Boris likened to Trump after gagging aides in adviser row
BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday gagged his medical experts to prevent them revealing whether they believe Dominic Cummings’s lockdown breach damaged the fight against coronavirus.
Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance – in their first appearance since the controversy broke – were expected to give their opinions on the likely damage to public health guidelines.
But Mr Johnson stopped them answering questions, claiming: “It is very important that our advisers are protected from being dragged into political controversy.”
The verdict has reignited the furore over Mr Johnson’s chief aide – even as he told the daily briefing that he would now “draw a line under the matter”.
The chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser were asked whether they believed Mr Cummings had set a good “example” to the public, in driving across the country to Durham when Covid-19 infection was suspected.
A later question asked whether the pair would “advise a 60-mile [95km] trip to test your eyesight” – the defence given by the aide for his trip to the beauty spot.
Tim Farron, the former Liberal Democrat leader, was among those to express his disbelief, tweeting: “Blimey! Gagging the experts in the midst of a pandemic! What has Britain done to deserve such incompetent and mendacious leadership just when it needed the opposite?”
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, accused him of “Trumpesque behaviour”, including stopping follow-up questions from journalists.
Durham Police have fined at least two people who travelled to the county from London.
Mr Cummings, the chief adviser to Downing Street, was not reprimanded for making the same journey when his wife had Covid-19 symptoms.
They took their young son to stay on his parents’ farm days after the start of the UK lockdown, where Mr Cummings claimed it was easier to self-isolate and seek childcare.
However, both experts yesterday appeared to be relieved not to be put on the spot, prompting suggestions they had only agreed to appear if they were shielded.
Mr Johnson, meanwhile, denied the public would reject his coronavirus restrictions because of his aide’s behaviour.
“No, I don’t think that people will respond differently, I think people will listen very carefully to what the messages are,” he insisted.
When Professor Whitty and Mr Vallance were asked to give their views, the prime minister stepped in and said: “I know that you’ve asked Chris and Patrick but I’m going to interpose myself if I may and protect them from what I think would be an unfair and unnecessary attempt to ask any political questions.”