PM Boris Johnson faces flak as aide says ‘no regrets’ on breaching lockdown

Prime Minister Boris Johnson confronted a groundswell of criticism on Monday from MPs, bishops, scientists and thousands and thousands of individuals for defending controversial aide Dominic Cummings breaking lockdown guidelines lately, whereas the latter insisted he had ‘no regrets’ for his actions.

The UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic remained overshadowed by the story perceived by thousands and thousands as one rule for these in energy and one other for the individuals. Johnson continued to withstand calls for from a lot of his occasion MPs and others to sack Cummings.

Cummings, who has been near Johnson for the reason that profitable Vote depart marketing campaign within the 2016 EU referendum, travelled to Durham in north-east England together with his household when the official recommendation adopted by Britons was to ‘stay home’.

The prime minister’s chief adviser went on tv on Monday afternoon to current his model of occasions, alleging that a lot of media reporting had been fallacious and was in charge for the anger amongst individuals over his actions in finish of March till April 14. He had not provided to resign, nor had he thought of it.

More than 10 bishops mentioned Johnson’s defence of Cummings was “risible”, that he had “no respect for the people”, “lacked integrity”, and risked undermining the belief of the general public. Pete Broadbent, the bishop of Willesden, tweeted: “Johnson has now gone the full Trump.”

As police chiefs mentioned it could now be tough to implement curbs, not less than three specialists on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies influencing authorities strikes on the coronavirus pandemic deplored Johnson’s remarks: Stephen Reicher, Robert West and Susan Michie.

Reicher mentioned: “If you look at the research it shows the reason why people observed lockdown was not for themselves, it wasn’t because they were personally at risk, they did it for the community, they did it because of a sense of ‘we’re all in this together’.”

“If you give the impression there’s one rule for them and one rule for us you fatally undermine that sense of ‘we’re all in this together’ and you undermine adherence to the forms of behaviour which have got us through this crisis”, he mentioned.

Closely following the federal government response to the pandemic, author JK Rowling tweeted: “Watching Johnson, This is despicable. Parents all over this country have abided by the lockdown rules, even while ill themselves. Hundreds of thousands managed toddlers while shut up inside cramped accommodation, purely for the common good AS THE GOVERNMENT TOLD THEM TO DO”.

“I can’t remember a clearer demonstration of contempt for the people from a sitting Prime Minister. Johnson might a well had shambled into shot, give us all the finger and walked off again”, she added.

Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon added: “I fear, and I say this with a heavy heart, Boris Johnson is putting his political interest ahead of the public interest. And when trust in a public health message and public health advice is as important as it is right now the consequences of that could be serious”.