Douglas Ross: Dominic Cummings' eye-testing drive "most difficult" to defend
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DOUGLAS Ross has said Dominic Cummings' eyesight-testing trip to Barnard Castle is the "most difficult" aspect of his alleged lockdown flaunting to defend.
Moray's MP resigned from the government this morning, despite being contacted by prime minster Boris Johnson who hoped to convince him to stay on.
Dominic Cummings, the PM's chief adviser, told media yesterday that he got in his car, with his four-year-old child and wife, and drove 30 miles each way to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight ahead of a drive back to London.
Mr Ross would not be drawn on whether he thought Mr Cummings was lying about his reasons for taking the trip – but said it was something he "cannot stand up and defend".
Speaking exclusively the Northern Scot and Forres Gazette, he said: "I have been seriously considering resigning since Sunday night. I listened to Dominic Cummings speak yesterday to get all the facts and there were still issues I had trouble with.
"The main issue was being able to defend the drive to Barnard Castle. I have thought about that for a long time and have decided I cannot stand up and defend the trip.
"I can't see how the best way to test vision is to do so on public roads. There are opportunities to try driving on private roads. There are alternatives and, in hindsight, he should and could have asked for a government car or a taxi.
"I understand the circumstances but not the decisions made. This impression that people can use the restrictions as guidance is unhelpful when we are trying to get the public behind us. We have to make sure our messaging is as clear as possible."
Mr Ross also revealed that prime minister Boris Johnson phoned him in an attempt to make him change his mind about resigning – but said, contrary to other media reports, Dominic Cummings had not been in touch.
He added: "I can confirm Dominic Cummings did not contact me. I spoke to the chief whip Mark Spencer and the secretary of state for Scotland (Alister Jack) to inform them of my decision.
"I got a phone call from prime minister last night. He was extremely generous in what he said and hoped I would re-consider. The prime minister holds a difficult office at a difficult time but I informed him that I had to maintain my position.
"I gave him the re-assurance that I will support the work the government have done to get us through the coronavirus crisis."
While he has resigned from his position as under secretary of state in the Scotland Office, Douglas Ross will continue to be Moray's MP.
He said resigning as an MP would have been "a bit far" and insisted he will continue to represent the people of Moray from the back benches at Westminster.
"I resigned from my government position because, as member of government, you are held as a collective," he said. "You can disagree behind the scenes but publicly you have to back decisions made and I couldn't do that.
"This ends any hope I have of progressing in government but it doesn't stop me representing the people of Moray. I have always put representing the people of Moray ahead of everything else and I'll still be doing that from the back benches.
"I know I don't have 100 per cent support from local people but, as a politician, I have to weigh up all evidence and make a decision. I'm sorry to the people who think I have let them down."
