The question is: was Cummings fit to drive?

There was no commensurate lockdown fuss when Boris relocated from Downing Street to Chequers for his post-Covid recuperation, or when the Queen relocated from London to Windsor, joined by Prince Philip from his Sandringham estate farmhouse.

Cummings’ drive to Durham was, allegedly, for his son’s welfare.

First reports indicated that Cummings had Covid-19 when driving north. Subsequent reports were circumspect: Mary Cummings had Covid-19 while his health was unclear.

Anyone with seasonal flu’ is about as fit to drive as someone who has consumed, say, a half-bottle of Scotch – so under no circumstances should they drive. Covid-19 is indisputably more serious than a typical flu infection.

So if Cummings was infected when driving north, then he was probably unfit to drive. Alternatively, if he was not ill, then he was presumably fit to drive, but had no indisputable need to drive north. Ill, or not, if he had been involved in a motorway accident then Cummings would have put significant numbers of emergency service personnel, plus tow-truckers, at potential risk ...plus adding stress on an overburdened NHS.

Nick Blitz,

Wilkinson Court,

Easingwold, York

Cummings has given a full explanation

I’m enjoying watching the anti-government media trying to make any reasonable arguments against their hated Dominic Cummings after he explained in full detail the actions he took. They are desperately throwing paper darts at a target made of rock solid truth.

Geoff Robb,

Hunters Close,

Dunnington

Taking the positives from Cummings’ drive north

There may well be some positives in how the Cummings family sojourn to the north has been explained.

Under normal circumstances the powerful tend to perform a perfunctory Anglo-Saxon interpretation of a Gallic shrug, accompanied by ‘Done nothing illegal guv, morals aren’t my forte’.

Let’s hope this new reliance on morality as a defence will ‘trickle drown’ onto those mere mortals trapped in the technical trip wires of the law; for example, the SS Windrush deportees, and the ex British serviceman who is currently facing a bill for in excess of £25,000 for surgery and treatment for NHS treatment for a brain tumour.

I hope, but I doubt.

Richard D Bowen,

Farrar Street, York

Is it a case of do as I say, not as I do?

I saw Mr Johnson on the TV news defending Mr Cummings travels during lockdown. As usual it is a case of don’t do as I do, do as I say.

Maureen Robinson,

Broadway, York

Family must always be your first priority

I consider myself fortunate in never having had to steal or beg to feed myself or my family. But I completely sympathise with Dominic Cummings and his actions in looking to secure a safe home for his four-year-old child if he and his wife were incapacitated because of the coronavirus.

The first priority is always your children and their safety. As such I fully support Mr Cummings.

DM Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street

Monkgate York