MIDLOTHIAN NORTH AND MUSSELBURGH MSP JOINS CALLS FOR BORIS JOHNSON TO SACK TOP ADVISOR

PRESSURE MOUNTS AFTER DOMINIC CUMMINGS GIVES INSULTING No10 STATEMENT
 
Midlothian North and Musselburgh MSP, Colin Beattie, has joined calls for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to sack his most senior adviser Dominic Cummings for repeatedly breaking his own government's lockdown rules.

Over the weekend it emerged that Mr Cummings drove his family 264 miles to his parents’ estate in Durham while his wife was suffering coronavirus symptoms.
 
And in an extraordinary press conference in the Downing Street garden on Monday night, instead of resigning Cummings admitted to a series of further breaches of lockdown.
 
Cummings refused to apologise or even accept that he had fatally undermined the essential public health message that people who have the virus should stay at home.
 
MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“People in Midlothian and East Lothian have made huge sacrifices over the months to obey the rules, while Boris Johnson's most senior adviser was breaking them on multiple occasions.
 
"He should have resigned but instead he showed no contrition and refused to say sorry for his behaviour which has left millions of people - who have been sticking to the rules - justifiably furious.
 
“Cummings’ double standards are breath taking. His convoluted excuses to justify his inexcusable behaviour were frankly insulting to the people of Midlothian North and Musselburgh.
 
“Prime Minister has no option but to sack Mr Cummings. His failure to do so by now is a failure of leadership that could have a catastrophic effect on how Coronavirus is contained.
 
“As Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: 'There cannot be one rule for bosses and another for everyone else'. People must have confidence that the Tory government is following its own rules - not protecting advisors who break them.
 
“Boris Johnson has apparently known about this for weeks, has failed to offer any answers himself and now has no option but to sack Dominic Cummings and answer questions about his own role in the Downing Street cover-up.
 
"Leading public health experts have warned this failure of leadership is damaging the public health message and putting lives at risk.
 
"The longer the Prime Minister allows this farce to continue the more the Tory government will lose credibility and respect. He must sack Mr Cummings without further delay."
 
“In Scotland, the clear public health advice has not changed. The Scottish Government will review the current rules on Thursday and hopefully this will lead to a gradual easing of some restrictions, evidence permitting. 
 
“But for now, people in Midlothian and East Lothian should continue to stay at home - it really is helping to save lives.”