Who is Dominic Cummings and why is everyone talking about him?

Boris Johnson's senior adviser answered questions from journalists about his actions

You may have heard lots of people talking about the prime minister's chief adviser Dominic Cummings recently.

He's been accused of breaking the coronavirus lockdown rules after driving from his London property to County Durham where his parents live back in March.

Lots of people are upset because they think Mr Cummings' actions were wrong.

So who is the chief adviser? Read on to find out more.

Who is Dominic Cummings and what's his job?

Dominic Cummings has been involved in British politics since the early 2000s.

He's best known for his involvement in the 2016 Brexit campaign and he was also an adviser to Conservative politician Michael Gove during his time as the Secretary of State for Education between 2010 and 2014.

Cummings was appointed as Boris Johnson's senior adviser in July 2019. He's not a member of the Conservative Party, but as a senior adviser he's required to support the current British government.

This includes providing assistance and giving advice to ministers on various matters.

Why are people talking about the chief adviser?

Dominic Cummings has been questioned over his actions during lockdown

Dominic Cummings has been accused of breaking lockdown rules by travelling 260 miles to his parents' home in Country Durham at the end of March.

Boris Johnson first announced that the UK public should stay at home to help limit the spread of the coronavirus on the 23 March, and no changes had been made to these restrictions when Mr Cummings visited his parents' home.

He said he had made the journey to be near his family after his wife developed coronavirus symptoms. The chief adviser said he wanted to be close to relatives who could help look after his young child if he and he and his wife became unwell.

When asked by reporters about the trip, Mr Cummings said he believed he had done the "right thing".

What has Dominic Cummings said about the accusations?

The senior adviser made a public statement at a press conference on Sunday where he addressed his alleged lockdown breach. He was also asked questions by journalists.

Mr Cummings explained what happened between his journey to and from Durham. He said he stayed away from his parents during the two week period that he was in the county with his wife and child.

He believes he acted "safely and legally" and "made the right judgement" in deciding to make the trip. When asked by a journalist if he regretted his actions, Mr Cummings said he didn't.

He said: "I think what I did was actually reasonable in these circumstances."

What has the prime minister said about Dominic Cummings' actions?

Boris Johnson defended Mr Cummings' actions during Sunday's Downing Street briefing

Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that he's had discussions with Dominic Cummings about his trip during yesterday's government briefing.

He said: "I've concluded that in travelling to find the right kind of childcare at the moment when 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, and I do not mark him down for that."

He also added: "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 this virus and saving lives."

What are others saying?

The government eased lockdown rules in England earlier this month

Some people are upset because they feel the government's defence of Mr Cummings' actions isn't right and that lockdown rules should be followed by everyone.

The Labour party's leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "It is an insult to sacrifices made by the British people that Boris Johnson has chosen to take no action against Dominic Cummings."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has also spoken out on the recent events. She said that she fears Boris Johnson has put his "political interest ahead of the public interest" and believes Mr Cummings should step down from his role.