UK PM’s aide ‘made second lockdown trip’

London, May 24 (IANS) Amid growing calls for him to resign for travelling during the COVID-19 restrictions, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s chief aide Dominic Cummings was now facing fresh allegations that he breached lockdown rules, the media reported on Sunday.

Cummings, the former Vote Leave chief who was the architect of Johnson’s Brexit strategy, and the government had said he acted “reasonably and legally” by driving from London to County Durham while his wife had coronavirus symptoms, reports the BBC.

But The Observer and Sunday Mirror newspapers have reported that he was seen in the North East on two more occasions, after recovering from his own COVID-19 symptoms and returning to work in London.

Cummings is yet to publicly respond to the new claims, but the Sunday Telegraph reported that he told Downing Street he left Durham on April 13, and that the claim he made a second trip from London was “totally false”.

In response to the fresh claims, Downing Street said on Sunday: “Yesterday the Mirror and Guardian wrote inaccurate stories about Cummings.

“Today they are writing more inaccurate stories including claims that Cummings returned to Durham after returning to work in Downing Street on April 14.

“We will not waste our time answering a stream of false allegations about Cummings from campaigning newspapers.”

But Durham Police insist their officers spoke to Cummings’ father, who confirmed that his son had travelled with his family from London.

Opposition parties renewed their calls for Cummings to resign.

The SNP’s Ian Blackford said Cummings “has to leave office”, while acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told the BBCe: “If Dominic Cummings has not been sacked by tomorrow, I think the prime minister’s judgement is in serious doubt.”

The Labour has called for an urgent inquiry into the allegations.

–IANS

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