‘Trust has been broken’: Bishops attack Boris Johnson over failure to dismiss Dominic Cummings

‘The question now is: do we accept being lied to, patronised and treated by a PM as mugs?’

The Bishop of Durham and a number of other senior clergymen have criticised Boris Johnson’s defence of his chief aide’s decision to travel during lockdown.

The Right Reverend Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, said the public’s trust had been “broken”.

He took to Twitter to say that many “who have worked so hard to abide by the rules and guidance of the past weeks will feel hurt, angry, and let down. Trust has been broken. For the nation’s sake rebuild it quickly”.

Mr Johnson has defied calls from his own MPs to sack Mr Cummings for driving 260 miles to Durham during lockdown.

Ministers insist he did the right thing because he was seeking childcare for his young son even as the rest of the country was being told to stay at home.

Mr Cummings is also facing allegations he made a 30-mile day trip while he was in Durham, when the government was warning the public against all but essential travel.

Pressure is mounting on the prime minister to order an investigation to establish the facts of the case.

Some of the strongest criticism of the prime minister has come from bishops, who accused him of treating people “as mugs” after he stood by his most trusted adviser.

The Right Reverend Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, tweeted: “The question now is: do we accept being lied to, patronised and treated by a PM as mugs?”

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said it was his “understanding” from the Prime Minister that Dominic Cummings and his family did not break the law in their trip to Durham during lockdown.

He told BBC Breakfast: “(The Prime Minister) has been absolutely categorically assured that both Dominic Cummings and his family both followed the guidance and also followed the rules...

“The guidance is incredibly extensive and at the heart of that guidance is always the issue of safeguarding children and making sure that children are always absolutely protected.

“My understanding is from what the Prime Minister said yesterday... is that at every stage Dominic Cummings followed and his family followed the guidance and at no stage did Dominic Cummings or his family break the law.”