'No apology, no regrets': UK papers pour scorn on Dominic Cummings' refusal to resign

One Tory MP says Conservatives in 'big trouble' from adviser saga

Many newspapers strongly criticised Dominic Cummings and the statement he gave from the garden of 10 Downing Street on Monday afternoon.

Some have called for the prime minister’s special adviser to resign over his alleged flouting of lockdown restrictions, while a few have lent him their support.

In the press briefing, Mr Cummings sought to explain why he had driven to County Durham during the lockdown and why he was seen in April by members of the public at Barnard Castle, which is 30 miles from where he was staying at the time.

The Independent has called on the prime minister’s aide to apologise for his actions, adding that the most important repercussion of the scandal is the damage it has done to the government’s stay-at-home messaging.

Other newspapers such as the i, Metro and the Daily Mail have taken a similar stance, with Metro mocking the government "Stay Alert" message with the headline "Stay Elite".

The Daily Mail’s front page, which has the headline "No apology, no regrets', asked how a “defiant” Mr Cummings can keep his job in the wake of the public outcry, while The Metro’s front page has the words “stay elite” beneath a picture of the aide, in a play on the government’s “stay alert” message.

Dominic Sandbrook, a columnist at The Daily Mail, said Mr Cummings has "more raw power than any special adviser in history" and that there is a “void at the heart of this Government” if Boris Johnson cannot do his job without him.

He added that the saga has raised questions about the future of Mr Johnson’s administration.

Elsewhere, The Daily Mirror described Mr Cummings as “shameless” and pours scorn on the prime minister for standing by him.

Columnist Kevin Maguire called Mr Johnson “a truth-twisting, cynical liar” and says that his actions were “earning jeers not cheers”.

Elsewhere, The Guardian, which broke the story about Mr Cummings last week along with The Daily Mirror, pointed out that “at least 20 Tory MPs” have called for the special adviser’s resignation.

"The level of outrage and openness in speaking out against the prime minister's most senior adviser is unprecedented," the paper says.

The Times also wrote about the "fury" of some Tory MPs at Mr Cumming’s "lack of contrition".

The paper quoted one Tory MP as saying: "My jaw continues to drop. He's saying he's so much more important than us plebs. I think we're in big trouble, we can't campaign our way out of this.

"We're losing trust and confidence - it's draining away before our eyes.

"The fact he didn't apologise speaks volumes."

Not every paper was critical of the senior aide after Monday’s press briefing.

The Sun, the Daily Express and The Daily Telegraph have lent Mr Cummings some support.

Trevor Kavanagh, the associate editor of The Sun, thought that the prime minister’s adviser had “emerged triumphant”, while The Daily Telegraph said he gave “a good account of himself” but made judgements that were not available to other people in similarly difficult circumstances.

In The Daily Telegraph’s editorial, the paper declared it is “time to move on from Mr Cummings”.

Stephen Pollard at the Daily Express said that the government’s health messaging would not be undermined by the saga.

Mr Pollard, the paper’s political commentator, wrote: "To argue that his actions will result in other people flouting the rules because of him, and costing lives ... is frankly ridiculous.”

Additional reporting from PA