Fareham MP Suella Braverman defends herself against ‘absurd’ claim her tweet backing Dominic Cummings undermined the law

Mrs Braverman faced shadow solicitor general Ellie Reeves in parliament yesterday, who said the attorney general had undermined the rule of law with a tweet supporting the prime minister’s beleaguered aide, Dominic Cummings.

It follows Mr Cummings coming under fire for a 270-mile journey to his family’s estate in Durham during the start of the nationwide lockdown, with Mrs Braverman being one of several ministers to defend him online.

She tweeted: ‘Protecting one’s family is what any good parent does. The @10DowningStreet statement clarifies the situation and it is wholly inappropriate to politicise it.’

But yesterday Ms Reeves accused the Fareham MP – who became attorney general in February – of undermining the rule of law.

She said: ‘Can the attorney general confirm that in assault cases, as in all other Covid-related offences, the law should apply equally to all, and as superintendent of the CPS, by tweeting her support for Dominic Cummings she undermined the impartiality of her role and the rule of law?’

It was ‘simply absurd’ to suggest the tweet amounted to a public legal view on the matter, according to Mrs Braverman.

She replied: ‘It's plain for any reasonable observer to see that there was no question whatsoever of me having provided any public legal view on the matter to which she refers.

‘To suggest that was somehow a legal opinion is simply absurd.

‘She should know I have no role whatsoever to play in the day-to-day decisions of individual cases.

‘I respect and have full confidence in the operational independence of the CPS and the police and I'd gently encourage her to share my support and share my confidence in them.’

Last month, Durham police issued a statement saying Dominic Cummings ‘might’ have committed a minor breach of the lockdown regulations when he drove his family to Barnard Castle while isolating in Durham.

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