Boris Johnson is spending England’s so-called ‘freedom day‘ at Chequers following an embarrassing U-turn on moves designed to swerve quarantine rules.
Mr Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak – who were both “pinged” by NHS Test and Trace after coming into contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid – initially tried to get around the requirement to self-isolate by saying they would join a daily workplace testing programme being trialled by the Cabinet Office and Number 10.
However, they were forced into a hasty reversal on Sunday amid widespread public anger at their “special treatment” while tens of thousands of people were being forced to miss work or school and stay home.
Here he is trying to make up for his awful decision yesterday:
This morning vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi admitted the government “don’t get every decision right” and said the prime minister had to rethink his initial decision.
Asked on ITV’s Good Morning Britain whether an error had been made in announcing that the Cabinet ministers would take part in the pilot, Mr Zahawi said:
“Of course, and as soon as the prime minister realised that this would be wrong, he came out very clearly and said ‘We will self-isolate, that’s the right thing to do’.”
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the PM had “done the right thing” by self-isolating and denied that it had been “damaging” for the Downing Street incumbent to have considered taking part in the testing scheme, which is not widely available to the public.
However, many people saw the video and made their own minds up about Johnson’s conduct yesterday, and these are the finest comments.
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And this is a VERY good point
Related: Nadhim Zahawi stumped as expert warns UK is ‘creating a more dangerous virus’ by opening up
