Dominic Cummings said to be prepared to testify under oath his lockdown warning was dismissed by PM

Prime Minister Boris Johnson could face a potential political quagmire after reports suggested his former chief adviser Dominic Cummings would be willing to criticise his response to the coronavirus pandemic under oath.

Mr Cummings is said to be prepared to testify in a future inquiry that his warnings to go into lockdown a second time in September were dismissed by the PM.

At the end of October, Mr Johnson announced a four-week 'circuit breaker' lockdown to prevent a "medical and moral disaster" for the NHS.

However, ITV News reports Mr Cummings had advised him to pursue the strategy weeks earlier in order to “save lives and minimise disruption”.

It is alleged that the senior adviser, alongside data scientist Ben Warner and key members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) were in favour of “whacking it early”.

In early September Mr Cummings and Mr Warner presented data about how the virus would spread by the end of October without taking action.

However, the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak argued that such action could not be justified at that point in the pandemic.

On September 16, Mr Johnson stressed he had no intention to impose another lockdown during an appearance in front of the Liaison Committee.

He told MPs: “I don’t want a second national lockdown. I think it would be completely wrong for this country, and we are going to do everything in our power to prevent it.”

However, he announced a fresh lockdown on October 31 after cases spiralled and the death rate reached more than 350 people per day.

The Prime Minister’s most senior aide pressed for the initial lockdown measures to be introduced in meetings with the UK’s independent scientific advisers in March.

Sources suggested he was also one of the leading advocates of tougher fines for breaches of Covid-19 restrictions introduced in the summer.

Political opponents accused him of hypocrisy for pushing for tougher fines despite facing accusations that he broke coronavirus restrictions in April.

Mr Cummings was forced to hold an unprecedented press conference in the Downing Street Rose Garden after it was revealed he had travelled 264 miles to Durham at the height of the pandemic.

The aide departed No 10 in November after an internal power struggle over who would be appointed as Downing Street's chief of staff.