Dominic Cummings: Anger at MPs ‘not surprising’ says Prime Minister’s adviser
Boris Johnson’s special adviser has said that the abuse directed at MPs over Brexit is “not surprising”.
Dominic Cummings, the former Vote Leave campaign director, said the threats and anger would stop if MPs were to “respect” the referendum result.
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Speaking for the first time since the prorogation of parliament was overturned by the Supreme Court earlier this week, he defended the language used by Boris Johnson and laughed off suggestions they were under “enormous pressure” to get a Brexit deal.
He said it was a “walk in the park” compared to the referendum and that MPs had spent three years “swerving all over the shop” since Vote Leave’s successful campaign, so it was “not surprising some people are angry about it”.
Cummings did condemn the “serious threats” against MPs, saying he knew both Remain and Leave MPs that had been targeted and that “it is obviously bad”.
“The MPs said we will have a referendum, we will respect the result and then they spent three years swerving all over the shop,” he said.
“It is not surprising some people are angry about it.
“I find it very odd that these characters are complaining that people are unhappy about their behaviour now and they also say they want a referendum. How does that compute for them?
“If you are a bunch of politicians and say that we swear we are going to respect the result of a democratic vote, and then after you lose you say, we don’t want to respect that vote, what do you expect to happen?”
When asked if he was saying that MPs are at fault for the abuse they are getting, Cummings said: “That’s the way you’re putting it. I am using my language.”
He also added: “A lot of people in Parliament are more out of touch with the country now, than they were in summer 2016.”
Cummings dismissed that he and Johnson were under pressure, saying they are “enjoying” the stress of Brexit negotiations.
He said: “We are not under pressure, the referendum was pressure. The referendum was difficult. This is a walk in the park compared to the referendum.
“We are enjoying this, we are going to leave and we are going to win.”
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However, Cummings has denied making such remarks. When questioned leaving his London home on Friday morning, Cummings said: “Who said it would be a walk in the park?”
After being told it was him, he simply replied: “No.”