Downing Street braced for further resignations over Dominic Cummings saga

Number 10 Downing Street special advisor Dominic Cummings leaves 10 Downing Street. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images) - Credit: AFP via Getty Images

Government is braced for further resignations over Boris Johnson’s handling of the saga surrounding his senior aide.

Douglas Ross, a junor Scotland Office minister, resigned on Tuesday as he was unconvinced by Cummings’ explanation for breaking lockdown rules.

The Telegraph reports that both Cummings and Johnson rang the MP to urge him to stay, but the Moray MP said he could not tell his constituents ‘in good faith’ they were wrong and the aide was right.

Now a second minister is weighing up whether to resign, telling the newspaper: ‘I think this is going to be very, very damaging and I really am sick of it.’

The Guardian reports that MPs had been buoyed on by Ross’ resignation.


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Rowena Mason wrote: ‘One former cabinet minister said Tory WhatsApp groups had buzzed with praise for Ross’s resignation as it happened, which had prompted other backbenchers to feel they should go public.’

It comes as an opinion poll shows the Tory lead over Labour has dropped to just six points.