The government’s strategy for an exit from coronavirus lockdown is ‘in limbo’ while Boris Johnson is off sick, Keir Starmer has claimed.
The Labour leader said ministers are failing to take decisions on when and how to return the UK to normal life - and suggested the government has not acted “quickly enough” throughout the crisis.
Mr Starmer has been calling for the government to set out details of how the government plans to release the UK from lockdown.
Mr Starmer told the BBC’s Coronavirus Podcast: “I think that throughout this they've struggled with taking decisions quickly enough.
“The other factor though, I think, is we all know that the Prime Minister has been in hospital.
“We've all been pleased to see that he's come out and is feeling better. And it feels as though they've been in a position probably for a week or 10 days now where it's been difficult for the Government to make big decisions. And I think there's a bit of that lying behind this as well."
He added: “I suspect, although I don't know, that Dominic Raab is just reluctant - he probably does know that it's time for an exit strategy - but he's probably reluctant to sign it off without the Prime Minister and I think there's a bit of that in the mix.”
Asked about Mr Starmer’s comments, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I don’t know that that’s fair. I think we’re all right now struggling with unprecedented circumstances, and we’re trying to plot a way through it.”
But she added the Prime Minister’s convalescence “doesn’t make it any easier.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps branded the claim “completely untrue”.
He said: "I was surprised to see that being said for the simple reason that yesterday alone I attended cabinet, I attended the Cobra [meeting]...I attended two or even three of the cabinet subcommittees that are making all of the day to day decisions.
"It's simply not the case that everything's on standstill.
"There would be no difference to those decisions because we have been guided by, as I keep saying, the scientists and the medical advice, whether or not the PM had been in the room or not in the room in this instance because this is a disease which does not look to politicians to decide how to respond, it responds to science.
"So that's not the case at all and I hope we can continue withy the very impressive cross-party and indeed national effort with this virus and not turn it into those kind of discussions."
In a statement released last night, Mr Starmer welcomed First Secretary of State Dominic Raab’s announcement that the lockdown would continue for at least another three weeks.
He said: “I fully support the Government’s decision to extend the lockdown.
”The priority now must be to ensure we see a ramp up in testing, that staff get the PPE they desperately need and more is done to protect our care homes from the virus.
“We also need clarity about what plans are being put in place to lift the lockdown when the time is right.”
