The Bishop of Manchester has called for Mr Cummings to be sacked after he expressed support for his senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, who travelled from London to County Durham during the lockdown

It has been reported that Mr Cummings travelled from 260 miles from London to County Durham with his wife, who had coronavirus symptoms. It was also reported that Mr Cummings and his family visited Barnard Castle, 30 miles away from Durham, on Easter Day, and that he had been seen again in Durham on 19 April. Downing Street has described the stories as “inaccurate”.

At a press briefing at Downing Street on Sunday afternoon, Mr Johnson said that he had “concluded that in travelling to find the right kind of childcare, at the moment when both he [Mr Cummings] and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus — and when he had no alternative — I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent. And I do not mark him down for that. . .

“I believe that in every respect he has acted responsibly, and legally, and with integrity, and with the overwhelming aim of stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives.”

After the press briefing, however, Numerous bishops and church leaders expressed their frustrations on the issue. 

Taking to Twitter, Rt Rev David Walker, Bishop of Manchester questions if the Church of England should continue to work with ministers on the handling of the pandemic if Cummings isn’t sacked. 

He added the Prime Minister made a “dangerous” statement by saying Cummings made the right decision because he followed his instinct.

Bishop Baines was quoted in The Observer on Sunday as saying: “People across the country have sacrificed hugely in order to obey both the spirit and word of government advice. People have missed being with family members who have died.

“But now we learn that there is one rule for the people and another for No 10 and the elite. Ministers have clearly been told to tweet support for Cummings. What price conscience? Or integrity? Or credibility? Or competence at a time when leadership can only be rooted in trust?”

The Bishop of Sheffield, Dr Pete Wilcox, also posted on Twitter on Sunday evening that he had “carefully steered clear” of politics during the pandemic. “But tonight I must say: the PM & his cabinet are undermining the trust of the electorate and the risks to life are real.”

The Bishop of Ripon, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, equally posted on Twitter: “Integrity, trust and leadership were never there; just a driven misguided ideology of power that has total disregard for the most weak and vulnerable, and those who work to protect and care for us with relatively low pay.

“My parents live in Durham, an hour away from where we live. My father finished radiotherapy treatment just before lockdown. I’ve missed his birthday, Mothering Sunday and countless other catch-ups that would have happened. And that’s a fraction of a story compared with others.”

Later on Monday, Mr Cummings spent more than an hour detailing the events between 27 March and 13 April and answering questions from journalists. He confirmed the essential facts of his trip from London to Durham, stating that the purpose was to self-isolate where his nieces could provide child care if he and his wife became too ill to look after their four-year-old child. He also said that he had been “subject to threats of violence” at his London home. 

While there, he made one short journey to collect his child from hospital, and had visited Barnard Castle to check whether his eyesight was good enough for a drive back to London on the evening of Monday 13 April.

Mr Johnson, leading the Government press conference for only the third time since being discharged from hospital on 12th April, said he could “not mark down” Mr Cummings for the way he acted.

The Prime Minister said: “I have had extensive face-to-face conversations with Dominic Cummings and I have concluded that in travelling to find the right kind of childcare, at the moment when both he and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus – and when he had no alternative – I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent.”

(Original articles appeared on Premier Christian News and Church Times )