Dominic Cummings: Tory MP dodges chance to comment on lockdown scandal

23 May 2020, 16:53

Tory MP refuses to comment on Dominic Cummings scandal

Things got heated between Andrew Castle and this Conservative MP, who on multiple occasions refused to give his opinion on whether Dominic Cummings should be sacked.

Paul Bristow is a member of the Health Select Committee and Conservative MP for Peterborough. He joined Andrew Castle to speak about government policy on quarantine amid the coronavirus crisis. Andrew had another idea of where the conversation should go.

Andrew brought up the scandal surrounding Dominic Cummings and asked Mr Bristow "this is not going to go away quickly, is it?"

The Tory MP insisted that he'd "be a terrible hypocrite if I turned around and said I think there's no problem" as he referenced his own battle with lockdown rules when he went to visit his father before he passed away.

Andrew wasn't taking this as an answer and was brash in his reply. "You're a conservative MP, let's grow up here" he said, adding that "should he go or should he stay is an easy question." Mr Bristow maintained that he didn't feel comfortable answering the question, adding that "if I turn around saying that this is right and this is wrong I would be a terrible hypocrite."

Andrew was not happy with the response for a second time and put the question bluntly for a final chance for the Conservative MP. "Did he break the rules" Andrew asked.

Mr Bristow was sticking to his guns, insisting that "we should wait and find out" after the PM has his say on the matter.

Andrew moved on to talk about quarantine, whereby new rules tell people entering the UK to self isolate for 14 days otherwise they will face a £1,000 fine. "Is this enforceable" Andrew asked. Mr Bristow insisted that "people coming into this country should respect the new rules that are in place" and stood by the assumption that the new rules would be effective.

"It's always important to have that enforcement element to any scheme otherwise nobody would pay attention" he argued, supporting the strength of how the system would work.