As a political firestorm continues to erupt over chief Government advisor Dominic Cummings’ refusal to resign after being accused of flaunting lockdown rules, the local democracy reporting services takes a look at what your south-east London representatives have had to say on the issue.

RESIGN 

Bob Neill (Conservative, Bromley and Chislehurst)

In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, the long-time MP said while he had a “lot of sympathy with Mr Cummings’ desire to protect his family and vulnerable child”, he “simply cannot see how testing his eyesight by driving his family on a round trip of around 60 miles on 12 April can possibly be said to fall within the rules”.

“If we are to beat the virus, we all have to abide by the rules equally. That will be every bit as important as we gradually move out of lockdown. Although an adviser, not a minister or elected representative, Mr Cummings is, by virtue of his job, prominently in the public eye. We cannot have a suggestion of one rule for some and a different one for others,” he wrote, confirming his belief was that Mr Cummings should step down.

Bob Stewart (Conservative, Beckenham) 

In a post on his Facebook page, Bob Stewart said he believed Mr Cummings’ position was “untenable”.

“So, going back to the rules, did Cummings break them? The answer is yes – on the face of it. Technically Cummings could argue that he was exercising his right under the 4th acceptable reason for going outside; a requirement to ensure his child was in a safe place when he and his wife were ill or about to be so,” he wrote.

“I am afraid though that I find that very weak. Even if he was technically allowed to leave his house for the sake of a child it looks very bad that he went 240 miles and hardly an example to the rest of us.” 

Ellie Reeves (Labour, Lewisham West and Penge)

“I’ve had sleepless nights worrying about who would look after the boys if my husband and I got sick. I never once thought that it would be acceptable for us to drop them off with my wonderful 70 year old Dad, and he lives 2.5 miles away,” she tweeted over the weekend.

Abena Oppong-Asare (Labour, Erith and Thamesmead)

The first-term MP wrote she had been “flooded with emails from residents who are angry with the PM and Dominic Cummings”.

“Many have lost their loved ones. There’s a family who could not visit their dying daughter, wife and mother. There’s a family who lost a grandfather to covid. They all obeyed the lockdown rule,” she said.

Matthew Pennycook (Labour, Greenwich and Woolwich)

“I’ve received hundreds of emails over recent days from constituents incandescent with rage at Dominic Cummings’ hypocrisy, incredulous that Johnson defended his behaviour and concerned the national effort to control COVID-19 has been undermined,” he wrote.

“Our country deserves better.”

Clive Efford (Labour, Eltham)

In several tweets over the weekend, Mr Efford repeatedly indicated Mr Cummings should stand down, including tweeting: “We are now a nation divided between the rich and powerful and the rest of us”.

STAY

Gareth Bacon (Conservatives, Orpington)

The first-term MP and Bexley councillor backed Mr Cummings in his statement released on Monday, saying he had sympathy for the advisor and his family.

“In my judgement, I believe that on balance he acted as a responsible father and within the rules,” he wrote.

“As stated above I do not know Dominic Cummings on a personal basis, but I do have sympathy for him and his family. His wife has been unwell, his child hospitalised, a family-member lost to coronavirus, and outside his house was a mob of journalists and aggressive political activists.”

SILENCE

Conservative MPs James Brokenshire (Old Bexley and Sidcup) and David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford) were both contacted for their response on the issue. Neither had responded to the local democracy reporting service or made their position public as of 5pm Tuesday.