Plan to expand shielding to over-50s prompts fury

MINISTERS faced a backlash last night over plans to extend the Government’s shielding programme to some over-50s this winter.

Tory MPS, business leaders and the wife of a Cabinet minister warned that telling over-50s to stay at home risked damaging the economy and was contrary to Boris Johnson’s plea to get workers back to the office.

Among the critics of the plan was Sarah Vine, the wife Michael Gove, one of Mr Johnson’s Cabinet colleagues.

The Prime Minister is expected to reintroduce shielding for those most at risk from coronavirus as long as the danger of a second wave remains, and to expand the list of people advised to take self-protection measures once the cold weather arrives. Anyone aged over 50 who is obese, overweight or in ill health is likely to receive an individually tailored letter in the autumn warning them they are at increased risk and advising them of steps to take to protect themselves.

In the most serious cases this will include advice to stay at home. However, under a grading system of measures, those with less serious risks could be told to reduce social contact, shop during “shielding hours” or avoid public transport.

Lists of those at risk will be based on medical records held by the NHS.

Mr Johnson could be drawn into the net, as he is in his mid-50s and has admitted to being overweight. The fact that he has survived coronavirus would not necessarily count in his favour, as evidence of immunity after infection remains uncertain. Ministers proposing the scheme say it will apply to far more people than the 2.2million who were told to shield from March onwards, but it would be more “sophisticated” and tailored to individual circumstances. People in their 70s, for instance, may be told to carry on as normal if they are in good health, while even those in the existing shielding category will be allowed more freedom if their health conditions are less serious.

Ms Vine, who is also a newspaper columnist said of the plan: “We are the backbone of the nation, economically and socially. We look after the elderly and the young.

“We pay the most taxes. Lock us up and everything grinds to a halt. You can’t eliminate all risk. Not if we want to still have a country at the end of this ….

“We are all going to die sooner or later. I don’t expect the country to

‘You can’t eliminate all risk. Not if we want to still have a country at the end of this’

destroy itself to save my sorry a--.” Dame Helena Morrissey, the businesswoman who was nominated for a peerage by Mr Johnson last week, replied to Ms Vine on Twitter: “This is becoming insane, Sarah. I can’t believe what is happening. Real life is not ‘following the science’ and the science is actually a lot more nuanced and uncertain than the official approach/pr. Imagine allowing people to take actual responsibility (all of it) themselves!”

Matt Kilcoyne, deputy director of the Adam Smith Institute think tank, said: “The Government’s messaging on this is muddled and they risk creating the worst of both possible worlds.

“For middle-aged and nearing-retirement individuals, they’ve built their experiences through the recession, the busts and booms, the dotcom bubble, Thatcher and the Seventies of stagnation.

“These are people who have seen it all, who have as much experience of their company and much more experience than any politician will have experience running the country. Their experience should not be forsaken just because of their age.”

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-brown, treasurer of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said: “You’ve got some of the most experienced part of the workforce, who tend to be in the more senior positions and therefore running businesses and organisations.

“We’ve found that some people can work reasonably at home, but others have got a need to be at work.

“For some companies it would look very difficult. If you’re a manufacturing type company you want people on the ground seeing what’s going on, which is not the sort of thing you can do from home.”

Yesterday, civic leaders in Manchester declared a major incident after coronavirus infection rates continued to climb despite it being placed in partial lockdown. It means the area can access extra national resources if needed.