‘Language of lockdown’ blamed for increase in coronavirus cases

The language used by governments to tackle coronavirus could b e contributing to its spread, MPS have been told.

Social psychologist, Professor Stephen Reicher, of St Andrews University, said that it was a “mistake” and a “tragedy” to use the word “lockdown” when introducing restrictions, as it “sounds punitive – lockdown is something you do in a prison to people who’ve done something wrong” As a result, he said, there was “resistance” among sections of the public to what was being asked of them, hindering governments’ abilities to stop the spread of the virus.

Giving evidence at the AllParty Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus today, Prof Reicher also said a lack of “clarity and equity” around restrictions was adding to public resistance and that a shift by the UK Government to using language “blaming” the public was adding to people’s “alienation”.

“If I could wave my wand and do one thing, I would get rid of the language of lockdown and r e c o n c e p t u a l i s e this much more in terms of how do we support communities that are suffering, and if we did it that way you’d get much less resistance and p olitical shenanigans that are going on at the moment,” he said.

“"People will suffer for a cause, they won’t suffer for no reason at all. If you continue with restrictions that have not been particularly effective, people will wonder what is the point of making sacrifices to no good effect. If people felt there were restrictions which achieved something they would go along with them.”

But he added: "We’re beginning to see a situation where the government is blaming people, and if you blame them, then you alienate them. You make others feel complacent, that ‘it’s nothing to do with them’, and you divide people.”

Referring to Police Scotland statistics, which showed they had been called to 430 house gatherings, he added: “Less t h a n 2 p e r c e n t h a d m o r e than 15 people, the mythical house par t y; the vast majorit y were people slightly bending the rules, having one or t wo more people round, and when police knocked on the do or, they said ‘why are you knocking our door? we’re not having a par t y’.

"S o they didn’t think it was s e l f- r e l e v a n t . B u t i t ' s t h e s e s ma l l v i o l a t i o n s t h a t c a u s e the problems.”