POLL: 71% of UK public believe Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules

A new poll has found that 71 per cent of the British public believe Dominic Cummings broke the lockdown rules, while another has put Boris Johnson’s approval ratings into negative territory for the first time.
Dominic Cummings should resign according to 71 per cent of the British public in a new poll.Dominic Cummings should resign according to 71 per cent of the British public in a new poll.
Dominic Cummings should resign according to 71 per cent of the British public in a new poll.

A YouGov survey of 1160 adults, taken after Mr Cummings’ public explanation of why he drove 260 miles to Durham with his ill wife and child, instead of staying at home in London, has found that only 20 per cent believe he didn’t break the government coronavirus lockdown, while 9 per cent said they didn’t know.

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The poll also found that 46 per cent of Conservative voters believe Mr Cummings should resign – and significantly 52 per cent of those who voted to leave the EU said the same. Overall, 59 per cent of those surveyed said he should resign.

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A second poll, by Savanta ComRes poll, also published today, revealed that Boris Johnson's approval rating had fallen to -1, a 20 point drop in four days, while overall Tory government approval has fallen to -2, dropping a drop of 16 points in a day.

The results will be a blow to the Prime Minister who has continued to back Mr Cummings and described him as acting “responsibly, legally and with integrity”, despite guidelines stating that people with symptoms of Covid-19 should self-isolate in their own homes. He also allowed Mr Cummings to use the No10 Rose Garden yesterday to lay out his explanation of events, and answer questions from the press, in an unprecedented move for any special advisor.

However today has seen a string of Conservative MPs continue to call for Mr Cummings to go, and Moray MP Douglas Ross resigned as a Scottish Office minister.

SNP deputy Westminster leader Kirsty Blackman said the ComRes poll was “evidence” the Prime Minister was “rapidly trashing public confidence” in his own government.

“If the Prime Minister wants to throw his own reputation to the wind that is one thing – but he is now threatening public health by undermining trust and confidence in the rules,” she said. “There cannot be one rule for the Tory government and another for everyone else. Leading public health experts are warning the failure to act is putting the whole strategy and public lives at risk.

“There is a mounting rebellion of Tory MPs who recognise the lasting damage being done. Boris Johnson must listen to the health experts, listen to the public, listen to his own MPs - and sack Mr Cummings without further delay.”

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