Piers Morgan has “banned all cabinet ministers” from appearing on his show, Good Morning Britain (GMB), following news that Dominic Cummings, a senior adviser to Boris Johnson, allegedly breached the government’s coronavirus lockdown rules.
Making the announcement via Twitter, Mr Morgan - well renowned for stirring controversy - said that, “due to today’s developments, I am regretfully forced to ban all cabinet ministers from appearing on Good Morning Britain.”
“Only exceptions will be those who didn’t publicly support Cummings breaching lockdown,” the TV personality added.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Morgan has been a staunch critic of the government’s response, describing it as a “shambles.”
In light of today’s developments, I am regretfully forced to ban all cabinet ministers from appearing on @GMB until further notice. Only exceptions will be those who didn’t publicly support Cummings breaching a lockdown that the Govt forced on the rest of us ‘to save lives’. pic.twitter.com/42NK5cGRiM
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 23, 2020
Remember their names... how the ministers supported or didn’t support lying Cummings today... 👇
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 23, 2020
(Via @BlackIslePMD) pic.twitter.com/pCiqYVdpJj
Yet, the news follows hot on the heels of the government's own call for its ministers to boycott GMB over Morgan's aggressive interviewing style.
BREAKING: Suspended TV show host, bans all Govt ministers who are currently boycotting his show from voluntarily appearing on his show 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. The queue for therapy gets longer every minute 😜😜
— 350g (@hickeyatwork) May 23, 2020
As if they would ever have come even if you asked them.
— Helen Hims (@helenhims) May 24, 2020
This situation has finally sent you mad. 🥴
Dominic Cummings has come under heavy fire this weekend over accusations that he abandoned lockdown on two occasions to drive 260 miles from London to visit his parents in the northeastern English county of Durham. It is widely reported that Cummings made the first trip at a time when he believed he had been infected with COVID-19.
Despite apparent anger at Mr Cummings’ behaviour among Brits, a number of government ministers came out to defend him before his second breaching of the lockdown was revealed by The Mirror and The Observer.
The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has said accusations that Mr Cummings “travelled backwards and forwards” are “completely untrue,” and that since returning to London from his first trip on April 14, he has stayed in the capital.
“I certainly know that the first one you mention, of travelling back up (to Durham), I know that is not true,” Mr Shapps told Sky News’ Sophie Ridge on Sunday, adding that Cummings is a “stickler for the rules.”
Mr Shapps said that Cummings was “trying to do his best” for his four-year-old son who was “in danger of having both his parents fall ill,” and therefore Mr Cummings took, “perfectly sensible and rational steps.”
Despite reportedly pledging his “full support” to Mr Cummings, and refusing to throw him “to the dogs,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson is coming under increasing pressure from his cabinet to fire the senior adviser.
Prominent pro-Brexit Conservative MP Steve Baker has said that Cummings must resign.
“Dominic Cummings must go before he does any more harm to the UK, the government, the prime minister, our institutions or the Conservative party,” Baker wrote on The Critic website.
