UK Prime Minister's Chief Advisor Faces Resignation Pressure for Violating COVID-19 Lockdown Order

Dominic Cummings, Chief Advisor to the British Prime Minister.
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Voices demanding the resignation of Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister's chief advisor, are growing louder after it was revealed that he traveled 400 km despite showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

According to the British daily newspapers The Guardian and The Mirror on the 23rd (local time), Dominic Cummings, the UK Prime Minister's chief advisor, showed signs of COVID-19 infection at the end of March but visited his parents' house in Durham.

Cummings was supposed to self-isolate at his home in London following the UK government's lockdown order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, he violated this and traveled 400 km from London to Durham.

Cummings reportedly felt COVID-19 symptoms over the weekend right after Prime Minister Johnson announced his positive COVID-19 diagnosis on March 27.

The Prime Minister's Office stated at the time that Cummings had entered self-isolation but did not disclose that he was in Durham. After two weeks of isolation, Cummings returned to work on April 14.

A close associate of Cummings told the BBC that it was true he went to Durham but insisted he did not violate health regulations and only needed his parents' help to take care of his child.

However, opposition parties immediately pressured for his resignation, using Cummings' lockdown violation as an opportunity. Ian Blackford, the SNP (Scottish National Party) leader in the House of Commons, argued that Johnson should dismiss Cummings, and the Liberal Democrats (LD) also commented that if government guidelines were broken, he should resign.

The main opposition party, the Labour Party, issued a spokesperson's statement demanding that the Prime Minister's Office properly explain Cummings' actions, criticizing, "The British people do not believe there are separate rules for ordinary citizens and for Cummings."

There have already been cases where government advisory members and health officials who violated the lockdown order resigned one after another. Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College, who advised the government on COVID-19 response measures, resigned from his government advisory position after it was revealed he invited his lover to his home.

Also, Dr. Catherine Calderwood, Scotland's Chief Medical Officer, stepped down after it was revealed she visited her holiday home twice, which is more than an hour's drive away.

Cummings is known as the government's most powerful figure, described by the British media as the "puppet master behind the scenes."

He was responsible for the Leave campaign strategy during the 2016 Brexit referendum and is leading key strategies including Brexit in Johnson's cabinet.

At the end of April, it was revealed that he attended several meetings of the scientific advisory group advising the government on COVID-19 response, facing controversy for undermining the political independence and credibility of the advisory group.