Farce as Government’s plan for new local lockdowns unravels

Ministers have been forced into retreat over “local lockdowns” after councils threatened to defy the rules.

The Government on Tuesday night changed its advice to tackle outbreaks of the Indian variant of Covid within less than 24 hours of a row erupting over the policy, which critics said had descended into “farce”.

The original guidance urged 1.7 million people in eight parts of England to restrict their travel in and out of their area and to socialise outdoors instead of indoors where possible.

Ministers failed to pass on the new advice to local health and council leaders, who then told residents they did not have to follow the guidelines.

The Government said on Tuesday it would “update” the guidance, insisting it was up to individuals whether to follow it.

The majority of the affected areas are controlled by Labour councils, leading to accusations of hypocrisy as local party leaders vowed to defy tougher measures, while the party leadership has urged caution over the return to normality amid concerns over the Indian coronavirus variant.

In one of the areas, Bolton, where Covid cases are at their highest level for six months, the hospital said it was taking “urgent action” amid a surge in patients.

The fiasco came as Downing Street braced itself for Dominic Cummings’ appearance before MPs at 9.30am on Wednesday morning, during which he will give evidence on ministers’ strategy for tackling Covid.

The Prime Minister’s former chief aide is expected to argue that tough lockdowns should have been imposed earlier. The backlash at attempts to reimpose restrictions on Tuesday suggests the public have grown weary of lockdowns.

Mr Cummings is also expected to claim that the Government’s handling of the crisis has often been chaotic.

The new guidance for residents in Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen appeared on a government website 12 days ago. On Friday, the guidance was also applied to Burnley, Bedford, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside. However, the new advice was only spotted on Monday by a member of the public.

Local health leaders voiced their frustration at the way it had been slipped out, with Bolton council’s Conservative leader warning that “underlying resentment” at the approach to local measures could easily tip over into anger.

Directors of public health in all eight of the areas indicated on Tuesday that the advice could be disregarded. In a joint statement, they said: “Following the national coverage of recently revised guidance, we have met with national officials and confirmed there are no restrictions on travel in or out of each of our areas: there are no local lockdowns.”

The Government then issued a climbdown, stressing that the guidance had always been optional.

“We will be updating the guidance for areas where the new Covid-19 variant is spreading to make it clearer we are not imposing local restrictions,” a government spokesman said.

“Instead, we are providing advice on the additional precautions people can take to protect themselves and others in those areas where the new variant is prevalent.”

A Whitehall blame game erupted, as senior government sources condemned Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, over his officials’ failure to consult and inform local health leaders of the changes.

One insider said: “The decision was made and the Department for Health was responsible for informing the local health leaders.”

Recriminations were also hurled between the Government and Labour. Jon Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, accused Mr Hancock of “local lockdowns by stealth, by the back door” and branded the advice “insulting” to areas that hade already “borne the brunt of the crisis”.

Neil Coyle, a Labour MP, said: “It’s a complete mess and a farce. Guidance has been put out and then changed again without local health leaders even being told.”

Tory MPs in return accused the opposition of hypocrisy.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Tory leader, told The Telegraph: “If local Labour are defying the Government, while national Labour keep crying ‘more more more’, it tells you they are a complete shambolic mess. They are freelancing.”

The Government said the recommendations for the hotspot areas were first issued on May 14 – with Boris Johnson urging people to be “extra cautious” – before being “formally” published online last week.

Government sources rejected the characterisation of the new guidance for hotspots as “local lockdowns”.

Downing Street stressed that the advice was “not statutory” and the Government wanted to move away from “top-down edicts” as lockdown eased. The Prime Minister has signalled he does not want to return to locally tiered measures.

• Do you live in one of the eight areas affected by the new guidance? We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts on how the new guidance was issued and how it has affected you in the comments section below or email yourstory@telegraph.co.uk