People aren't listening to unreliable and vengeful Cummings, say MPs
Tory MPs in the Black Country have hit out at Dominic Cummings, describing the Prime Minister's former advisor as a man with a vendetta who was "very much intent on revenge".
Mr Cummings, who was sacked by the PM last December, told a committee of MPs that Government failings had led to thousands of extra Covid deaths.
But his testimony, delivered over seven hours on Wednesday, has been dismissed by Black Country MPs.
They insisted Mr Cummings was not a reliable source and that the Government's handling of the pandemic will be properly examined in a public inquiry, which is due to take place early in 2022.
Stuart Anderson, Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West, said his mailbox had "filled up" with emails from furious constituents after Mr Cummings had breached lockdown rules by driving to Barnard Castle last year.
"It's not filling up this time," he said. "I think people have moved on and they are not interested in what he's got to say. Most people see it for what it is, which is a vendetta.
"No Government has had to deal with this before, and people can see that some things we got wrong, some things we got right.
"Ultimately we had to learn as we went and we are coming out of this stronger than most countries."
Mr Anderson rejected calls for the public inquiry into the Government's handling of the crisis to be brought forward.
"We are still not out of the woods by any means," he said. "To allocate resources into that would be wrong at this time."
Dudley South MP Mike Wood said that most people believed the Government had responded "as well as anyone could" when the pandemic hit "given the circumstances".
He said: "The advice coming through evolved during March. If decisions could have been made earlier, we are talking a few days earlier, not weeks, and I think the public inquiry will back that up.
"All of this will be looked at properly. The way to do it is through a full inquiry once this is all over, rather than a barrage from a disgruntled former advisor who has a very high opinion of himself.
He added that Mr Cummings was "very much intent on revenge" against people who "he doesn't think are as good as he is".
Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb said: "This Government has been committed to saving lives and livelihoods all the way through the pandemic.
"Decisions have had to be made at pace in what has been the most challenging emergency this country has faced since the Second World War.
"A vital part of that response has been the development and distribution of vaccines and the UK is a world leader. The adult entire population is on course to have received a first dose this summer with those 30 and over now able to book a jab.
"This is the sort of work that will allow the UK to beat the pandemic and get back to normal. This is what people in Stourbridge are interested in, not unsubstantiated allegations from a former advisor with an axe to grind."
