NI parties join Labour and SNP in heaping denunciations on Dominic Cummings after ‘car crash’ press conference

Opponents of the Tories, including parties in Northern Ireland, lined up after tonight’s press conference to denounce Dominic Cummings and Boris Johnson.
By Adam Kula
Published 25th May 2020, 20:20 BST
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings at his north London homePrime Minister Boris Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings at his north London home
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings at his north London home

In addition to political rivals, the GMB trade union – one of the largest in the UK – dubbed Mr Cummings’ actions “appalling”, adding that he “cannot remain in post if members are to have confidence in the government”.

Alliance MP and deputy leader Stephen Farry said the past few days had seen the “single biggest surge” in emails from constituents, expressing outrage at the actions of Mr Cummings and Mr Johnson.

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He said: “The actions of the two men speak of a sense of entitlement and hypocrisy.”

He also said the press conference “was itself a breach of the Special Adviser Code of Conduct and shouldn’t have been allowed to proceed”.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the Tories must answer this: “What is more important, saving Dominic Cummings job or saving lives?... They need to know that the privileged Tory elite are not immune from accountability or the rule of law.”

The Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford wrote on Twitter: “After that car-crash press conference @BorisJohnson has no option but to sack his chief adviser.”

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Meanwhile a spokesman for the Labour Party said: “The British people were looking for at least an apology from Dominic Cummings for breaking the lockdown. They got none...

“It’s one rule for Boris Johnson’s closest adviser, another for everybody else.”

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