Cummings continues to be under pressure over refusal to apologise for 264-mile lockdown trip
Good morning, readers. Welcome to the Guardian’s UK coronavirus live blog.
Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s most senior advisor, continues to be under fire over accusations he breached Covid-19 lockdown rules after refusing to apologise and saying he does not regret his actions during an extraordinary press conference in Downing Street’s Rose Garden.
It follows mounting pressure about the revelations – first revealed in a joint Guardian and Daily Mirror investigation – that he travelled 264 miles across the country from London to his parents’ estate in Durham during lockdown despite suspecting that both he and his wife had coronavirus. Cummings also admitted he went on a 60-mile round trip to a local beauty spot, Barnard Castle, which he claimed was necessary to check his eyesight was good enough for the longer drive back to London.
Minister Michael Gove – who has followed Boris Johnon’s lead in publicly backing Cummings – is doing the media round this morning with interviews on the BBC and Sky News.
At 9.30am, the Office for National Statistics is set to release death figures for week ending May 15 for England and Wales and survey of social impact on regions. Meanwhile, opposition leaders will also meet online this morning.
I’m Simon Murphy and I’ll be bringing you the latest developments in the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK this morning. You contact me with tips and comments on twitter @murphy_simon and on [email protected].