AN Oxfordshire councillor has said he thinks Dominic Cummings remaining in his job has become a distraction from the work of government.

The Oxford Mail contacted seven Tory councillors across the county to ask them what they thought of Boris Johnson's decision to keep Mr Cummings on staff.

Out of the seven, only two replied, and one of those replies was a decline to comment.

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Liam Walker, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for Highways, said Mr Cummings' travels had become a major distraction.

Mr Walker said: “It’s become clear over the past few days that the travels of Dominic Cummings has become a major distraction from the work the government are doing to tackle the coronavirus. Whilst I believe aspects of his story are true it’s clear the perception that it’s one rule for government officials and another for the rest of us risks undermining any future rules or guidance they set.

"In light of this distraction I think it would be appropriate now for Mr Cummings to stand down from his role so the government can focus solely on their work to protect the public by defeating the coronavirus.”

Meanwhile, county council leader Ian Hudspeth replied but declined to comment.

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A growing number of Tory MPs across the UK now calling for Mr Cummings to step down from his job or be sacked.

The Conservative party is made up of local Conservative associations across the UK, all of whom have some small influence over the direction the party takes.

In light of this, the Oxford Mail asked Tory councillors about the following issues:

  • What they had heard being said among local conservative councillors about Mr Cummings
  • What they though about the decision to keep him in post
  • What concerns, if any, they had about adherence to social distancing or lockdown guidelines as a result of events over the weekend