Second lockdown is "a disaster," says senior Tory Sir Desmond Swayne
3 November 2020, 09:29 | Updated: 3 November 2020, 09:32
Second lockdown is "a disaster," says senior Tory Sir Desmond Swayne
The second lockdown will be a "disaster for the economy with a consequence worse than the disease itself", senior Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne told LBC.
Senior Tory Sir Desmond Swayne is among a group of rebel MPs against the second national lockdown, which will begin on Thursday and last for four weeks until 2 December.
He told Nick that while he is unsure how many party members oppose Boris Johnson's latest move, they will "make a fist of it" with an aim to "win the argument."
"The Prime Minister was right first time, [a second lockdown] is a disaster," Sir Desmond said, "as for the notion there should be an economist on SAGE, the reality is if you ask a scientist how do you stop a virus that spreads by human contact, their answer will be stop human contact.
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"It's for politicians to say well actually, the consequence of them stopping human contact is a disaster for the economy with a consequence that is worse than the disease itself."
Nick asked why Boris Johnson has announced a lockdown if Sir Desmond's words are true.
"I think when you have this overpowering presentation of figures and doom and gloom, and you're the Prime Minister and you're going to be responsible for the hospitals being overwhelmed and people dying in corridors, and ambulances outside, I think that presentation of that scientific establishment is probably overpowering," Sir Desmond said.
He posited that the PM should look to the "eminent" body of scientists who claim the SAGE committee have got their projections wrong.
