Burnham-On-Sea MP James Heappey has joined most other Conservative MPs in Somerset in backing Boris Johnson’s top aide, Dominic Cummings, despite pressure on him from within the party and from the public to resign.
Mr Cummings drove from London to Durham because he faced a “tricky” childcare situation after fearing he and his wife may have had Covid-19 at the time on March 27th.
He has refused to apologise or resign and told reporters last week that he believed he had acted “reasonably” and legally in going to stay on his parents’ farm, adding he does “not think there is one rule for me and one rule for other people.”
44 Conservative MPs from across the country have called for Mr Cummings to resign or be fired.
North Somerset MP Liam Fox, in a statement to constituents, said the discussion had been a “distraction” and he said “the advisers the Prime Minister chooses to employ are a matter for him” and said he was “pleased” with Mr Johnson’s performance before the liaison committee, and was “pleased to hear the Prime Minister was sorry for the pain and anxiety felt by people but would have liked to have “heard a similar sentiment expressed by Mr Cummings” and felt “his delay in coming forward with an explanation had added to the Government’s difficulties.”
Dr Fox said he was “deeply sorry” recent events had made it more difficult for constituents who felt disappointed and frustrated about their own personal sacrifices.
Burnham-On-Sea MP James Heappey said on social media: “Our plan if we both got badly ill at the same time was to ask family to bring over kids meals and otherwise muddle through. But our family live nearby in Somerset and our kids are a few years older.”
“If we didn’t have local family and the kids were younger, pretty sure we’d have done as Dom did.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the MP for North East Somerset and leader of the House of Commons, added: “Caring for your child is obviously reasonable. Surely any parent of a three-year-old would want to ensure they are safe at all times. Politically motivated attacks on a good father are discreditable.”
But David Warburton, the MP for Somerton and Frome, was less convinced when he took to Twitter, saying: “As much as I despise any baying pitchfork-led trials by social media, I’m unconvinced by the PM’s defence of Cummings.”
“We’ve all been tasked with tempering our parental, and other, instincts by strictly adhering to government guidance.”
Weston MP John Penrose has not given an indication of his views.
