Government's explanation for Cummings' Barnard Castle trip 'doesn’t stack up', Tory MP Bob Neill says

The Government’s defence of Dominic Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle “doesn’t stack up”, a Tory MP has said.

Sir Bob Neill, chair of the Justice Select Committee, has called on Mr Cummings to go, saying his actions during lockdown “undermined the collective effort”.

He said that he could not see how Mr Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle came into any of the exemptions at the time.

He also said Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove’s defence of Mr Cummings’ on the airwaves yesterday did not “stack up” in his opinion.

Mr Gove revealed he too has gone on drives to test his eyesight when asked about Mr Cummings trip to Barnard Castle.

Sir Bob told BBC’s Radio 4 Today Programme: “I like and respect Michael Gove but I just think that doesn’t stack up.

"I’m a lawyer, I like to wait until I’ve heard all the evidence, I waited for the evidence that Mr Cummings himself said.

“That’s clearly not an exception and frankly it wouldn’t be very responsible conduct it seems to me towards other road users.”

During an unprecedented press conference at Downing Street , Mr Johnson’s most senior adviser said his trip to Barnard Castle was to test his eyesight so he was sure he could safely drive back to London to return to work.

Sir Bob, who has called for Mr Cummings to leave his job, also said it would have been better if Mr Cummings had apologised when the scandal first broke: “I’ve been dealing with more emails than I’ve ever had in my time as an MP around this. It would have been much better if he’d come up with an explanation and an apology right at the beginning.”

He said he gave Mr Cummings credit for the press conference, but said it was “too little too late”.

It comes as around 40 Tory MPs have publicly called for Mr Cummings to step down.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick was on the media round this morning, arguing that it was time to "move on" from the scandal over Mr Cummings' trip to Durham.

Asked about Sir Bob Neill’s comments on the Barnard Castle trip, Mr Jenrick said: “Dominic has answered that question, he said that he went to Barnard Castle on a short journey to ensure he was fit for the longer journey back down to London to get on with his job within the government.”

Asked why Mr Cummings’ wife did not drive or Downing Street did not send a car for him, Mr Jenrick replied: “I don’t know that, I don’t know the individual circumstances of every family in this country.”

Mr Jenrick said the trip appeared to be within the rules and law.

The minister was also asked on BBC Breakfast if he believed Mr Cummings should resign and replied: "No, he shouldn't."

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