Dominic Cummings: The Tory MPs and MSPs calling for him to resign

Dominic Cummings took part in an unprecedented press conference in Downing Street’s Rose Garden yesterday as answers were sought on the trip from London to Durham.

While Cabinet members and the Prime Minister have lined up to defend the controversial adviser, other Tories are still demanding Cummings’s sacking or resignation.

READ MORE: Dominic Cummings: Tory MSP calls for adviser to be sacked

Cummings has defended his journey, while included a trip to tourist spot Barnard Castle 30 miles away from the family home after his 14-day isolation period, insisting he acted to ensure his young son would be taken care of in case he and his wife became so sick with Covid-19 that they could no longer look after him.

Cummings’s conference failed to satisfy Tories concerned about the breach of Stay at Home advice, and this morning we saw the first resignation over the matter when Scotland Office minister Douglas Ross stepped down.

In a statement, he said: "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.

"I cannot in good faith tell them they were all wrong and one senior advisor to the government was right."

Here is a full list of Conservative MPs and MSPs currently calling for Cummings to go.

Tory MPs

Peter Aldous

"At a time when the country must move on to the next stage of defeating Covid-19, of getting back to work whilst ensuring that there is not a second peak, there must be no distraction from this challenge. The Government should recognise what families have gone through and what people are thinking and saying. It is thus important that Dominic Cummings should now stand down."

Steve Baker

"Enough is enough. I and others saved him once before when he was driving Vote Leave to implosion. Not today. Dominic Cummings must go before he does any more harm to the UK, the Government, the Prime Minister, our institutions or the Conservative Party.

"Time is up. It is time for Dom to resign so Boris can govern within the conventions and norms which will see us through. It is time to get competing expert advice, decent software and better decisions, end the lockdown and start a long, hard recovery."

Peter Bone

The Brexiteer said Cummings “has to go” and told Nigel Farage’s LBC show: "When an adviser becomes the story, the adviser has to go. Boris Johnson can carry on without Dominic Cummings if he goes but it will be hard if he stays."

Damian Collins

"Dominic Cummings has a track record of believing that the rules don’t apply to him and treating the scrutiny that should come to anyone in a position of authority with contempt. The government would be better without him."

Sir Roger Gale

"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."

James Gray

"Unless and until he can justify what he did, he should face the consequences of it and give up his role as a government adviser. Having him continuing at the heart of government undermines our credibility and the strength of our message.”

Robert Goodwill

The MP sent an email to a constituent saying Dominic Cummings's position is untenable.

Stephen Hammond

He told a constituent: "It is clear that Mr Cummings has broken the guidelines which we all were instructed to follow. I find his explanation unconvincing. 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. His selfish act has undermined our, and my, efforts to keep Wimbledon safe.

"Mr Cummings should of course have resigned as any honourable person would have done and not put everyone else in this wholly invidious position. I cannot defend the indefensible and I have no intention of doing so. I have always tried to do the best thing for Wimbledon and it is now served by Mr Cummings leaving his role."

Simon Hoare

"With the damage Mr Cummings is doing to the Government’s reputation he must consider his position. Lockdown has had its challenges for everyone. It’s his cavalier “I don’t care; I’m cleverer than you” tone that infuriates people. He is now wounding the PM/Govt & I don’t like that"

Andrew Jones

According to the Harrogate Advertiser he told constituents: “It seems clear to me that Mr Cummings has broken the guidelines which we were and are all expected to follow. For that reason I think that he should resign and if he does not do so then he should be dismissed.”

Simon Jupp

"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."

Tim Loughton

He said the defence of the adviser is “deeply damaging” and is “seriously compromising the Government’s public health advice.

He added: "What I wanted to hear was a proper justification of why what Dominic Cummings did was fine.

“I fear I didn’t get that and what’s more worrying is my constituents didn’t get that.”

Jason McCartney

"We must have confidence that we are doing the right things for the right reasons and that we are all truly in it together. For that reason I believe Mr Cummings' position is now untenable.”

Caroline Nokes

"I made my views clear to my whip yesterday. There cannot be one rule for most of us and wriggle room for others. My inbox is rammed with very angry constituents and I do not blame them. They have made difficult sacrifices over the course of the last 9 weeks."

Douglas Ross

"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.

"I cannot in good faith tell them they were all wrong and one senior advisor to the government was right."

John Stevenson

"Carlisle and the country have sacrificed a lot over the last few weeks. People in positions of power have added responsibility-Mr Cummings holds such a position. Therefore in my view in the interests of the country Mr Cummings should resign."

