TWO Tory MSPs have called for Dominic Cummings to resign as chief adviser to the Prime Minister after he made a 260-mile trip from London to Durham during the coronavirus lockdown.

Jamie Greene and Maurice Golden, who both represent East Renfrewshire as part of their West of Scotland remit, insist Boris Johnson’s top aide is creating a major distraction for governments trying to respond to the pandemic.

Mr Cummings claimed he had made the journey to a cottage at his parents’ farm because he was concerned about who would look after his four-year-old son after his wife began showing symptoms of Covid-19.

Mr Greene admitted Mr Cummings’ position was becoming untenable and the debate surrounding it is threatening to undermine the public health message.

“Wanting to do right by your family is one of the most natural instincts we share but we also have to do what’s best for our communities,” he said.

“Despite pressure, I will refrain from passing moral judgement on decisions Mr Cummings took as a father, husband or human. We’ve all done what we think is best in these extraordinarily unusual times.

“Nonetheless, in governance, it is the message – and, more importantly, its perception – which matters most.

“The volume of correspondence many of us have received in recent days makes it abundantly clear what the public mood is. The anger is palpable.

“Trust between people and their governments is vital during a deadly pandemic and this cannot be diluted in any way.

“With regards to Mr Cummings’ position, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see how any outcome, other than a reconsideration of his position, will allow the narrative to move on from this unnecessary distraction.”

Mr Golden added: “Dominic Cummings must now be seriously considering his position, as he has clearly become too much of a distraction on tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

“Downing Street and the Prime Minister are aware of the views from the Scottish Conservatives on the matter of his most senior adviser and the ongoing stories in relation to him.”

Neither politician, however, was forthcoming when asked whether they thought the Prime Minister should sack his adviser.

Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw admitted the saga was proving to be a “huge distraction” and said he would be considering his position if he had acted in the same way as Mr Cummings.

However, in a statement delivered at Downing Street earlier this week, Mr Cummings said he did not regret making the trip north and believed he had acted within the law.

The day after taking his family to his parents’ farm, he developed Covid-19 symptoms himself and has been criticised for making another trip from Durham to Barnard Castle on April 12.