://t.co/0zIxvNMg29
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) May 26, 2020
ITV political editor, Robert Peston:
This is not quite the epic struggle between Nigel Lawson and Alan Walters in 1989, when both resigned. But for a minister to quit because a special adviser won’t quit is - in a constitutional sense - pretty extraordinary https://t.co/S0lix6QFP8
— Robert Peston (@Peston) May 26, 2020
Liberal Democrat London mayoral candidate Siobhan Benita:
Decency isn’t entirely lost. Thank you. https://t.co/h5jIpEbwPI
— Siobhan Benita (@SiobhanBenita) May 26, 2020
LBC political editor, Theo Usherwood:
This is the damning paragraph in the resignation letter now former Scotland minister Douglas Ross sent the PM.
— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) May 26, 2020
"I cannot in good faith tell them that they were all wrong and that one senior adviser to the government was right." pic.twitter.com/IU33LLPCFJ
FT’s Whitehall correspondent, Sebastian Payne:
This is the key part of @Douglas4Moray’s resignation letter that will connect with punters.
— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) May 26, 2020
Plenty of Tory MPs (and some other ministers) share Ross’ feelings.But many also want to move on from the Cummings row. pic.twitter.com/WZYHT7SbjR
Sky News’ political correspondent, Kate McCann:
A senior Government minister, furious at the Dominic Cummings situation, messaged last night to say the damage is done and there’s no point pushing for him to leave as PM wants him to stay. Clearly, given Douglas Ross’s decision, some don’t agree.
— Kate McCann (@KateEMcCann) May 26, 2020
Updated
In his resignation statement, Douglas Ross, a junior minister in Boris Johnson’s government, wrote: “I have never met Dominic Cummings so my judgement on this matter has always been open and I accept his statement on Monday afternoon clarified the actions he took in what he felt were the best interests of his family. However, these were decisions many others felt were not available to them.
As a father myself, my instinct is to always do what is best for my son and wife. We have been fortunate not to have caught this awful virus but if we did, we are prepared to follow the government advice and stay at home to contain this virus.
While the intentions may have been well meaning, the reaction to this news shows that Mr Cummings interpretation of the government advice was not shared by the vast majority of people who have done as the government asked.
“I have constituents who didn’t get to say goodbye to loved ones; families who didn’t visit sick relatives because they followed the guidance of the government. I cannot in good faith tell them they were all wrong and one senior adviser to the government was right.”
Updated
Minister resigns in protest at Dominic Cummings' lockdown trip
Downing Street has suffered its first ministerial resignation in protest at the defence of claims Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules by travelling 264 miles across the country.
Douglas Ross, the minister for Scotland, has announced: “I haven’t commented publicly on the situation with Dominic Cummings as I have waited to hear the full details. I welcome the statement to clarify matters, but there remains aspects of the explanation which I have trouble with. As a result I have resigned as a government minister.”
I haven't commented publicly on the situation with Dominic Cummings as I have waited to hear the full details. I welcome the statement to clarify matters, but there remains aspects of the explanation which I have trouble with. As a result I have resigned as a government Minister. pic.twitter.com/6yXLyMzItJ
— Douglas Ross MP (@Douglas4Moray) May 26, 2020
Updated
Prof Stephen Reicher, a member of the government’s advisory group on behavioural science, said Boris Johnson’s defence of Dominic Cummings over his 264-mile lockdown trip risks undermining a sense of community needed to cope with the pandemic.
"It threatens to undermine that sense of community."
— Kay Burley (@KayBurley) May 26, 2020
Stephen Reicher, one of the scientists advising the Government during the COVID-19 outbreak, says the PM's backing of Dominic Cummings undermines his own coronavirus messaging. JJ#KayBurley pic.twitter.com/ebGkYzbvGm
Prof Reicher told Sky News’ Kay Burley: “One of the central messages that we gave to government, one of the central points that we made was that the way we have gotten through this pandemic to date is by acting together, by thinking in terms of ‘we’, of what’s good for the community.
Millions of people up and down the country have done precisely that in very difficult circumstances, agonising circumstances around their families and thought ‘What is good for us as a community?’ I think the real problem here is that not simply in what Mr Cummings did but in the messaging that the prime minister put out. The lesson was, forget about the ‘we’, it’s about ‘I’.”
He added: “The thing that really concerned me yesterday was everything was about ‘I’, everything was about what it means for me, there was no consideration at all of what it means to the community.
“Now, thank God, the public at large didn’t take that attitude, the public at large, as I say, made those major sacrifices, but it threatens to undermine that sense of community if a figure as prominent as Dominic Cummings and if the prime minister himself starts undermining that ‘we’ message and starts talking about ‘I’.”
Updated
Gove questioned over Cummings' claim he took lockdown drive to beauty spot to test eyesight
Michael Gove has faced a grilling from Kay Burley, as the minister continued to back Dominic Cummings over his 264-mile lockdown trip.
