University students not following coronavirus rules while socialising is “on the whole” to blame for a spike in new cases, a minister has claimed.
Michelle Donelan, the UK’s universities minister, said on Tuesday that a minority of students had been “sometimes socialising in a way that is not fit with the guidance".
Her comments came as Boris Johnson faced the possibility of a backbench rebellion from Tory MPs over the “rule of six” amid anger at the government’s ability to bypass parliamentary scrutiny during the pandemic.
