Twitter has reacted today to the government’s farcical handling of new lockdown measures in the north.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced on Thursday evening that “immediate action” was needed across Greater Manchester and parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire to keep people safe.
The stricter lockdown measures, announced via Mr Hancock’s Twitter feed at around 9pm and later posted online, mean members of different households are not be able to meet indoors.
Scottish National party MP Dr Philippa Whitford reacted to the announcement, saying: “Do you seriously think this is the way to announce such a huge #Lockdown – 10 o’clock at night to start at midnight?
“What about all those who aren’t on Twitter? Maybe if you hadn’t stopped #COVID19 daily updates – but then again, you’d have to try to talk sense!”
Sir Keir Starmer also criticised the woeful action, calling it a “new low for the government’s communications during this crisis”.
Unsurprisingly several other people were left feeling aghast. We have rounded up the best of the reaction:
Hey @MattHancock, in the past I’ve spent a large amount of time with people who would do little more than ingest mind bending hallucinogenics for most of the day. After much consideration I can confirm that they all made more sense than you and your lockdown announcements. Sorry
— Tim Burgess (@Tim_Burgess) July 30, 2020
Exceptional understatement
— Harriet Marsden (@harriet1marsden) July 31, 2020
You know how you show the North that you're serious about it as a place and want to 'level it up'? Announce chaotic changes in the middle of the night with almost no notice.
— Oliver Milne (@OliverMilne) July 30, 2020
this feels like a shambolic way to announce a semi-lockdown of great swathes of northern England
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) July 30, 2020
Government announced the lockdown of a number of towns in the North of England a few hours before hand. It completely lacked the details about the rules people need. Sadly this is just the latest example of the shambolic approach taken by the UK government. Sh*tshow. pic.twitter.com/laZ0IKtGd5
— Bill Esterson (@Bill_Esterson) July 31, 2020
Related: I applied to be the Prime Minister’s Director of Communications