In reference to Cummings’ claim that while he was in the north-east he took a drive with his family to Barnard Castle, 30 miles from Durham, to test his eyesight, on Sky News Burley asked: “If you’re struggling with Covid-19 and you think you’ve got a problem with your eyesight, what is the government advice?”
Gove: “Well, I think that different people will take different steps in order to ensure that their eyesight is properly addressed.”
Burley: “What’s the government advice?”
Gove: “Well, we advise people obviously to seek medical advice.”
Burley: “So it’s not to get in a car and drive half an hour with your four-year-old strapped in the back?”
Gove: “Well, as we know Dominic [Cummings], and I know you’re alluding to Dominic, was given the all-clear by the medics, he was told that it was safe for him to return to work. He wanted to make sure before he did return to work that he was in a good condition in order to drive the long journey back down the A1 so he took a short journey, that short one that was consistent with the medical advice, consistent with medical guidance…”
Burley: “... are you telling me that doctors told him to take that drive, he was following medical advice?”
Gove: “I’m saying that doctors cleared him to be able to return to work and he was able to return to work ... and he did take medical advice and was told he could return to work and indeed he could drive safely as well.”
Updated
The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has renewed his party’s calls for Dominic Cummings to resign, arguing that crucial public health messages have been undermined by the adviser’s behaviour and by the fact that the prime minister has stood by him.
Blackford told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “This is now about Boris Johnson’s leadership because he needs to recognise what’s right and what’s wrong and quite simply this man should go.”
He has called a meeting with other opposition leaders this morning to discuss the matter, and described the circumstances as “unprecedented”. He said: “I don’t think any of us can remember a time when an official in government is giving a press conference ... he has become the story and he has deflected attention away from what we should be doing which is keeping people safe throughout this crisis.”
Blackford said Cummings’ explanations yesterday “didn’t stack up”. He said: “Why didn’t he examine what childcare was available ... the fact that he drove to a hospital when he thought he might have Covid-19, the fact that he drove when he was worried about his eyesight .... this does get to the heart of trust in government.”
Updated
Dominic Cummings did not break the law or rules over his 264-mile lockdown trip to Durham, claims Michael Gove.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Gove said: “Dominic was not engaging in flouting of social distancing rules or anything like that …”
Highlighting that people will make their own minds up on the aide’s actions, Gove added: “What’s clear is that he didn’t break the law, he didn’t break the rules, he sought to protect his family and he also sought to ensure that the risk of anyone in his family infecting anyone else was absolutely minimised.”
Updated
Bishops reveal they have received death threats after speaking out about Cummings' lockdown trip
Some of the Church of England’s most senior bishops have reported receiving hate mail and death threats after speaking out about accusations Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules.
It comes after the Guardian reported that bishops fired a volley of unprecedented criticism at Boris Johnson over his defence of actions taken by his chief aide, Cummings, who drove 265 miles to Durham during lockdown.
Bishop of Worcester John Inge revealed that he received an email warning “stay out of politics or we’ll kill you” after he criticised Boris Johnson’s “risible defence” of Cummings on Sunday night.
Received a delightful e-mail earlier: ‘Stay out of politics or we’ll kill you.’ For me the whole Cummings drama is not about politics but life and death. If trust in Government guidance is eroded we’ll have a second spike and 1000s of lives will be lost.
— John Inge (@BishopWorcester) May 25, 2020
Helen-Ann Hartley, the bishop of Ripon, reported a similar threat, posting: “’Stay out of politics or it will be the death of you’ was one of the emails I received today. Thank you to those who have sent supportive messages.”
‘Stay out of politics or it will be the death of you’ was one of the emails I received today. Thank you to those who have sent supportive messages. https://t.co/OzB1PLuMtD
— Helen-Ann Hartley (@h_ahartley) May 25, 2020
The bishop had earlier written about missing her father’s birthday during the lockdown as he recovered from radiotherapy. Rev Hartley said she was “following up” the hate email with police.
Christine Hardman, bishop of Newcastle, wrote: “I too received such an email. I feel concern for the person who sent it and will hold him or her in prayer.”
The previous night she had posted that she was “deeply troubled” by the prime minister’s defence of his adviser.
“We can forgive mistakes and poor judgement and can understand and admire loyalty but forgiveness and understanding need openness and we did not see this tonight,” she wrote.
Paul Bayes, the bishop of Liverpool, added that he had also received abuse, writing: “Public life in Britain today. Many of us have received this sort of message. It doesn’t work.”
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Shoppers will have to “exercise restraint” by not trying on clothing and testing goods when stores reopen next month, Michael Gove said.
