Andrew Bowie believes Dominic Cumming’s resignation will only be “inevitable” if it emerges that he broke the law.
The MP, who represents West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine and was previously Theresa May’s closest confidante as her parliamentary private secretary, received more than 1,000 emails in the space of two days on the scandal.
It is the largest amount of correspondence he has received since he became an MP in 2017.
Therefore, he has now sent a “standardised” reply covering a variety of questions on the topic, writing that he understood “the public frustration”.
Mr Bowie writes: “I believe that Mr Cummings should not have taken the trip that he did, and that it was inappropriate for a senior government advisor to do so.
“Whether the letter of the rules were followed or not, it was not in the spirit of the rules and for that he should apologise to the British public.
“We expect a higher standard of behaviour from public officials than the bare minimum of simply following the law and Mr Cummings’s conduct clearly fell short on this occasion.
“We have all made sacrifices during this pandemic. As I said in my previous statement, I myself was unable to attend the funeral of a close family member due to the lockdown and this was very difficult for me and my family.
“I share your anger, hurt and disappointment at the way this has been handled.”
Response to Dominic Cummings Story | Andrew Bowie https://t.co/uX8ut1nwQE
— Andrew Bowie MP (@AndrewBowie_MP) May 26, 2020
Mr Bowie, 32, added that the conversation on Mr Cummings should be “calm”, regardless of people’s “views on what should happen next”.
He wrote: “While I do understand the anger directed at Mr Cummings, I am concerned by how difficult it has been for many of us to feel compassion for a father who was scared for the life of his child.
“This was not a journey he took for leisure purposes or for personal comfort and I believe his actions represent a lapse in judgement.
“A serious mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.”
Mr Bowie has communicated the views of his constituency directly to the Chief Whip and to the Prime Minister through his Parliamentary Private Secretary.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s senior aid Dominic Cummings leaves his north London home on SundayIn his email, on the question on whether or not Mr Cummings should resign, he wrote: “Who advises him and for how long is ultimately a matter for the Prime Minister alone, but my own view is that the rules must be applied equally and without favour, at all times.
“If it emerges that Mr Cummings broke the law, I believe his position will be untenable and his resignation inevitable, if it is not already.
“I have confidence in the relevant authorities to investigate the facts of the case and I have no doubt that they will do so.”
To read the full email, click here
