News and Opinion

A police officer has said that people are using Dominic Cummings as an excuse to evade coronavirus lockdown rules. The officer, who works in London, told LBC radio that he has found enforcing the law more difficult now that a top government official has broken lockdown rules. The man – who gave his name as […]

The chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales has taken to social media to warn people not to get behind the wheel if they feel unwell or their eyesight is impaired. Prime minister Boris Johnson has said that his own eyesight was affected by coronavirus, after questions over the fact his aide Dominic […]

Former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell has slammed Boris Johnson’s government for focusing on Dominic Cummings rather than the coronavirus pandemic. The New European editor-at-large appeared on Sky News after Cummings’ press conference to say that he does not care if Johnson keep his senior adviser in post or not, because it shows […]

Dominic Cummings has sought to defend his decision to drive to County Durham despite the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, saying he does not regret his actions, and has refused to apologise. In a highly unusual press conference in the rose garden of 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s chief adviser said he made the journey because […]

Criticism has rained down on Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings from the national newspapers – with even the Tory-supporting Daily Mail criticising the government. Have your say Send your letters for publication to The New European by emailing letters@theneweuropean.co.uk and pick up an edition each Thursday for more comment and analysis. Find your nearest stockist […]

A storm of protest continues to rage not only over revelations the prime minister’s most senior aide broke the government’s own lockdown guidelines, but also due to Boris Johnson’s defence of Dominic Cummings. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top aide Dominic Cummings leaves his north London home. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA Wire – Credit: PA Cummings travelled […]

Footage posted on social media showed Dominic Cummings being heckled by a crowd of onlookers as he returned to his London home after Boris Johnson’s latest press briefing. New footage shows a passerby asking ‘why’s it one rule for you and another for everybody else? ‘Why do you think you’re above the law, mate? ‘Why […]

A member of the government’s advisory group on behavioural science has said Boris Johnson has ‘trashed’ all the advice he had been given on building the public trust need for lockdown to work. Professor Stephen Reicher is on the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) that feeds analysis and advice to the scientists […]

Social media users are being encouraged to take to their doorsteps to protest the prime minister’s defence of Dominic Cummings for allegedly breaching lockdown rules. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s senior aide Dominic Cummings arriving at his north London home. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA Wire. – Credit: PA Musician Vikki Stone took to Twitter after Sunday’s press […]

Shortly after Boris Johnson’s press conference at Downing Street, where he defended his chief adviser Dominic Cummings, the official UK Civil Service Twitter account complained about his remarks. In a now-deleted tweet, the account wrote after Sunday’s daily Downing Street press conference: ‘Arrogant and offensive. Can you imagine having to work with these truth twisters?’ […]

Prime minister Boris Johnson has backed his top aide Dominic Cummings over allegations he breached lockdown restrictions, saying: ‘He has acted responsibly, legally and with integrity’. The PM told a Downing Street press briefing: ‘I have had extensive face-to-face conversations with Dominic Cummings and I have concluded that in travelling to find the right kind […]

A shadow minister has called for Boris Johnson to attend Sunday’s Downing Street briefing to answer questions about his most senior adviser. Sarah Jones urged Conservative ministers to explain why they backpedalled on coronavirus lockdown rules whilst defending allegations that Dominic Cummings breached them. Speaking during Sophy Ridge on Sunday, the shadow policing minister said: […]

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has left a lot of questions unanswered in a television interview, despite having been sent the questions in advance. In a tweet sent at 8pm last night from the official Sophy Ridge on Sunday account, it had been announced that Shapps would be responding on Dominic Cummings’ lockdown breach as per […]

The allegations over Dominic Cummings ‘is now an issue of Boris Johnson’s judgment and integrity’, according to the SNP’s Westminster deputy leader. Kirsty Blackman spoke out as a number of backcbench Tory MPs broke ranks to criticise the Prime Minister’s top aide who has been the subject of numerous national newspaper reports. On Saturday the […]

The journalist behind this weekend’s Dominic Cummings revelations had the perfect response for a prominent Brexit campaigner after he tweeted his support for the Vote Leave mastermind. Darren Grimes took to Twitter to defend Boris Johnson’s senior adviser, tweeting a video to Cummings outside his house, saying ‘it’s not about what you guys think’ in […]

Tory Brexiteers have turned on Vote Leave mastermind Dominic Cummings – calling for him to resign from his post as senior aide to the prime minister over allegations he broke lockdown rules more than once. Boris Johnson has been urged to sack Cummings after reports surfaced that the 48-year-old made a second trip to County […]

