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Jackson Carlaw, the Conservative leader in Scotland, became the most senior Tory to urged the Downing Street strategy chief to consider his position following fury over his behaviour in the coronavirus lockdown. He joined the barrage of criticism soon after his colleague Douglas Ross resigned as a parliamentary under secretary of state at the Scotland Office, saying the Downing Street strategy adviser’s interpretation of the quarantine rules was “not shared by the vast majority of people”. A former chief whip and a former attorney general were also among more than 30 MPs joining the criticism of Mr Cummings from Tory ranks yesterday.

But the Prime Minister and his key allies were standing by Mr Cummings last night, with Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove hailing the aide as “a man of honesty and integrity.”

Mr Gove said: “People can then form their own judgment about whether or not what they thought he did was wise. My own view is that it is entirely reasonable.

“The allegation from some was he was heedlessly and recklessly putting other people in danger, I think if we look at the whole story we can see that was not the case.”

He added: “When I read the story I was convinced there would be an explanation from Dominic, because I know he is a man of honour and integrity.”

Yesterday’s storm of protest from Tories shattered hopes among the Prime Minister’s inner circle that the aide’s detailed explanation on Sunday of his decision to drive his wife and son 260 miles to stay on his parents’ farm had taken the heat out of the row.

Dozens of Tory MPs complained that they had been swamped by furious messages from constituents in recent days.

Mr Ross said that while Mr Cummings’ explanation in a dramatic hour-long news conference in the Downing Street garden on Sunday had provided “some clarity on the situation” there were still”issues with his explanation that I had trouble with, and therefore felt I had to resign from Government to be able to express these.”

In his resignation, the Moray MP wrote: “As a father myself I would do everything I could to protect my son and wife, but thousands of families have faced a similar situation to the one the Cummings found themselves in and they strictly followed the advice to stay at home.”

He added: “I can’t support anything that suggests there are different rules for different people.”

Mr Ross said that “while the intentions may have been well-meaning”, Mr Cummings’ interpretation of the rules was “not shared by the vast majority of people”.

He went on “I have constituents who didn’t get to say goodbye to loved ones; families who could not mourn together; people who didn’t visit sick relatives because they followed the guidance of the Government,” the Tory MP for Moray wrote.

“I cannot in good faith tell them they were all wrong and one senior adviser to the Government was right.”

A Downing Street spokesman said Mr Johnson regretted Mr Ross’s decision to quit.

Mr Johnson and Mr Cummings made “desperate” phone calls pleading with Mr Ross to stay, Scottish Tory sources said yesterday.

Hours after the resignation, Mr Carlaw said: “I fully understand the decision he took.”

He added: “Mr Cummings spoke and we got a version of events from him. Some people will have found that understandable.

“But I think the reality is this is now consuming the entire debate, distracting away from the principal message and the virus and if I were in his position, if it were me, I would be considering my position.”

More Tory MPs continued to join the numbers criticising Mr Cummings yesterday.

Former Tory chief whip Mark Harper said: “I would expect an advisor who had damaged the credibility of the Government’s central message so badly and become the story to consider their position,” he said.

“Mr Cummings should have offered to resign, and the Prime Minister should have accepted his resignation.”

Former attorney general Jeremy Wright said: “What is most important at this point is that Government can give clear messages about how to defeat the virus and that everyone feels motivated to do their best to help.

“This is more important than the position of any individual in Downing Street and therefore, fairly or unfairly, I have concluded that it would be better for Mr Cummings to leave his position at Downing Street.

“I have communicated my view and the reasons for it to the Prime Minister.”

Stephen Hammond, another former minister, said in a message to his constituents: “Whilst one might have some sympathy with his motives and his concern for his family, I am angry that so many have sacrificed so much for public safety and yet this man has decided his interpretation of ‘doing the right thing’ overrode the clear instruction of stay at home. 

“It is clear to me that Mr Cummings has broken some of the guidelines which we all were instructed to follow.

“I am concerned that his actions have undermined our, and my, efforts to keep Wimbledon safe. 

“My concern moving forward is the distraction this is causing at a time of national crisis and the way it is undermining confidence in the public health message. 

“Public adherence to the rules is achieved by consent in this country and that is made much harder if people feel it is one rule for them and another for senior Government advisors.”

Tory backbencher Simon Jupp wrote on Facebook that he felt a “mixture of anger, disappointment and frustration” over the episode. He said hundreds of constituents had contacted him about Mr Cummings’ behaviour and he raised the “strength of feeling” in in East Devon constituency with the Tory leadership.

“We are all making significant sacrifices and coping with situations we couldn’t imagine just a few months ago. Many of us, including myself, have lost people in our lives and haven’t been able to see family and friends. It’s been incredibly tough for everyone,” Mr Jupp wrote.

Derek Thomas, Tory MP for West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, said: “It is clear that the situation could have been handled very differently and it is not helpful for this story to consume so much Government energy at a time like this.

“In these situations the media circus and public interest can often become as problematic as the incident itself and it is imperative that the Prime Minister retains control of the situation and I’ve fed this view into Government.

“Irrespective of the behaviour of one or two individuals in high office, the fact remains that it is in everyone’s interest that we continue to observe the social distancing guidance and lockdown restrictions if we are to fully beat coronavirus.”

Tory MP Mark Pawsey said Mr Cummings “acted very much against the spirit of the lockdown rules” and should be sacked.

The Rugby MP said: “He has not expressed any regret for the damage his actions have caused to the Government, or to the sense of collective effort in staying at home, protecting the NHS and saving lives.

“Many constituents have pointed out that if everyone had behaved as Mr Cummings did, the success of our lockdown policy would have been undermined.

“Almost every one of them has set out, sometimes in heart breaking detail, the personal sacrifices that they have made during the immensely challenging months since the coronavirus outbreak.

“As such, I believe that it is wrong that Mr Cummings remains in an important post in Government.

“I had hoped he would tender his resignation of his own accord. As he has failed to do so, I now believe it is right for the Prime Minister to ask for his resignation.”

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick yesterday admitted his own correspondence from constituents showed “many people still disagree” with Mr Cummings’ behaviour.

The Cabinet minister said: “I think people can understand the interests he had at heart, which were to protect his sick wife and his young child – and can at least understand now why he made those decisions.”

Pressed on whether further ministers would resign or whether Mr Cummings would survive in post, Mr Jenrick replied: “I don’t know.”

Downing Street officials insisted the Prime Minister was standing by his embattled aide.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “From the Prime Minister’s point of view, he has set out that he believes Dominic Cummings acted reasonably, legally and with integrity and with care for his family and for others.”

In his news conference on Sunday, Mr Cummings said he drove his family to Co Durham on March 27 to isolate themselves in a vacant cottage on his parents’ farm after his wife became ill.

The adviser took the decision out of concern about the care of their four-year-old son if they both had coronavirus. He woke up with coronavirus symptoms the following day.

He insisted the family remained in quarantine in line with Government guidance. 

He then drove the family to Barnard Castle, around 30 miles from his parents’ home, on April 12 as a test run to see if he was well enough to drive them back to London the following day.

Critics claim his behaviour was at odds with the Government orders to stay at home and say the trip to Barnard Castle was unnecessary.

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