Speaking about plans announced yesterday by Boris Johnson to reopen non-essential shops in June, Gove explained that shopping habits will have to change. He told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday:
It’s also the case that we need to ensure that some of the shopping habits people may have grown used to in the pre-Covid days are habits that we exercise a degree of restraint on.
“So when it comes to touching and testing goods, when it comes to trying on clothing, when it comes to trying make-up and so on, that all of us exercise restraint in not doing that and recognising that as these stores reopen, it is a new normal, but it will allow us to ensure there are a wider range of goods and will also ensure the economy can return to a new normal, that is absolutely vital for people’s jobs.”
Cummings acted reasonably in making 264-mile lockdown trip to Durham, says Gove
Dominic Cummings acted reasonably in making a 264-mile lockdown trip to Durham, according to Michael Gove, who also defended the aide’s claim that a separate drive to a local beauty spot was to test his eyesight.
Asked why Cummings did not apologise during his press conference yesterday, Gove told BBC Breakfast: “I think Dominic completely understands the concern people felt as the story broke. I think the account that he gave yesterday was exhaustive, it was detailed, it was verifiable and I think that people will make their own mind up as they listened to Dominic’s account or they read about it subsequently.
And I think most people will understand he was someone who was under pressure, who sought to put the health of his wife and his son first and who took care to ensure, as a unit, as a family unit, were not in danger of infecting other people.”
Gove, who said he was not aware of Cummings being in Durham until the story broke, added: “As people will have had the chance to hear yesterday, they will know from his own account that he was acting in a way that sought to safeguard his family, sought to … reduce the risk of infection to anyone else and which took account of a range of circumstances. People will make their own mind up, and as Dominic Cummings himself said, there will be many people who will think his actions were wrong or mistaken but, looking at it in the round, I think his actions were reasonable.”
Challenged on Cummings’ explanation that he drove to Barnard Castle, a local beauty spot 30 miles from Durham, to test his eyesight out on his wife’s birthday, Gove said:
First thing to say is that Dominic had received medical advice, senior medical advice, saying that he was safe to return to work at that point. It was more than 14 days after he had first shown symptoms of the virus. It was important, he believed, that he returned to work and, certainly, it’s the case that his dedication to work is phenomenal. He wanted to make sure that before he took the journey down the A1 that he was safe to drive and, of course, during the course of that journey he confirmed to himself that he was safe to drive.”
When highlighted that driving when your eyesight is not good enough is an offence under the Road Traffic Act, Gove replied: “Dominic’s eyesight was good enough, that was the whole point of the journey, to determine that he could drive safely.”
Pressed again over whether he was entirely happy with Cummings’ explanation – especially given the trip to Barnard Castle was on his wife’s birthday – Gove replied: “Yes, but, to my mind I can’t see the relevance of that. He drove to Barnard Castle, the family stopped, he walked a few yards, sat on a bench for a short period of time, then walked back to the car and then drove back to his home. So, I think the fact that it also happens was Easter Sunday was immaterial.”
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Cummings continues to be under pressure over refusal to apologise for 264-mile lockdown trip
Good morning, readers. Welcome to the Guardian’s UK coronavirus live blog.
Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s most senior advisor, continues to be under fire over accusations he breached Covid-19 lockdown rules after refusing to apologise and saying he does not regret his actions during an extraordinary press conference in Downing Street’s Rose Garden.
It follows mounting pressure about the revelations – first revealed in a joint Guardian and Daily Mirror investigation – that he travelled 264 miles across the country from London to his parents’ estate in Durham during lockdown despite suspecting that both he and his wife had coronavirus. Cummings also admitted he drove to a local beauty spot, Barnard Castle, 30 miles from Durham, which he claimed was necessary to check his eyesight was good enough for the longer drive back to London.
At least 20 Tory MPs called for him to quit and senior scientists accused him of undermining public health advice. The front pages will make grim reading in Downing Street this morning:
Tuesday’s The Guardian: ‘I don’t regret what I did.’ Cummings refuses to quit #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/OENILKeCO8
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) May 25, 2020
Tuesday’s Daily Mail: NO APOLOGY NO REGRETS #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/lOhK2i8HS2
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) May 25, 2020
Tuesday’s Daily Mirror: NO REGRETS NO APOLOGY #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/esTMXEU6ic
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) May 25, 2020
Tuesday’s Metro: STAY ELITE #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/jsBotMBCZk
— Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) May 25, 2020
Minister Michael Gove – who has followed Boris Johnson’s lead in publicly backing Cummings – is doing the media rounds this morning with interviews on the BBC and Sky News.
At 9.30am, the Office for National Statistics is set to release death figures for week ending 15 May for England and Wales and survey of social impact on regions. Meanwhile, opposition leaders will also meet online this morning.
I’m Simon Murphy and I’ll be bringing you the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK this morning. You can contact me with tips and comments on twitter @murphy_simon and on simon.murphy@theguardian.com.
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