CABINET Minister Robert Jenrick has come under fire for travelling to visit his parents at the weekend, despite urging the public to stay at home during the lockdown.

The Guardian reported that the housing, communities and local government secretary went to see his parents at their Shropshire home, 40 miles by road from his own.

A witness has told the Guardian they saw Jenrick, 38, visiting the property at the weekend. A source close to the cabinet minister admitted that he had made the journey during lockdown conditions, but defended the trip by saying he dropped off food and medication, and did not enter the house.

It was reported that the local community has been supporting Jenrick’s parents by delivering groceries in the past few weeks, which the source did not deny. Jenrick had also collected and delivered medication for his parents, the source said.

It comes after Jenrick's article for the Mail on Sunday where he wrote that local communities should help their neighbours instead of relatives travelling. “While we create physical distance between ourselves, we must at the same time have closer social support for our neighbour,” he wrote.

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