the Prime Minister's top aide Dominic
Cummings is facing calls to resign after
travelling more than 250 miles with his
wife who had suspected coronavirus to be
near relatives during the lockdown
Downing Street says that he drove from
London to County Durham where there was
family to help with child care if he
also became unwell and that it was in
line with lockdown guidelines
mr. Cummings was unapologetic saying
he'd done the right thing and had
behaved reasonably and legally cabinet
ministers have indicated their support
for mr. Cummings and the transport
secretary Grant Shapps said he had the
full support of the Prime Minister it
comes as 282 more deaths were announced
in the past 24 hours it brings the total
deaths in the UK to 36,000 675 here's
our political correspondent in Watson
Boris Johnson senior advisor Dominic
Cummings lecturing reporters on social
distancing but his opponents accuse him
of breaking the lockdown rules
himself when his wife became ill at the
end of March
he and her 4 year old child didn't self
isolate at the London home but traveled
more than 250 miles to County Durham the
government's guidance of the
self-isolation says if you live with
others under the first in a household to
have symptoms of coronavirus then you
must stay at home for at least 7 days
but all other household members who
remain well must stay at home and not
leave the house for 14 days but in a
statement Downing Street set out to
explain why Boris Johnson's advisor
didn't stay at home it was essential for
Dominic Cummings to ensure his young
child could be properly cared for it
says his sister nieces had volunteered
to help so he went to a house near - but
separate from his extended family in
case their help was needed it's added
his actions were in line with
coronavirus guidelines
mr. Cummings believes he behaved
reasonably and legally Durham police
said or made aware that Dominic Cummings
was in the city on March the 31st and
the next day a police officer spoke to
his father at
fathers requests he confirmed that
Dominic Cummings and his family had
traveled from London and were self
isolating it part of the property the
police deemed no further action was
necessary but did provide some advice on
security issues and welcome to where
does this leave the government stay at
home guidance now is the advice now to
parents that if you don't have your own
extended family nearby even when you are
ill with Kovac symptoms you are allowed
to leave your home travel many miles
across the country and isolate closer to
your extended family look the important
thing is that everyone remains in in the
same place whilst there whilst they're
locked down which is Zack what happened
didn't I think the case you're referring
to with mr. Cummings so the Prime
Minister will have known he was staying
put and he didn't come out again until
he was feeling better but he did travel
250 miles from his London home did you
not in the guidance says if you're
living with children keep following this
advice to the best of your ability
however however we are aware that not
all these measures will be possible
depending therefore on circumstances I'm
having those last few words senior
ministers have rallied around to defend
Dominic Cummings but there have been
calls for his resignation from some of
his opponents
Dominic Cummings should have done the
right thing he should have resigned but
knowing that he hasn't Boris Johnson
Marshall leadership and he must remove
him from office immediately you know
we've had a lot of people who have been
struggling throughout this pandemic and
sticking by the rules
we've got care workers moving into care
homes hospital staff in in staying in
hotels and they've struggled for not
seeing their family they've adhered by
the rules and he's broken them and it's
just so irresponsible for tonight new
allegations Downing Street denied
reports that Dominic Cummings had
returned to Durham from London last
month after he'd recovered while in the
observer there's a claim that Dominic
Cummings was seen at a beauty spot about
30 miles from Durham when he was a part
they self isolating Ian is here with me
now Ian lots of outstanding questions
tonight for mr. Cummings
yeah the labor of trying to no point to
beater to and
inconsistency a Downing Street statement
saying that Dominic coming Steve enough
property separate from his parents but
nearby in the Durham area the Durham
Police in a new statement tonight saying
that he was self isolating on part of
his father's property they're also
calling for the top civil servant in the
country to launch an investigation and I
think it'd be quite easy to see this is
a bit of a Westminster bubble story a
bubble that down extreme hoping will
bust sooner or later with allegations
and counter allegations between
government officials I think the biggest
story here is really the credibility of
the governments or in guidance because
today cabinet minister said that that
guidance can be interpreted so flexibly
that it's perfectly acceptable for
someone who's ill with covert symptoms
to travel the length of England during
the lockdown that the cabinet's can be
meeting Rita on Monday they're going to
discussing further ways of easing the
lockdown they can only do that if they
can keep the virus under control and it
could be much more difficult to keep it
under control if in effect people start
interpreting the guidelines quite as
flexibly perhaps as Downing Street and
start doing their own thing in many
things
our political correspondent Iain Watson