The Government has urged that the British public should not yet be seeking an exit strategy to end the nations lockdown, however some senior MP’s have urged the government to stop treating the British public “like children” by refusing to openly discuss lockdown exit strategies.
Several Conservative backbenchers and former ministers have argued that “strategic clarity” must be now be made public on how the United Kingdom may ease its coronavirus lockdown and get back to business.
Among the group of concerned was former Brexit secretary David Davis, he pointed out strategies taken by other countries to communicate with the citizens and eventually relax the lockdown measures.
He said: “Other countries have been very open about what they’ve done.
“There’s really no reason, there’s no argument for not debating and discussing with all the facts available.”
Mr Davis argued that the public understands different phases come with ending the lockdown, he continued saying there were “lots and lots” of benefits to openly discussing an exit strategy and that the government’s argument to avoid confusing the message was “just wrong”.
“It underestimates the public,” he said, adding: “The public understands that there are phases to this.”
In other related news, former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told The Times the government needs to “accept and admit we are coming out of lockdown” and stop treating people “like children”.
He said: “We need to trust the British people and not treat them like children. We must respect their common sense.
“They need to know that the sun is rising at some point, in an economic sense.”
HM’s Government has come under increasing pressure from not only opposition parties but also from MPs within their own ranks to reveal an exit strategy. however, the government has instead pointed to the five changes it would need to see happen before it could even begin considering a lift to the lockdown.
These changes include a decrease in the daily number of deaths and new infections, confidence the NHS can cope and that any adjustments would not lead to a second peak, and the implementation of enough testing to meet demand.
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defence Select Committee, suggested that a timeless “general road map” would be “well-received” by the British public and could be of help to keep “the hearts and minds and support in place”.
He said: “You want people rallying behind government, working with government, not acting against it.
“The best way to do that is to ensure that they are as best informed as to what’s coming around the corner, and therefore fewer surprises, or guessing what might happen next, or speculating, which can be more dangerous.”
When asked if Mr Johnson’s absence could have affected the willingness to talk about an exit plan, he said it had been “a real setback” and that there would be “a step-change in communication” when he fully returns to work.
Mr Ellwood added: “What we need is strategic clarity as to what happens next, and that’s what I’m calling for.
“My concern has been that there has been a clarion call for an exit strategy when the government must make clear there is no exit from this until a vaccine is procured and delivered to a sizeable proportion of the population, therefore the longevity of this needs to be managed.
“Letting the nation know what is coming round the corner helps keep minds focused and people on board.
“So I fully understand the concern of diluting that central message during the lockdown, but I see three phases to this.”
According to Mr Ellwood, the three phases could consist of a continuation of the lockdown; a post-lockdown and pre-vaccine period where measures are gradually eased; and a vaccine rollout.
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Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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