BORIS Johnson has been accused of making lockdown restrictions too complicated and leaving the public forgotten about and ignored.
During Prime Minister's Questions, leader of the opposition Keir Starmer asked how the public was supposed to follow the rules if the Mr Johnson and his cabinet could not remember what theyw ere.
He was referencing a blunder made by the PM yesterday when he gave the wrong advice during a press conference.
The Labour leader also challenged Mr Johnson over why his government had deemed some jobs, particularly in the hospitality sector, as unviable.
He said: “I spoke to the leader of Newcastle Council yesterday. He said the other big problem, apart from government messaging, is the lack of economic support being provided to local communities under restrictions.
“Newcastle Council indicate that, by the end of the year, 10,000 jobs in hospitality will have been lost. Many businesses are forced to stay closed.
“Prime Minister, but for these extraordinary restrictions, these are viable jobs. These businesses are doing the right thing. Why has the Government decided that these jobs aren’t worth saving?”
Boris Johnson responded: “As I’ve said repeatedly, we’re putting our arms around the whole of the UK economy, we will do everything we can to save every job.
“I must say I saw the Labour leader of Newcastle and I’m rather surprised by what he said because actually, to the best of my knowledge, they were calling for the measures that we put in and the best way to protect our jobs and our economy is to continue to work together, to comply with the measures to drive down the virus, to keep our children in education, which is an absolute priority for this country, and to keep the economy moving.”
Fellow Labour MP Mick Whitby also told the Prime Minister there would be an unemployment rate "worse than under Thatcher" if the government continued with its economic plan.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford pulled the Prime Minster up on the UK Internal Market bill, as well as asking him why he thought the people of Scotland had "no trust in him or his Government".
It came after a Scottish Social Attitudes study released yesterday showed that 15% of people felt Westminster had Scotland's interests at heart most of the time - the lowest figure since the survey started 20 years ago.
In comparison, 61% said they felt the same about Holyrood.
Mr Blackford said: "Yesterday the Scottish social attitudes survey revealed that just 15% of people trust the UK Government to work in Scotland’s interests. Last night Scotland’s MPs voted overwhelmingly against the Tory ‘power grab bill’ but the Prime Minister forced it through anyway, in the biggest attack on our Scottish Parliament in the history of devolution.”
Mr Johnson replied: “I’m afraid that he’s completely wrong in what he says about the Internal Market Bill and perhaps the people of Scotland deserve to hear a clearer account of what it does from him.
“After all, this Bill devolves – which is I believe is supported by the leader of the Opposition – power back down to, back to, Scotland, gives power back to Scotland. Enables Scotland not just to take back control of Scotland’s spectacular fisheries, but also opens markets for Scottish agriculture around the world.
“I may tell the House today is a historic day because after 23 years in which every successive government has failed, this government has managed to lift the ban on British beef in America and Scottish beef will be going to the US, thanks to the efforts of the British government.”
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