Minister denies chief nurse was dropped from Downing Street briefing for refusing to back Dominic Cummings

The Transport Secretary has denied reports that the chief nursing officer for England was dropped from a coronavirus press briefing because she would not defend Dominic Cummings.

The Prime Minister's top aide sparked fury among Tory MPs and the wider public after it emerged that he had driven from his London home to his parents’ farm estate in County Durham during the height of lockdown.

Reports in the Independent claimed Ruth May was asked her views on the controversy surrounding Mr Cummings and was blocked from appearing on TV after declining to support him.

On Friday, Grant Shapps told the Downing Street briefing that he expected Ms May would be appearing again at future briefings.

“I don’t think it is true. She has attended them many times before. I notice that at the top of the No 10 Twitter feed I see one of her tweets pinned,” he said.

“I am absolutely sure she has been a regular contributor before and I am sure she will be back here again.”

Grant Shapps in Downing Street
10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty

Sources told the Independent Ms Ruth May had been due to appear alongside health secretary Matt Hancock in a press conference around the time the controversy around Mr Cummings' Durham trip was unfolding.

The Chief Nurse reportedly failed to support the Prime Minister's Chief Adviser during practice questions hours before the briefing.

Sources claim she was dropped from the briefing on June 1 and Mr Hancock was left to present the slides on coronavirus himself for the first time, alongside Professor John Newton from Public Health England.

Grant Shapps denied reports that the chief nursing officer for England has been unable to take part in the No 10 press briefings
Reuters

A senior NHS source told the news organisation: “JVT was the first to publicly push back on TV. Everyone is being asked to support the government positions prior to doing a press conference. If they don’t, they get dropped.

“First it was Dominic Cummings, then easing lockdown and now the R-rate and the two-metre rule.”

When approached for a comment No 10 said it strongly denied the claims that Ms May had been dropped over her views on Mr Cummings and added that health and scientific advisers would continue to take questions in the briefings.

Boris Johnson and senior ministers including Dominic Raab and Rishi Sunak defended Mr Cummings by saying his trip to Durham was "essential" to travel to ensure his child's welfare.

MPs on both sides of the political divide called for Mr Cummings’ resignation over the trip, including Scotland minister Douglas Ross who quit the Government over the issue.

The storm, and Boris Johnson’s decision not to sack him despite calls to do so from a string of Tory MPs, sent approval ratings for the Government and the Prime Minister plummeting.

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