'Government deliberately changed Covid guidance without an announcement to cover their back'

25 May 2021, 15:32

'PM deliberately changed Covid rules Friday to cover his back'

By Sam Sholli

The Government deliberately issued new official Covid advice in eight parts of England without making an official announcement in an attempt to "cover their back", this James O'Brien caller has told LBC.

Guidance changed on the Gov.uk website last week which told people to avoid travelling into and out of eight areas, which include Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and North Tyneside, amid concern over the Indian Covid variant.

Referring to the Government updating the guidance on its website on Friday, Sean in Dublin told James: "It's deliberate timing to put that out [when] people are going home. Nobody is following up on stuff like that."

Sean added: "The timing is so important. Why would you put [the updated guidance] out at time on a Friday evening?"

Ethan Davies on finding new Covid guidance for 8 UK areas

He then went on to accuse the Government of updating the guidance in such a way because "they're worrying about a fourth wave" and are "covering their backs".

LBC's Nick Ferrari confronted work and pensions secretary Thérèse Coffey over the clarity of the Government's Covid guidance, and she insisted the message was "really clear."

Bedford caller: Covid rule change is 'straight out of PM's playbook'

She continued: "We've been in constant contact with councils, local communities, this is about formalising the guidance on the website."

However, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has publicly refuted this claim and said Government's decision to "slip out" the advice is "frankly not good enough."