Dominic Cummings’ lockdown actions have undermined public health message

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Chief Advisor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings makes a statement inside 10 Downing Street on May 25, 2020 in London, England. On March 31st 2020 Downing Street confirmed to journalists that Dominic Cummings was self-isolating with COVID-19 symptoms at his home in North London. Durham police have confirmed that he was actually hundreds of miles away at his parent's house in the city. (Photo by Jonathan Brady-WPA Pool/Getty Images) SUS-200526-094003001

I’m a single mum of a child with disabilities. When I was symptomatic I got friends to deliver shopping and had a plan for my daughter to be looked after if I ended up in hospital.

It was frightening to go through it by myself but I did.

I followed the government’s instructions to the letter, as most of us have done.

It’s absolutely disgusting that the Prime Minister has backed Cummings breaking those same rules.

Remember the family that lost their 13-year-old son yet they didn’t attend his funeral?

One rule for the rich and privileged, another for us apparently.

I empathise with Cummings as I would anyone, BUT he went to work knowing his wife had Covid symptoms and he should have been isolating.

He then drive 260 miles just in case he and his wife were unable to look after their son.

At no point were they unable to care for him.

I am certain other arrangements could have been made in London, after all, anyone with children has the same issues. I thought ‘we are all in this together’?

The advice is that if you have any symptoms you remain isolated, yet he and his family drove 30 miles to ‘test his eyesight’.

If he had any doubt he was recovered he should have stayed at home.

That is the guidance he helped to create.

Whatever way you look at it, his behaviour AND lack of apology has risked public confidence in the government during a crisis and undermined the key public health message.

For that reason, he has got to go, and the fact that Johnson has put Cummings first, above public trust and compliance with the guidelines is disgraceful.

Most importantly, he needs to resign or be sacked so that we can all get back to spending our time dealing with this crisis, his behaviour is a distraction from the real work to be done.