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UK Leaders Meeting Today To 'Look Again' At Christmas Coronavirus Rules

UK Leaders Meeting Today To 'Look Again' At Christmas Coronavirus Rules

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed a call between Gove and the devolved nations would be taking place this afternoon

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Leaders of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are due to speak to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove today to 'look again' at the UK's current coronavirus situation, amid mounting pressure to re-evaluate the easing of restrictions over Christmas.

The four UK governments recently agreed that people in any tier can come together in a Christmas bubble of three households between 23 and 27 December.

However, since the agreement was made, the number of coronavirus cases has begun to creep up once again in various regions - particularly London, which is now in Tier 3, and the South East - prompting two leading medical journals to say plans to ease rules is a 'rash decision' that will 'cost lives'.

According to the BBC, Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed a call between Gove and the devolved nations would be taking place this afternoon, at Scotland's request.

Nicola Sturgeon.
PA

Sturgeon said they would be 'considering whether there should be any change in the Christmas plans'.

Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford also said there would be talks between the four nations to discuss the Christmas period, telling the Welsh Parliament: "I will discuss that later today, we will look at the figures again together."

The time of the meeting has not yet been confirmed.

The Mirror reports that earlier today, Boris Johnson's official spokesman refused to rule out changes to the system.

"As has been the case throughout the pandemic, we keep all advice under constant review," he said.

The spokesman would not say how close to Christmas the advice could be changes, and did not rule out reducing the number of days that three-household bubbles could meet, or the numbers of households allowed to mix.

PA

Labour leader Keir Starmer has also demanded an urgent review by the COBRA emergency committee by lunchtime tomorrow, saying today: "Any further tightening of restrictions will obviously be deeply disappointing to many across the country.

"But the public do not want false reassurance, warm words or ducked challenges from their Prime Minister. They want leadership."

The news follows criticism from the editors of medical journals, HSJ and BMJ.

The editors wrote: "We believe the government is about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives.

"If our political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action, they can no longer claim to be 'protecting the NHS'."

LADbible has contacted No. 10 and the Cabinet Office for comment.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Christmas, UK News, News, Coronavirus