Michael Gove on LBC with Nick Ferrari: watch again

1 December 2020, 08:49 | Updated: 1 December 2020, 08:55

Minister Michael Gove with Nick Ferrari | watch LIVE

Cabinet Minister Michael Gove came on LBC to be questioned by Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on Brexit, the Government's tougher tier proposals - and whether a Scotch egg constitutes as a substantial meal in a pub.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove has told Nick he does not support plans that could see restaurants, bars and cinemas turning customers away if they have not had a Covid jab.

"The most important thing we need to concentrate on is just rolling the vaccine out, making sure it's available to as many people as possible" he said.

The minister also joked on LBC that he might enjoy a couple of Scotch eggs 'with pickle on the side' as a starter amid ongoing confusion over what constitutes a substantial meal in pubs.

The Cabinet Office minister said there was a "well-understood definition of what a substantial meal is" - despite environment secretary George Eustice telling LBC yesterday that a Scotch egg was in fact a substantial meal.

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Separately the Prime Minister is braced for a damaging Tory rebellion as MPs vote on a new toughened system of tiered coronavirus controls for England.

The Government is expected to win Tuesday's Commons vote on the new rules - which are due to come into effect the following day - after Labour said it would abstain.

Sir Keir Starmer - who has previously backed Government measures - said while his party had "serious misgivings" it would not be in the national interest to vote them down when the virus still posed a "serious risk".

However, with scores of Conservative MPs deeply unhappy at the extent of the restrictions, the vote is likely to throw Tory divisions into sharp relief.

Nick Ferrari pushed Mr Gove on this discontent after Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith told LBC the justification for the new tier system was just a "cut and paste" of the financial statement last week.