Bob Stewart

"On the face of it Mr Cummings seems to have been out of line to break lockdown instructions. Personally, I felt rather ashamed as the rest of us are all bidden to obey the rules and those directives appear to have been broken by him.

"Clearly there is some dispute... The truth is that, whether Mr Cummings broke or didn't do the right thing, he certainly destroyed the spirit of the rules by what he did. It will make it very difficult for us, the rest of the population, to accept the largely voluntary restraints we have lived under for 9 weeks. I apologise for that because those rules remain in place and we should all still abide by them. I am afraid I believe his position is thus untenable."

Julian Sturdy

"I don't think this can go on much longer. It is damaging the Government's reputation. You can't have one rule for Government advisers and one for everyone else. His future does seem to look more and more untenable moving forward. The Prime Minister needs to clarify Mr Cummings' position in a statement as soon as possible."

Robert Syms

"The Government has to explain test, track and trace and the next phase of lifting lockdown next week. Whatever the merits of a Government adviser, they should never be the story or it detracts from the central message which is to get us out of this crisis. The adviser should go."

Martin Vickers

Reportedly told constituent he would “be surprised if [Cummings] survives”.

David Warburton

“People have made sacrifices... Instinct hasn’t really been part of it."

He went on: “Ideally, if he broke the rules then he obviously should be subject to the same kind of consequences as anybody else who broke the rules... To me, enough is really enough, I think he’s damaging the Government and the country that he’s supposed to be serving.”

Craig Whittaker

"I totally agree that Dominic Cummings position is untenable. I'm sure he took the decision in the best interests of his family but like every decision we take we also have to take responsibility for those decisions. You cannot advise the nation one thing then do the opposite."

William Wragg

"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."

Mark Pawsey

“I believe that it is wrong that Mr Cummings remains in an important post in Government ... I now believe it is right for the Prime Minister to ask for his resignation."

Mark Harper

"I have never met Dominic Cummings and my view is based entirely on the facts of this case ... Mr Cummings should have offered to resign, and the Prime Minister should have accepted his resignation. That remains my position."

Laurence Robertson

"Indeed, like many others, I have found the rules to be personally heart-wrenching. On 5th May, my father died of Coronavirus and the pain and guilt of my being unable to visit him as he fought for his life will haunt me for the rest of my days. I wouldn't wish this situation on anyone, but I know that many of my constituents have suffered in the same or similar ways.

"However we are fighting against a world-wide pandemic and really do need to be all in this together.

"I have, therefore, spent yesterday and today urging the Prime Minister and all those closely connected to him, to recognise the strength of feeling which exists on this issue and to dismiss Mr Cummings without further delay. For now, I will not be playing this matter out in public, but am working on the issue through the effective channels which exist."

Alec Shelbrooke

Said the adviser's position is untenable.

Jeremy Wright

Former attorney general has posted on his website: "I know how difficult it is to serve in Government but I also know that, fairly or unfairly, your actions are subject to greater scrutiny and have greater consequences. What is most important at this point is that Government can give clear messages about how to defeat the virus and that everyone feels motivated to do their best to help.

"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. I have communicated my view and the reasons for it to the Prime Minister."

Christian Wakeford

"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 judgement was questionable, and should be reprimanded."

Tory MSPs

Adam Tomkins

“To lose @Douglas4Moray from Government is a disaster.

“His was one of clearest voices for the Union in Government. It shows exactly why Cummings should be sacked. I suspect others will follow where Douglas has led.”

Murdo Fraser

He wrote to a constituent to say: "My own personal view on the matter, on the basis of the information currently available, is that Mr Cummings did break the rules, and therefore, as someone who is [in] a position of authority, he should step down from the post."

He went on: "I have communicated this view to the Prime Minister through the appropriate channels."

Graham Simpson

"I don't like calling for people to resign or be sacked - there is too much of that. I tend to believe in giving people the chance to say sorry and learn. In this case though I think Mr Cummings should go."

Jackson Carlaw

The Scottish Tory leader said he'd 'made his views known to Downing Street and that Dominic Cummings should now consider his position'.

Liz Smith

Tweeted by Kieran Andrews: "Scottish Tory chief whip @MspLiz has also called for Dominic Cummings to resign. Says she was contacted by more than 200 angry constituents yesterday, many of whom had not been able to visit loved ones in care homes or as they died."

Annie Wells 

She tweeted: "Mr Cummings did what he thought was best for his child. But I can't defend all of his actions to my constituents who have already sacrificed so much during this crisis and who will need to keep sacrificing as time goes on.

"To avoid further distractions from the excellent work that the UK Government has done to tackle this crisis, he should consider his position."