[Smithy]

Health secretary Matt Hancock stands accused of trying to “twist the truth” over the coronavirus lockdown after a top scientist revealed the government was advised to bring in full measures days earlier.

Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific officer (CSO), said the government was told on either March 16 or 18 that the “remainder of the measures should be introduced as soon as possible”.

While schools were closed and social distancing advice was issued between March 16 and 18, Boris Johnson did not order a full lockdown until March 23, when he said in a televised address: “I must give the British people a very simple instruction – you must stay at home.”

Hancock was taken to task by Labour in the Commons and now faces claims he is trying to “rewrite history” over the date when lockdown was imposed.

He said: “Of course March 16 is the day I came to this House and said all unnecessary social contact should cease.

“That is precisely when the lockdown was started.”

A number of experts and political opponents have said ministers were too slow to issue a full lockdown and that more lives were lost as a result.

Following calls for Hancock to offer answers from shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana said “advising people to socially distance is not the same as imposing a lockdown”, adding: “That week-long delay could have cost thousands of lives.”

But Hancock doubled down, hitting back: “She’s trying again… on March 16 I said to this House, and it was welcomed by the front bench opposite, ‘today we’re advising people against all unnecessary social contact with others and all unnecessary travel’.

“That is when the lockdown truly started.”

Shadow justice secretary David Lammy is among those levelling criticism at Hancock online.

He tweeted: “Matt Hancock is trying to claim Lockdown started on March 16 even though it was not imposed until March 23.

“The Tories want to rewrite history because they were too slow to act – with disastrous consequences. The government must learn from its mistakes, not twist the truth.”

Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan described the March 16 claim a “bare-faced lie”

[joeysteele]

Is anyone, surprised that Hancock would deceive and lie.
As to just about all during this pandemic.
His words have been just that, words..
With no meaning or sincerity behind them.

Whether he was talking about lockdown, protection equipment, testing and even the deaths of people's loved ones.

Hardly expect anything else from him myself.

[Oliver_W]

What made him think he could get away with such a blatant lie?

[Liam-]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

What made him think he could get away with such a blatant lie?

The fact that they’ve gotten away with it many times before

[Cherie]

They closed the schools on 16th and care homes were already locked down, and we were told to limit social interaction...but people ignored it...and we were told further measures would be taken if necessary....it’s others twisting here yes it was imposed on 23rd but we were already aware a week before

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Cherie

They closed the schools on 16th and care homes were already locked down, and we were told to limit social interaction...but people ignored it...and we were told further measures would be taken if necessary....it’s others twisting here yes it was imposed on 23rd but we were already aware a week before

That is still not the start of lockdown

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Smithy

That is still not the start of lockdown

Not hard lock down no..but it’s splitting hairs

Cutting out unnecessary social contact is not exactly normal

And the clues were there....Italy....Spain....schools closed...care homes closed....limit contact....but the thickos carried on anyway so we had to lock down

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Smithy

That is still not the start of lockdown

No it wasn't, you are right.

The lockdown was only announced by Johnson at around 6 pm on the 23rd March.

Measures in place before were not lockdown, just measures.

The lockdown had people confined to their homes and then all non essential retail establishments closed down, including Churches too.
A massive difference to a few measures.

Lockdown was a week after the 16th therefore.

If anyone goes somewhere on the 23rd of a month, they haven't been on the 16th.
That's a fact.

Hancock has wriggled and deceived all through this.
I'm surprised anyone would even try to defend him.

He's very good at saying what should be done however not in doing it.

He was twice on Quedtion Time insisting as he spoke, all needed protection equipment was going out to Hospitals, across the Country..
London first by the weekend then to the rest of the Country over the next week.

Never happened, then there was the chaos of the protection equipment from Turkey.
It was coming this day, that day, another day.
Then most was useless when it got here.

I think he has massive difficulties with factual details.
In the planning, revealing and implementation of them.
Then he follows his leaders lead, to deceive and bumble his way through any tricky comeback.

[bitontheslide]

It's all semantics really. We locked down on the 16 and it was enforced on the 23rd when people were ignoring it. During the course of that week the papers were full of all the people ignoring the directive

[Tom4784]

Ew Piers Morgan, even when our views align, he's a cretin.

It's not surprising to see the tories try to retcon recent history. They were advised to go into lockdown earlier and they didn't and lying about the date when everyone knows the truth is just pointless.

[Oliver_W]

lol Piers is fine, he leans to the left on a lot of things tbh

[Cherie]

Most European countries went into lockdown in a gradual way did they not

No different to now...wear a mask ...no ...okay we have to mandate..

the only crime here is that people are ready to absolve their fellow man from any responsibility because it suits their political agenda

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

It's all semantics really. We locked down on the 16 and it was enforced on the 23rd when people were ignoring it. During the course of that week the papers were full of all the people ignoring the directive

Well no we didn't.

It was only put in place as lockdown on 23rd March.
The letters were only dated that went out to the People shielding etc in that week.
Dated 22nd March.

I was downtown the Friday before, in all types of stores, the churches were open.

No lockdown.
Only measures.

The PM announced the full lockdown on 23rd March.

Before that,there was only advice and NONE as to shops, churches, libraries etc being closed before that date.

Not much sense I can see, announcing a lockdown a week later than you say it was.

Most things were going on as usual before the 23rd.

Of course this government should have put lockdown in earlier.
However they can't have it both ways.
They didn't, until the 23rd March.
The instruction of the 12 week shielding lockdown for instance started 6pm on the 23rd March and ran to 16th June.
12 weeks, not 13 weeks from the 16th March.
NO lockdown before that.