Dominic Cummings has defended the decision to drive to his father’s farm in Co Durham due to fears over lack of childcare.
Boris Johnson’s chief advisor said he does not regret the decision amid calls for him to resign.
Mr Cummings refused to apologise for driving the 260 miles to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown. He claimed he had always behaved ‘reasonably and legally’.
He said the decision to travel north to stay in a cottage on his parents’ land was the result of a ‘very complicated, tricky situation’.
And he admitted he had not sought the Prime Minister’s permission to make the journey at the end of March.
He said ‘reasonable people may well disagree’ with his decision, but he insisted he had acted in an appropriate manner and had not broken any rules.
“I don’t think there is one rule for me and one rule for other people’ and blamed public anger at media reports ‘that have not been true,” he said.
Mr Cummings said that he had travelled to Barnard Castle on April 12.
But he insisted that he and his family had not walked around the town which is located 30 miles from Durham. He said the purpose of his journey was to test if his eyesight was good enough to make the trip back to London.
On Sunday 12th April, Dominic Cummings decided after 14 days to leave quarantine
His wife was worried about his eyesight for the journey home so he went for a drive to Barnard Castle.
They walked 10-15 metres to the car from the river bank and had no interactions with anybody
— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) May 25, 2020
Cummings to Sky's @BethRigby:
"I don't think there's one rule for me and one rule for other people. I looked at the guidance and there was an exception for small children and I believe I acted reasonably"
— Tamara Cohen (@tamcohen) May 25, 2020
