the Prime Minister has publicly backed
his most senior and influential adviser
Dominic Cummings in the face of calls
for his sacking after it emerged he
driven more than 250 miles from his home
in London to County Durham when the
government had introduced its
coronavirus lockdown it happened during
the period mr. Cummings his wife had
contracted the virus some conservative
backbenchers have accused him of
arrogance while Labour has called for
mr. Cummings to resign however Boris
Johnson says his advisor had acted
responsibly legally and with integrity
now he comes as a hundred and eighteen
more deaths were announced in the past
24 hours
that's the lowest figure since the
lockdown began though there's usually a
lag in recording deaths at the weekend
and that brings the total number of
people who've died in the UK to 36
thousand seven hundred and ninety three
with more here's our political
correspondent Dominic Cummings finally
travelled 250 miles away from his London
home to isolate and dumplings wife
already had coronavirus symptoms Satan
concerns of a childcare but faced
something worse Crum here the BBC
montañés social distancing that the
Prime Minister held him close and face
down calls for him to go Bhaiji fingers
I think he followed the instincts of
every father and every parent and I do
not mark him down for that I believe
that in every respect
he is acted responsibly and legally and
with integrity Conservative MPs have got
in touch with us today Prime Minister
because they say it lots of their
constituents are angry they feel that
allowing some day who was already ill to
travel 250 miles across the country
breach is at least the spirit of your
guidance hand on heart can you really
say this didn't breach the spirit we
have guidance what I can tell you is
that I think when you look at the
guidance when you look at the particular
child care needs that mr. Cummings faced
at the time it was reasonable of him to
self isolate as he did
14 days or more with his family where he
did some conservative MPs are saying
Prime Minister but this defense that
Dominic Cummings behave responsibly many
of their constituents said I care about
that because irresponsible in not
reaching the guidelines and doing
somewhere close perhaps to finally
during this light dome and they feel
insulted by that because 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 four people
here and another thing for others but
really having looked at what or what
happened having looked at his intentions
and what he was trying to do for the
good of his his family I really think
most people will understand what he was
doing the UK was placed into lockdown
with strict limitations on travel and
March the 23rd the last time that
Dominic Cummings was seen before
developing coverage symptoms was in
Downing Street on the 27th of March
durham police were made aware of reports
that an individual had traveled from
London to Durham on the 31st of March
and the following day a police officer
spoke to mr. Cummings father at his
father's request
Dominic Cummings then returned to work
in London on April the 14th government
ministers say Dominic Cummings and his
immediate family were hunkered down at a
property adjacent to his parents all in
Durham but the mirror and observer
newspapers and the BBC have spoken to a
member of the public who claims he saw
mr. Cummings in attend Barnard castle 30
miles away on Easter Sunday when a
message was stay at home he's now
formally complained to the police I'm
content that at all times throughout his
period in isolation actually on both
sides of that period he behaved
responsibly and correctly and told some
government ministers are hugely
frustrated that you're here and messages
and controlling the virus have been made
more confusing to keep Dominic Cummings
at number 10 so the voters in County
Durham have clear views I think when
someone like him who's obviously giving
advice to the
Minister doesn't adhere to the rules it
makes it even more confusing for the
average person other people have been in
the same situation and they've managed
so why shouldn't he manage we're all
trying to keep in write ten weeks of
hours each and he's oh geez John wrong
they should suck him under Labour leader
seems to share those views this was a
huge test of the Prime Minister and he's
just failed that test
he hasn't sac Dominic Cummings he hasn't
called for an investigation and he's
treating the British public with
contempt if I were Prime Minister out of
sack Cummings Dominic coming seems
secure in his job for no but many MPs
are worried that faith in the
government's guidelines is far more
shaky in Watson BBC News Elora Coons
Berg our political editor is at
Westminster Laura how much of a
political gamble is this for Boris
Johnson sticking by mr. Cummings well it
is a risk no question about that and
normally it's advisors who sort of chuck
themselves in front of politicians to
soak up the damage today we saw the
Prime Minister really sort of Chuck
himself out there to defend his key aide
and those close to him say that's partly
because he was convinced by what mr.
Cummings explained to him about the
reasons for his behavior but more
importantly I think is because Boris
Johnson has come to really really rely
on Dominic Cummings he's absolutely at
the center of the operation in Downing
Street and ran here he's either seen as
admirably ruthless or by many many of
his enemies as relentlessly and somehow
foolishly antagonistic but for the Prime
Minister whether back in the brexit
referendum or during the general
election and now his time in office he's
absolutely core to what happens in
Downing Street and therefore he has made
the decision the calculation that the
loss of losing him would be greater than
the political damage of trying to keep
him but of course that means that the
Prime Minister himself is very
personally today doubled down on what
many people see as a double standards
and what has the general reaction been
well pretty negative in terms of that
group of Tory MPs we've been out there
publicly some before the press
conference some after the press
conference joining the chorus of
criticism of mr. Cummings some of the
government scientists who've been
involved in advising ministers on the
strategy have gone on the record online
to say they're worried that this
undermines the advice that they've been
putting together and among government
ministers there's absolute frustration
among some of them some of them
privately furious but not at this stage
willing to go public some of them
concerned that they will end up getting
a kicking for the clarity of the message
being confused by what happened when one
of the prime ministers close team was
doing this when tens of millions of
people were told day after day after day
to stay at home and tomorrow
the Daily Mail normally a newspaper
that's been firmly behind the
Conservatives splashing questioning what
planet-- mr. Cummings and mr. Johnston
are on and calling for him to sack his
key aid if he's not willing to resign
that said and it is important to
remember this politics moves very very
fast and they've been many occasions in
the past when Boris Johnson has brazen
doubt a very difficult political
situations but this isn't a standard
political crisis because it's happening
at a time of a national crisis that has
already been going on for many months
now and many people are angry and upset
okay Laura Thank You Laura Koons back
there at Westminster