Elvis Presley did much to promote Hawaii’s musical culture, but its native sons have far more to offer themselves. SOPHIE DEBOICK reports. Honolulu is more than 2,000 miles from the West Coast of the US, but is a place deeply embedded in American mythology. As a tourist playground focussed on Waikiki – once the home […]

A Conservative MP has apologised for tweeting his support of Dominic Cummings on Saturday and said the PM’s aide should ‘face the consequences of breaking the law’. In a statement Robert Halfon, the MP for Harlow said: ‘I would first like to make it clear to residents that I regret writing the tweet yesterday in […]

Political campaigners Led By Donkeys have trolled Boris Johnson’s most senior aide outside his home – by using clips of his boss’ speeches. A video by political campaign group Led By Donkeys of the statement made by Prime Minister Boris Johnson is shown outside the north London home of his senior aide Dominic Cummings. Photograph: […]

Keir Starmer’s raw approval rating has rocketed, as more people approve of the Labour leader than prime minister Boris Johnson. 47% of people surveyed by Opinium now approve of Labour’s leader, an increase of five points, compared to 17% disapproving (down one point). By contrast 45% of those surveyed approve of Boris Johnson, down one […]

Sunday newspapers have alleged that Boris Johnson’s senior aide Dominic Cummings breached lockdown rules more than once. New testimonies in the Observer and Sunday Mirror claim that Cummings was spotted back in Durham on April 19 – days after he was back at work having recovered from the virus. This was at the point that […]

CHARLIE CONNELLY looks back on the life of Giovanni Falcone who played an instrumental role in bringing down the mafia. One hot Sicilian night in July 2017 somebody attacked a statue in a piazza in the poor San Filippo Neri neighbourhood of Palermo. They meant business too. It took a determined effort to knock the […]

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has swerved questions about what Boris Johnson knew about senior aide Dominic Cummings breaking lockdown rules. Speaking at the latest Downing Street briefing, Shapps was asked if the prime minister knew about Cumming’s actions and had approved them. He said: ‘The important thing is that everyone remains in the same place […]

The SNP has written to Boris Johnson and the head of the civil service calling for an investigation into Dominic Cummings’ ‘rule-breaking and the Tory government’s cover-up’. In the letter to Sir Mark Sedwill and the prime minister, the party’s leader in Westminster Ian Blackford said he called for Cummings to be sacked. Cummings is […]

TIM WALKER reflects on an interview with American actor and political activist Charlton Heston. Charlton Heston was appearing on the London stage in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. He was a big guy in a wig whose views on everything from gun control to gay rights had made him politically incorrect before the term had even […]

Former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell has savaged Boris Johnson over his failure to lead the country, and branded those around him ‘liars and hypocrites’. In a fiery exchange on Sky News, The New European’s editor-at-large said that he was providing a reaction ‘on behalf of the millions and millions of people who […]

Boris Johnson has defended his top aide for travelling 264 miles to Durham with his children during lockdown, despite the fact those around him had tested positive for the coronavirus. Downing Street has said Dominic Cummings believed he ‘behaved reasonably and legally’ when he travelled from his London home to Country Durham during the lockdown. […]

Ian Blackford, SNP Westminster leader, says the prime minister has ‘serious questions’ to answer regarding what he knew about Dominic Cummings’ lockdown trip to Country Durham. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the MP said: ‘I think what should have happened by now is that Dominic Cummings should have gone. ‘What I find interesting…is […]

SUNA ERDEM on the spectacular success of foreign TV shows on streaming channels – accelerated during lockdown – and how they represent an emerging global culture, characterised by differences. Babylon Berlin – German neo-noir television series. Picture: Archant – Credit: Archant It was only days into lockdown and we were already slouched on the sofa […]

Dominic Cummings has insisted he ‘behaved reasonably and legally’ when he travelled from his London home to County Durham during the lockdown. Speaking outside his London home about the trip to Durham, Boris Johnson’s senior aide told reporters: ‘I behaved reasonably and legally.’ Reporters asked Cummings where he was off to this time as he […]

Calls have been made for Dominic Cummings to resign from his role as chief adviser to the prime minister after reports emerged he broke lockdown rules by travelling 260 miles from his London home. Sir Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, has called for Cummings to quit over the allegations. He said: ‘Millions […]

Police spoke to Boris Johnson’s top adviser after he breached the government’s lockdown rules to travel to see his family in Durham – despite having shown signs of coronavirus. An investigation by the Mirror and Guardian found that Cummings travelled 264 miles and was spoken to by officers, days after being seen rushing out of […]