Scientist who couldn’t be at his dying father’s side condemns Cummings for breaking lockdown amid growing anger among public
- Growing calls from MPs and the public for Dominic Cummings to lose his job
- Mr Cummings is accused of breaking lockdown rules on several occasions
- Neuroscientist Dean Burnett said he is ‘mind-sappingly enraged’ by the news
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
A neuroscientist stopped from seeing his dying father by the coronavirus lockdown says he is ‘mind-sappingly enraged,’ at Dominic Cummings‘ repeated breaches of government rules.
Mr Cummings is accused of breaking lockdown rules on several occasions – the first came as he drove 264 miles from London to to his parents’ home in Durham at the end of March.
Two more witnesses have come forward to say Mr Cummings was seen on Easter Sunday in a town 30 miles away from his parents’ Durham farm, where he was self-isolating wih his wife and son, the second witness said they sighted Mr Cummings back in Durham on April 19, five days after he had returned to work in Westminster – suggesting he made a second 264-mile trip to the North East.
The public has been outraged by the revelations, on Friday scientist Dean Burnett, 37, said: ‘I wasn’t there for MY FATHER’S DEATH from #Covid19! And haven’t seen any friends or family since. Because of #Lockdown. I could never live with inflicting this pain on others.’
Special adviser Dominic Cummings responded to journalists ‘who cares,’ when asked if his actions look bad
Dean Burnett couldn’t be at his dying father’s side due to lockdown rules, he has now slammed Dominc Cummings’ ‘vile selfishness’ for reportedly breaching lockdown
Speaking to The Mirror, Mr Burnett slammed the ‘vile selfishness’ of Mr Cummings, he added: ‘When my dad Peter contracted Covid-19, I couldn’t see him. When he went to hospital, I couldn’t visit him. And when he passed away, I couldn’t be there.
Pressure is mounting against the government to sack Mr Cummings, a growing number of Tory MPs have gone against cabinet ministers’ opinions in calling for the aide to lose his job.
Yesterday Mr Cummings responded ‘who cares’ when reporters outside his home asked if his actions looked bad.
‘It’s a question of doing the right thing. It’s not about what you guys think,’ he said.
More than two-thirds of Brits think Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules by driving to Durham while in self-isolation, with more than half believing he should resign, a snap poll has found tonight.
The survey of 3,707 adults, carried out by YouGov today, found just 28 per cent think he should stay on, and another 20 per cent on the fence.
Families kept apart since lockdown began toward the end of March have also shared their fury at the reports.
Radio host and journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer wrote on Friday: ‘My 77-year-old mum, who lvies on her own, had a heart attack in December &, thanks to the coronavirus & lockdown, I hadn’t seen her since late January until two days ago.
‘So excuse me if I am beyond b***** incandescent at what Dominic Cummings did. Absolutely f****** furious.’
Journalist Sathnam Sanghera tweeted: ‘I spoke to the brother of a doctor who died of Covid who was not, under the rules, even allowed to physically comfort his own grieving mother at the funeral. You degrade and demean yourself.’
Nat Reed said she hasn’t seen her parents since February, despite negative coronavirus tests
Katie Hall was one of many to describe having to remain distant from parents, which she said made her ‘blood boil’
Another user described how her husband, who works as a doctor, hasn’t held his baby for nine weeks
A new mother told of how she had to be induced into labour alone without her mother
One social media user revealed he couldn’t hug his father at his mother’s funeral due to lockdown rules
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps attempted to defend Mr Cummings, telling Sky’s Sophy Ridge he was ‘trying to do his best’ for his four-year-old son.
He later admitted to the BBC’s Andrew Marr that he had not spoken to Mr Cummings before being sent out to defend him on television.
Asked directly if Mr Cummings would resign, Mr Shapps said: ‘No.’