Cabinet Minister Robert Jenrick travels 40 miles to visit his parents

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Xabinet minister Robert Jenrick is facing questions after travelling to visit his parents at the weekend, despite repeatedly urging the public to stay at home during the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus. The Housing Minister travelled to see his parents at their Shropshire home, 40 miles by road from his own.

In an article for the Mail on Sunday just over two weeks ago, Jenrick argued that rather than relatives travelling, local communities should help out. “While we create physical distance between ourselves, we must at the same time have closer social support for our neighbour,” he wrote. The Guardian understands that the local community has been supporting Jenrick’s parents by delivering groceries in recent weeks.

The visit came after Jenrick appealed for people not to visit their family on Mother’s Day. “The advice today is very clear, we need to stay at home all bar the most essential activities, and by doing that we’ll protect the NHS and help to save lives,” he told Sky News on 22 March. “I know it’s Mother’s Day and I know it’s tough and it goes against everything that we want to do as a family but don’t go and see your mum. Give her a phone call, Skype her, FaceTime her, tell her that you love her and that we’re going to get through this together.”

I’ll reserve judgement until we know the reason.

I visited my parents on Tuesday. They had no food, no not treats, no milk, no butter, no bread. Their neighbour who had been shopping had to self isolate, my mum was too worried to tell me and then broke down on phone.

Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.

I have a 98 year old parent with dementia still living in their own home. I visit 3 times per week, they would starve if I didn’t go. Sometimes it is unavoidable.

My friend has just had to start visiting his parents who live 30 miles away to deliver their groceries as their volunteer has had to self isolate, so I'll reserve judgement on this chap.

Visiting or caring? If my mother has to isolate, she's 83 and not in a vulnerable group, then I'll put two weeks of food in her porch, have a chat through the sitting room window from 6 feet and then drive the 90 odd miles home again.

Meh. He says he was taking food and medicine to his parents and left it outside the door. Non issue and non story

He is allowed as he was taking food and medicine.

DH goes to see his parents 25 miles away each weekend. They are in their 80s and his dad cares for his mum who has Alzheimer's. He goes and chats to his dad through the window for half an hour, takes a flask of tea and drinks it outside while his dad drinks his inside, he thinks his dad would crack mentally without seeing someone in person and he's probably right tbh.
So until I know more about this guy's motivation I'm reserving judgement.

taking food and medicine to his parents and left it outside the door

absolutely reasonable & permitted - I've been doing that for my parents, drop off the stuff & wave through the window. They are under 70 but dad has cardiomyopathy, I don't want them out anywhere - they've been completely isolated for weeks now. I live closer than 40 miles but still a 20 minute car journey, no bloody way will I be stopping.

Another one who is reserving judgment. I initially had to take food to my parents before local companies started to organise deliveries. It was a choice between that, telling them go to the shops on their own, or letting them starve.

twitter.com/RobertJenrick/status/1248341191738998787

"For clarity - my parents asked me to deliver some essentials - including medicines.

They are both self-isolating due to age and my father's medical condition and I respected social distancing rules."

I don't care, and he didn't break any rules anyway.

I don't think an 80 mile round trip is in the spirit of the rules. What would the roads be like if we all decided to make an 80mile trip this weekend?

Since their neighbours have confirmed that they were already receiving support from a community group, it sounds unlikely that they were in desperate need, or could not access help.

It sounds like he wanted to visit and was clever enough to take a packet of paracetamol as justification.

I think the rules about non-essential travel are clear and he is on the very edge of them, when he should be squeaky clean and modelling exemplary behaviour.

He is the same MP who moved his family to their second home after telling everyone else not to do that.

His website says he divides his time between London (main family home, wife works in London and his children go to school there) and a rented property in his constituency near Nottingham. No mention of the Herefordshire mansion they all decamped to on 29th March.

No mention of the Herefordshire mansion they all decamped to on 29th March.

I thought the papers said his wife and children were already there - some members of my family work in London/Canary Wharf - they have been working from home since the end of February.

His father appears to be at least 80.

Yes, his family arrived there several days before he did.

They all live, work and attend school in London.

@Lumene Well this bloke was doing the same......

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8210029/Police-threaten-man-pepper-spray-arrest-running-errands-mother.html