"Lockdowns don't work": Brexit Party chair on rebranding to be anti-lockdown voice

2 November 2020, 10:39

Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice explains why the party are rebranding as an anti-lockdown voice, insisting "they don't work" and instead we must "live with the virus."

The Brexit Party has applied to change its name to Reform UK in a bid to represent the anti-lockdown movement.

Richard Tice told Nick that there is "so much" that needs to be improved in the way the Government has handled the pandemic, with another lockdown set to "decimate what's left of the economy."

Read more: England lockdown 2: There is 'no alternative', declares Boris Johnson

"All the evidence around the world show that lockdowns don't work," Mr Tice said.

He suggested instead Westminster adopts the approach of the Great Barrington declaration which recommends "that we have a much better, higher quality, focused protection of the vulnerable...so that the rest of us, with sensible hygiene measures, can get on with our lives."

Mr Tice said that society must "learn to live with it" instead of "hiding behind the sofa" in fear of coronavirus.

"Everyday in the UK, 1,600 people die a day of a variety of illnesses or just through old age," Mr Tice said, "the reality at the moment, there are no excess deaths. What's happening is that Covid-related deaths on death certificates are replacing flu and pneumonia deaths by and large where those numbers are well below the five year average, and we have to put those numbers in context."

Nick countered, "Are you saying that presented with information that we understand Boris Johnson was going to have to use ice rinks to contain the number of dead bodies, you'd continue to keep the country open?"

The Brexit Party chair said SAGE's sole responsibility is to advise the PM on how to reduce the Covid virus, "they don't look at the whole balanced economy."

"The danger is that more non-Covid patients will suffer and lose thousands more life years because they're not cancer, lung or cardiac issues diagnosed and treated early enough," Mr Tice said.

The Brexit party gained 2% of the vote in the 2019 general election and none of the 275 candidates it stood won a seat.

In a statement on Sunday announcing the plans to rebrand the party, leader Nigel Farage said: “As promised, we continue to keep a very close eye on the government’s trade negotiations with the EU, to ensure a proper Brexit. Further reform in many other areas is also vital for our nations’ future.”