Coronavirus: Minister quits in protest as Boris Johnson stands by adviser Dominic Cummings

A government minister has quit in protest at Boris Johnson’s failure to fire his top aide for breaching lockdown rules.

Dominic Cummings arrives at Downing Street on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images.

A British government minister has quit in protest at Boris Johnson’s failure to fire his top aide for breaching corona­virus lockdown rules.

The Prime Minister has stood by Dominic Cummings over his decision in March to drive 400km to his parents’ house, despite a ­national order for people to ­remain at home.

Scotland Minister Douglas Ross said in a resignation letter that “the vast majority of people” did not agree with government claims Mr Cummings had done nothing wrong.

“I have constituents who didn’t get to say goodbye to loved ones; families who could not mourn together; people who didn’t visit sick relatives because they followed the guidance of the government,” he wrote. “I cannot in good faith tell them they were all wrong and one senior adviser to the government was right.”

Mr Cummings said he travelled so that extended family could care for his four-year-old son if he and his wife, who both had suspected coronavirus infections, fell ill.

Senior police officers said Mr Cummings’ interpretation of the rules made it harder to enforce the lockdown, and scientists said it could undermine messaging about the importance of social distancing.

Mr Johnson has stood by his adviser, saying Mr Cummings “followed the instincts of every ­father and every parent”.

But Mr Cummings’ road trip has drawn criticism from scientists, doctors and some Conservative backbenchers. “We cannot throw away valuable public & political good will any longer,” tweeted Conservative MP William Wragg. “It’s humiliating & degrading to their office to see ministers put out agreed lines in defence of an adviser. This is a time of national emergency and our focus must be unrelenting.”

AP