Statement on Dominic Cummings
I would like to thank each of you who raised your concerns about Mr Cummings and his trip to Durham with me over the last several days. My role is to represent you and to give you a voice to question those leading our nation.
I have received over 700 emails on this topic – most of which raised concerns about how the Government has responded to the allegations against Mr Cummings. Whilst I want to take the time to respond to each email individually, I feel as though it is important to address this issue publicly via this letter.
Like any allegation, it is important to wait until we have received as much information as possible before making a judgement call, especially as I have never met or spoken to Mr Cummings. It is clear that some allegations made against Mr Cummings were false and he acted in the best interest of his family, in line with the Deputy Chief Medical Officer’s guidance: “if you have adults unable to look after a small child, that is an exceptional circumstance”. I understand that when people are faced with tough decisions, we may not always reason and act rationally, particularly when a child’s well-being is involved.
However, I believe it is important for my constituent’s concerns to be heard and for appropriate action to be taken if it is believed that a Special Advisor to the Prime Minister has not followed the Government guidance. This guidance is central to the Government’s messaging to stay at home and save lives. How can I, as your elected Member of Parliament, continue to advise you to follow the guidelines if they are not being followed in No.10?
This is why I will be making a summary of all concerns in my inbox to pass over to No.10. Whether Mr Cummings should remain in his position is not a decision to be made by me, but by our Prime Minister. I believe that the Prime Minister should hear directly what you have to say to ensure that he is happy with the decision he makes. I would also like to see a thorough, independent investigation into not only whether Mr Cummings’ trip to Durham was in line with Government guidelines, but also into the actions of the media over the last few days. They too were not following social distancing guidelines whilst congregating outside Mr Cummings’ home. We cannot be selective in our investigations and only then can we draw a line under this matter and re-focus on the global issue at hand.
Whatever comes of this situation, we cannot be distracted from the health crisis which we are facing. We must continue to stay alert and prevent the spread of the virus to protect ourselves, our families and the NHS. We have all played a huge part in overcoming this virus so far, but I want to stress that this challenge is not over.
We know that Covid-19 does not discriminate. All of us, no matter who we are or what role we play in society, are navigating through these difficult times. Having to stay away from loved ones is not easy, but it is what will get us through this as safely and quickly as possible.
Once again, thank you for raising your concerns with me. My team and I will continue to prioritise any emergency casework to ensure that as we slowly phase back to normality, no vulnerable person is left without the support they need.
Keep safe and best wishes,
Gagan Mohindra MP
