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Government digs in heels over Dominic Cummings as Tory MP revolt grows

The Government is sticking by Dominic Cummings, despite the growing number of Conservative MPs calling for the Number 10 adviser to quit.

Douglas Ross, the junior minister for Scotland, resigned today citing constituents who did not get to "say goodbye to loved ones". The Moray MP said he could not "in good faith tell them that they were all wrong and one senior adviser to the Government was right".

This afternoon Mark Harper, a former chief whip, called for Mr Cummings to resign saying there was  "no credible justification" for his trip to Barnard Castle, and that he was "disappointed" by the chief adviser's lack of apology.

He is one of many Conservative backbenchers to go public with their plea.

But Matt Hancock batted away a series of questions from journalists, pointing to the growing disquiet among Tory MPs and the impact it might have on public adherence to social distancing. He told one journalist it was people's "civic duty" to self-isolate for the good of their loved ones and community.

However the Health Secretary did indicate a shift, telling a member of the public that he would look at penalty fines imposed on people travelling for childcare purposes.

"This is an area of significant concern," he says, adding he would talk to his "Treasury colleagues" about a possible review.

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