The Labour party has said Hertsmere MP Oliver Dowden has been “defending the indefensible” regarding Dominic Cummings.

Many officials have been calling for senior government adviser Dominic Cummings to resign after reports of him breaking lockdown rules, but the Hertsmere Labour Party are also directing their criticisms to Mr Dowden.

Mr Cummings travelled to County Durham in March to self-isolate with his family while official guidelines warned against long-distance journeys, apparently because he feared that he and his wife would be left unable to care for their son. Further reports also suggested he took a second trip to the North East in April.

The Hertsmere MP defended Mr Cummings shortly after the reports were published, claiming that the senior adviser had followed guidelines.

Mr Dowden tweeted: “Dom Cummings followed the guidelines and looked after his family. End of story.”

But Hertsmere Labour chair, Ann Harrison, said: “Oliver Dowden is defending the indefensible.”

She added: “At the end of March the rules stated that if you or someone in your house has signs of coronavirus you should stay at home.

“Dominic Cummings broke this rule. What part of this does Oliver Dowden understand?”

Hertsmere councillor Chris Myres responded on Twitter saying:”No Oliver, no he absolutely didn’t and you know it.

“We don’t see eye-to-eye on very much, but I at least thought you were more honest than this.

“You should distance yourself from these lies, the Hertsmere residents we both represent deserve better.”

When asked about Mr Cummings, Gagan Mohindra, the South West Hertfordshire MP, thanked his constituents for sticking to social distancing.

Mr Mohindra said: "Since the Government introduced guidelines on social distancing and self-isolation in mid-March, the residents of South West Hertfordshire have tried as best as they can to behave responsibly and I thank them for their efforts.

"Due to the unprecedented nature of the crisis, room was left for interpretation of the guidelines deliberately so that individual, unforeseen circumstances could be accounted for. I have been incredibly impressed with the sacrifices many people have made.

"Our rates of volunteering and the community spirit shown have also been inspirational. I would like to thank everyone again who has followed, and continues to follow, our government's advice." 

The Prime Minister defended Mr Cummings yesterday in the daily press briefing, saying he had “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity”.

The Prime Minister added “any parent would frankly understand what he did”.

After the briefing, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted Mr Johnson had failed a test of leadership, saying his decision to take no action against Mr Cummings was "an insult to sacrifices made by the British people".