• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Rees-Mogg: Tories won’t wear masks because they ‘know each other’

Jacob Rees-Mogg rubbished Sajid Javid's suggestion that people should wear masks in crowded spaces.

Henry Goodwin by Henry Goodwin
2021-10-21 14:55
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Tory MPs will not wear masks in the House of Commons because they “know each other”, Jacob Rees-Mogg says.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, suggested on Wednesday that MPs had a responsibility to set an example by wearing masks, as he warned of tougher Covid restrictions if the public’s behaviour does not change.

But, just hours later, Ress-Mogg told MPs: “The advice on crowded spaces is crowded spaces with people that you don’t know – we on this side know each other.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg says Tory MPs don't need to wear a mask, in the Chamber, because they all know each other. 🤦 pic.twitter.com/Zi5KQw0hgd

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) October 21, 2021

Javid was faced with accusations of hypocrisy at Wednesday’s press conference, after it was pointed out that he and his colleagues rarely wore masks in Westminster. “I think that’s a very fair point,” the health secretary admitted.

Ducking the question of whether the prime minister would start wearing a mask, a Downing Street spokesman echoed Rees-Mogg, telling journalists: “It remains the case that it’s a matter of personal judgment for all individuals on wearing a mask.

“We have very clear guidance which sets out that people are recommended to wear face coverings in crowded, enclosed spaces where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet.”

No Plan B

Ministers insisted on Thursday that now is not the right time to trigger Plan B, even as Covid infections continue to rise – and a leading virologist warned that the UK is probably already close to recording 100,000 cases per day.

RelatedPosts

‘Captain’ Johnson on ‘shore leave’ amid cost-of-living crisis, says Tory peer

Truss says British workers ‘need more graft’ in leaked recording

Andrew Pierce hails ‘Liz the lioness’ following new poll results

Keir Starmer reveals what he earns in blunt Sky News interview

Edward Argar, a health minister, said the government thinks people should still be able to make their own “educated judgments” when it comes to issues such as wearing face masks, adding that Plan A for tackling the virus “is still working”.

He said ministers will not hesitate to bring in further measures if and when they are needed, although the view at the moment is that the pressure on the NHS is at a “sustainable” level.

Dr Chris Smith, from the University of Cambridge, told BBC Breakfast that around half of Covid cases are asymptomatic.

“So probably, with detected cases at 50,000, we’re probably already close to 100,000 cases a day anyway, we just don’t know about lots of them,” he said.

“We are looking very hard, we’re doing more than a million tests a day now, but probably we do have really high levels bordering on that sort of number at the moment.”

Dr Smith added: “The trend at the moment in cases is upwards, but the more reassuring trend for the moment is how many people are becoming severely unwell, how many people are losing their lives and that number, thankfully, does remain very, very low, and that’s a direct testimony to the performance of the vaccines.”

‘Sustainable pressure’

On Wednesday evening, Javid urged the public to play its part, saying further restrictions may be needed if people do not take care and get all their Covid jabs and boosters.

Speaking on Sky News, Argar defended the government’s position, adding: “While under huge pressure at the moment, and I pay tribute to all those working in it (the NHS), it is a sustainable pressure at the moment.”

Asked how bad the situation in the NHS will have to get before the government moves to Plan B, he said it would not “be appropriate to set an arbitrary figure, X number of infections, X number of hospitalisations”.

He added: “We need to look at all this in the round, we need to look at the death rate, absolutely.

“We need to look at that booster rollout programme … vaccination programme … vaccination rates in young people, the 12 to 15-year-olds, because we’re seeing in that school-age population, that’s where we’re seeing actually the biggest increases driving these infections.

“I can’t give you a simple… here is a sort of black and white answer, here is a binary line, because it takes … there’s a whole range of factors we’ll take into consideration.”

Related: Ministers called out for House of Commons mask hypocrisy

Tags: Jacob Rees-Mogg

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

UK net migration sees huge drop ‘because of Brexit and Covid’, ONS says

WATCH: ‘Boris Johnson’ chased by police at Headingley Stadium!

Are black cats discriminated against because they don’t show up well in selfies?

KCTMO warn residents in flats opposite Grenfell about “anti-social behaviour”

Carbis Bay – Cornwall done to perfection

Watch: Cuban scientists celebrate after Covid vaccine shows 92% efficacy

Heston Blumenthal’s The Hinds Head gets a dramatic makeover

MPs set to vote on Govt’s manifesto-busting health and social care tax

Kate Hoey to stand down as MP for Vauxhall

Where is the happiest place in Britain? Hint it’s not London

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.