Government Minister plays down idea of circuit breaker lockdown
14 October 2020, 08:13 | Updated: 14 October 2020, 08:20
A Government Minister has played down the idea of a circuit breaker lockdown and urged people to give the new three-tier system time to work.
Sir Keir Starmer has called for a two to three-week national lockdown, accusing the Prime Minister of "no longer following the scientific advice".
The Labour leader's intervention came after it emerged Boris Johnson dismissed a recommendation for the measure from Government scientists three weeks ago.
But speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari, Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey dismissed the idea of a second national lockdown.
She told LBC that Parliament had only just voted in the new national three-tier system which brings in "stronger local measures, where they are needed."
The Minister said in some areas where there had been local lockdowns they had not "made any difference."
"I don't think it's the right approach," she told LBC, adding the country needs to "allow this chance for the localised interventions really have an effect."
