OXFORDSHIRE MP John Howell has said he would not act as 'judge, jury and executioner' over the actions of the Prime Minister's chief aide.

In an email responding to an angry constituent the Conservative who represents Henley said about Dominic Cummings: "I can understand that this issue is causing concern. A number of questions arise from the stories in the Guardian and the Daily Mirror. However, I personally do not know the full details of Mr Cummings visit to a location near his child’s grandparents and I am not going to play the role of judge, jury and executioner that many in the press and on social media want me to play. I am certainly not going to do this until I am aware of all the facts."

Mr Cummings set out his reasoning at a press conference this afternoon.

He said: "The regulations describe various exceptional circumstances where it may not be possible to follow the rules. It doesn't say 'you should stay at home in all circumstances'. It says there are some circumstances in which you won't be able to follow those rules. And it seemed to me that I was in such exceptional circumstances."

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Responding to Mr Cumming's statement, Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran, a Lib Dem, tweeted: "People have died. Important questions need answering. PPE. Testing. Care home deaths. This Cummings debacle means another day where a man was played and not the ball."

She urged the Prime Minister to 'get a grip' and sack his chief advisor 'then focus, and do your job'.

Conservative MP Robert Courts for Witney, however, tweeted it was a 'full, frank, clear and honest from a father trying to do what he thought was right' and said people should 'move on'.

Labour's Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds previously said at this 'time of crisis' the government needed to provide clarity which Mr Cummings 'undermined'.