PM under fire for ‘ignoring Sage advice on lockdowns’

BORIS Johnson is facing mounting criticism for dismissing scientific advice over coronavirus restrictions as Downing Street stressed that economic assessments of lockdowns were also key.

Official papers showed the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) suggested a short national lockdown was needed in England three weeks ago.

But the Prime Minister instead announced a new three-tier system governing the severity of local restrictions to come into force on Wednesday.

Labour branded the failure to act on the advice as “alarming”, saying measures need to go further, and a senior Tory said a “short, sharp, shock” would have been more effective.

The row came as No 10 warned regional leaders resisting entering the highest level of Mr Johnson’s restrictions that the Government has the power to “impose” the measures.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the three-tiered system was needed to prevent more severe restrictions and spiralling deaths as he opened the Commons debate yesterday.

“And in addition, then, harder economic measures would inevitably be needed to get it under control and needed for longer,” he said.

His Labour shadow, Jonathan Ashworth, accused the Prime Minister of having stopped “following the science” and said he feared harsher measures would be needed.

Mr Ashworth said Mr Johnson was “being advised to take action and has so far refused”, and added: “It’s the same virus, the same delays, the same country and the same Government making the same mistakes again.”

Senior Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin earlier said the local advice in his Harwich and North Essex constituency was that a “short, sharp, shock” would be the best way of tackling the pandemic.

The chairman of the Commons’ powerful Liaison Committee told Times Radio: “If we nipped it hard now, we would be well back to manageable levels before Christmas. If we leave it for another five or six weeks, then ... the tail of the bell curve goes well into January.”

Professor Andrew Hayward, who sits on Sage, said it was unsurprising that cases were rising with the stricter national measures having so far been ignored.

The UCL infectious diseases specialist told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think it is very disappointing that we had clear advice - we needed to take decisive action several weeks ago.

“And really since that time, all we’ve done is send students back, introduced the rule of six, advised people to work from home if possible but not really promoted that in any real way and closed the pubs an hour early.”

The Sage document, dated September 21, said a package of interventions was needed to reverse the “exponential” rise in cases.

The scientists set out interventions that should be considered for “immediate” introduction, including a short national “circuit-breaker” lockdown.

Nearly all university teaching moving online, banning household mixing and closure for all bars, restaurants, cafes and gyms were also suggested.

Downing Street issued a lengthy defence for not adopting the measures, saying the scientists agree that the economic impacts and harms of restrictions must also be considered.

Pressed whether Mr Johnson was no longer following the science, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Government receives advice from a wide range of scientific experts and also from economists but it’s ultimately for ministers to make decisions.”