Dominic Cummings: Lockdown Loophole?

Elizabeth Bratton discusses the public's reaction after learning that Dominic Cummings drove hundreds of miles from London to Durham, while the UK was still under strict lockdown. Cummings remains adamant that he does not regret the choices he made, nor will he apologise for them.

Dominic Cummings, chief adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has come under scrutiny after travelling over 600 miles amidst lockdown. Four days ago, rumours began to circulate that the Conservative politician had breached lockdown guidelines, having apparently driven from London to Durham. Outrage ensued, as members of the public felt they had fallen victim to double standards. In an unprecedented move on Monday afternoon, the strategist addressed both the media and the nation to respond to the allegations, and to clarify his version of events.

credit: BBC

Cummings marched into the rose garden of Downing Street, greeting reporters with a hurried “Sorry I’m late,” having arrived 31 minutes after the conference was due to start. He began to recall the events which took place on the 27th of March, as his wife, Mary Wakefield, began displaying symptoms of COVID-19. Cummings described how he travelled home to check on his wife, before returning back to work that day. He claims that his wife was on the verge of becoming totally incapacitated, and feared that he too may catch the virus, possibly becoming unable to care for his son. This, he believes, justifies the family’s decision to drive 260 miles to Durham, where they would stay at a cottage on his parents’ estate, near to young family members who could care for Cummings’ son in case of an emergency.

While Wakefield’s condition did improve, Cummings did begin to develop symptoms of coronavirus, which reportedly left him bed-ridden for a number of days. On the 3rd of April, he explained, his son “threw up and had a bad fever”, which led to a 999 call and an overnight stay in a local hospital: the proximity of which he was uncertain about. Cummings remains adamant that he did not leave the car in which he collected his wife and son from the hospital, thus preventing the spread of disease.

Cummings recalled that his household only interacted with other family members through the means of socially-distanced conversations. He emphasised that his parents are elderly, and would therefore have been at risk, if they came in contact. Additionally, his sister reportedly completed all shopping for the family, leaving it on their doorstep.

Having been experiencing “weird” eyesight, Cummings recalled how him and his family made a 60-mile round trip to Barnard Castle: a town just outside of Durham. Despite receiving the all-clear to return to work in London, Wakefield was concerned that her husband was not fit to drive, and therefore wanted to guarantee their safety. This journey took place on the 12th of April: the date of Wakefield’s 45th birthday, and 15 days after Cummings had initially begun displaying symptoms. The family reportedly walked "10 to 15 metres from the car to the riverbank", where they sat for a short while. John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the decision was “not a wise move”, discouraging others from driving to “test” their ability to drive

Cummings then drove his family back to London on the 13th of April. When asked if they had stopped to refuel the car, the adviser said he could be “95%” sure that they had done so. He did, however, emphasise that it was safe for him to travel at this point, having self-isolated for two weeks.

Throughout his speech, the strategist criticised false news articles, repeatedly dismissing claims that he made a second trip to Durham. He also rejected theories that he had opposed lockdown, and was dismissive of the threat of COVID-19. To prove that he took the imminence of pandemics seriously, he repeatedly referred to an article he wrote last year, claiming that he had explicitly warned readers about the dangers of coronavirus. However, today, it has been revealed that the article was edited on the 14th of April: only a day after Cummings returned to London. Prior to April, the blog did not contain specific references to coronavirus, although the newer version now refers to a report by the US Government Accountability Office, which warns of the spread of SARS as a result of biolab mismanagement. SARS, like COVID-19, is also caused by a strain of the coronavirus. The newly-added text can be read below.

Credit: Express & Star

Cummings did admit that he should have consulted the prime minister before making the trip, although he remained adamant he did not regret travelling to Durham. Despite being pressed by reporters, the adviser would also not apologise for his actions. The top adviser says that he has not considered stepping down from his position, despite receiving calls to resign from 19 members of his own party. Douglas Ross, a junior Scotland office minister, has also resigned after Cummings defended his decisions.

Many have accused Cummings of being hypocritical, as it was only a matter of weeks ago that the Conservatives were encouraging the public to “Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives.” The official government advice did recognise the complexity of unique situations, specifically regarding families, encouraging people to “keep following this advice to the best of [their] ability.” However, the leaflet sent to every home in the UK did not issue advice specific to those living with children, and did not appear to permit travel for those seeking childcare. The official travel guidance page also states: “Essential travel does not include visits to second homes,” followed by: “Leaving your home - the place you live - to stay at another home is not allowed.”.

While the adviser insists he acted “legally”, questions have arisen surrounding the morality of his actions. Professor Stephen Reicher is a member of the governmental advisory board on behavioural science (SPI-B), and explained that Cummings’ actions may “undermine adherence to the forms of behaviour which have got us through this crisis”. Clearly, there are fears that the general public may begin to make their own judgment calls regarding risk, or even follow their own “instincts”, as Cummings has supposedly done. Bluntly, Reicher concluded: “More people are going to die.”

Editor's note: The source for the majority of this article was Cummings' televised address to reporters and the nation. The complete video can be found here.

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