With backbench Tories furious at the direction of travel this country is going in, former leader of the Conservative Party has slammed the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and has said its instruction to lock down the country “will end up killing more people”.
This reaction was triggered after the PM announced the second lockdown in England saying the virus was “spreading even faster than the reasonable worst-case scenario of our scientific advisers”. Pressure has mounted onto the PM to not go ahead with a full lockdown and to reconsider his actions for the sake of the economy. Sir Iain warned Boris “the recommended cure will end up killing” people.
Writing for the Sunday Telegraph Iain said: “The way that the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has pressurised the Government into taking this decision has been unprecedented.
“Normally, advisers advise, and ministers decide.
“Yet that system has broken down with Sage believing its advice to be more like commandments written on stone and its members publicly lecturing the Government over the airways when it disagrees.”
Iain continued saying: “My plea to Boris Johnson is simple, we cannot go on encouraging businesses to reopen only to force them to lockdown again.
“The consequences of such a measure on the health of the economy are dire, and we need a strong economy to create the resources to fight COVID-19.”
Iain Duncan Smith has urged Boris to widen his avenues for advice before making any final decisions. Iain said Boris should speak to Dr David Nabarro, a World Health Organisation special envoy for coronavirus, who urged leaders against the use of national lockdowns.
