Coronavirus: Keir Starmer accuses Boris Johnson of ‘ignoring medical advice’ over Christmas plans

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of “ignoring medical advice” after the prime minister confirmed that the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions will go ahead at Christmas.

But the prime minister retorted that the Labour leader wanted to “cancel Christmas”.

Mr Johnson announced that he had agreed with leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to go ahead with a UK-wide five-day period of eased controls between 23-27 December, during which up to three households will be allowed to meet.

And he told MPs at prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons that he did not want to “criminalise people’s long-made plans” for the festive season, but urged people to “exercise a high degree of personal responsibility”.

But Starmer responded: “Here we go again, Mr Speaker, ignoring the medical advice.

“And we know we know where that leads because we've seen what happened in the last nine months . Whatever the Prime Minister says there's no escaping  that Britain has one of the highest number of Covid deaths in Europe and the worst economic damage.”

The Labour leader cited warnings in a joint editorial by the British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal that the proposed Christmas amnesty was “rash” and that the government “is about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives”.

“The prime minister should listen to that advice, not just ignore it as usual,” said Sir Keir.

“And if he really is going to press ahead with this, could he tell us what is the assessment - has it been done - of the impact that it will have on infection rates and increased pressure on the NHS?”

The prime minister accused the Labour leader of wanting to “cancel Christmas”. 

“I wish he had the guts just to say what he really wants to do, which is to cancel the plans people have made and cancel Christmas," Mr Johnson told MPs. "I think that's what he's driving at.”

“I can tell him that as of today, just this morning, there is actually unanimous agreement across the UK government and all the devolved administrations - including members of all parties including his own - that we should proceed in principle with the existing regulations.

"We don't want to criminalise people's long-made plans but we do think it's absolutely vital that people should, at this very, very tricky time, exercise a high degree of personal responsibility, especially when they come into contact with elderly people and avoid contact with elderly people wherever possible.

"That is how by being sensible and cautious, not by imposing endless lockdowns or cancelling Christmas,  that is the way we will continue to work together to keep this virus under control to defeat it, and take the country forward.”