Boris Johnson’s use of the Union flag as a backdrop for coronavirus press conferences that applied to England only caused “unacceptable and unnecessary” confusion about lockdown restrictions, an influential Westminster committee has found.
The Prime Minister has been slammed failing to make clear that many announcements at last year’s televised Covid briefings related to England only by the House of Lords constitution committee.
In their report on the Covid-19 response the committee the Lords found: “The UK Government has failed to make it clear when announcements only extend to England.”
Their report stated: “This has caused unacceptable and unnecessary confusion for members of the public throughout the UK.”
The report used the example of the Prime Minister’s announcement of a third national lockdown in England as an example.
They stated: “This was announced on a BBC news segment broadcast throughout the UK, featuring the prime minister standing in front of a Union Jack. “This may have created the impression that the legal changes applied throughout the UK when they extended only to England.”
The committee recommended that all future ministerial statements and guidance on changes to Covid-19 restrictions clearly state the geographic extent of the new requirements.
The peers also noted how “intergovernmental cooperation suffered” as Britain entered the second half of last year.
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They added: “We are concerned that, since May 2020, intergovernmental communication and cooperation appears to have decreased significantly.
“Legal divergence between the four parts of the UK has also increased, occasionally accidentally.
“This has created practical difficulties for members of the public, particularly those living and working close to internal UK borders, as well as those seeking to travel abroad.”
The SNP’s Stuart McMillan MSP said: “The Westminster Tory Government’s obsession with flags has now been exposed as a direct risk to public health.
“Their sole focus throughout the pandemic should have been clear and consistent public health advice. Instead, their fixation with plastering everything with a Union Flag for political purposes resulted in ambiguous messaging that increased the risk to the health and wellbeing of citizens living beyond England’s borders.”
