MP for South East Cornwall Sheryll Murray has said that she takes exception to Dominic Cummings’ trip to Durham and disagrees with his actions – but that the question of whether to sack him is one for the Prime Minister alone to decide.

Mrs Murray said she had received several letters from constituents expressing concerns over the actions of the Prime Minister’s top aide and asking for her views.

Among those to write were the South East Cornwall Labour Party, whose chairman Kate Ewart and secretary Glen Mynott said that Boris Johnson’s decision to defend Mr Cummings as having acted ’responsibly, legally and with integrity’ was ’bewildering’.

Mr Cummings has acknowledged that he drove to Durham from London when his wife had symptoms of the coronavirus, and has said that it was because he needed to be able to have access to childcare.

Ms Ewart and Mr Mynott wrote: ’’It is not clear why members of the Prime Minister’s inner circle are subject to different rules from the rest of us, especially when over forty thousand people have been faced with criminal charges as a result of breaking lockdown.

’His actions against his own recommendations have been deeply irresponsible, even without the wider context of his role in Government. The choices that he has made are in bleak contrast to every single person who has steadfastly and conscientiously abided by rules of safety and public protections over the past eight weeks.

’Mr Cummings’s actions show his deep lack of respect to those public workers who rely entirely on infected people to take responsibility for themselves and stay at home to keep others safe.’

Just ahead of a session this afternoon where MPs will question the Prime Minister on subjects including the issue of Mr Cummings and the subsequent fall-out, Mrs Murray has given the following statement:

’I do not know Mr Cummings and have never spoken to him personally. Like many of you I listened to the case made by Mr Cummings as he spoke to the media from the back garden where he works to the media.

I am aware that the lockdown advice was to stay at home. That is what I have done with the odd exception all of which were very much within the rules. I do take exception to him travelling all the way to Durham. I have spent a lot of time trying to get the word out to people to not visit other homes here in Cornwall during the height of the pandemic. This is a clear vector for the disease to follow and I would have hoped that alternative arrangements could have been found in London so he could have stayed there. That said I have listened to his explanation and whilst I disagree with the conclusion he made I do understand his reasoning. This is especially so after seeing the protests and the press huddle outside his home which was completely unacceptable and a very unique situation.

The second part of Mr Cummings’ testimony that concerned me was his trip to somewhere near to Barnard Castle. He seemed to suggest that this trip was to see if he was well enough to drive. The guidance is clear that you should not drive if you feel unwell or are possibly otherwise impaired to drive. This is not a Covid related matter this has always been the case. He simply should not have taken this trip.

There are many allegations that he is not alone in his interpretation the rules. One Labour MP, Stephen Kinnock, went a large distance to wish his Dad a happy birthday. Another Labour MP attended a funeral with around 100 people. Another Labour MP attended a birthday party. A Labour Welsh Health Minister went out for a picnic in the park. These are actual elected politicians not just an employee in someone’s office. I am a little shocked that these do not merit more concern than the situation with regards to Mr Cummings as they were all obvious breaches.

’Dominic Cummings has made enemies over his career and this may be part of why he is being targeted so strongly.

’I am not sure this is the best time to change personnel. We are in a pandemic and are due to end the transition period we made with the European Union at the end of the year. To start someone new who does not know the full situation is uncertain. That is why I, unlike the football fan who shouts from the back of the terraces for the player who misses a ball to be sacked, prefer to leave this decision to the coach who knows the player the best and can take into account all the past performance. That is why I am not shouting for Dominic Cummings to be sacked but instead believe that the Prime Minister is best placed to make that call and trust him to do so.’