Neil Oliver under fire for accusing government of abuse over use of 'Nudge Unit'

The Renfrewshire-born 54-year-old who has previously stated that he and his wife will not let their three teenage children take the Covid vaccine caused a stir as he accused government of an erosion of civil liberties while handling the crisis.

And the former National Trust for Scotland president reserved his strongest criticism for what he called an official Behavioural Insights team which he said was unofficially called 'The Nudge Unit' which he said showed that we now live "in an abusive relationship" with our government.

The Nudge Unit was established in the Cabinet Office in 2010 by David Cameron’s government to apply behavioural science to public policy. Now owned partly by the Cabinet Office, by Nesta and by employees, it has operations across the world.

It works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care in crafting the government response to Covid. 

One of the most visible manifestations of its influence to date is in the communication around hand-washing and face touching.

"It openly and without causing our leaders the nearest blush of shame, seeks to influence public thinking and decision-making in order to improve compliance with government policy," said Mr Oliver.

READ MORE: Bid to 'cancel' GB News's Neil Oliver over 'I'd risk catching Covid’ in name of freedom stance

"A Nudge Unit. Psychology, marketing and social engineering are all exploited by the Nudge Unit.

"I ask myself if our leaders even like us. I've said before on this channel that I believe we the people are living now in a version of an abusive relationship with our government. Words I do not use lately, or to cause offence.

"Behavioural Insights Team. Nudge Unit. If your partner was using mind games and other psychological tricks to make you do what he or she wanted, always with the undisguised threat of unhappy consequences should you fail to comply or submit to those wants, you'd be right in thinking you were in an abusive relationship with that person."

There was strong reaction to Mr Oliver's commentary on social media.

Derek Bateman said: "I thought you were a serious player with gravitas representing a swathe of Scottish opinion. I now know you’re a flying f**ny who will never be respected in mainstream Scotland again."

James added: "Comparing the situation to an abusive relationship is pretty disgusting and also quite the mansplaining misogynistic take on politics and apathy. Maybe do some research/light reading and apologise for the flippant and offensive nature of this remark."

Another said: "Thankfully you and all these folks here believing in flat earth are the minority."

Hazel Spencer added: "I don't feel abused by the government even though I didn't get the £20 [temporary Univeral Credit boost].Feel glad I survived the past 18 months and had my three Covid jabs for free."

Another stated: "The irony of Neil berating those who would seek to change our behaviour through psychological manipulation… in a segment on GBNews."

But Jeffrey Peel said: "Superbly well said Neil. You speak for millions. We are not stupid. And we've had enough."

His latest GB News monlogue, which has been retweeted nearly 7,500 times, with nearly 1500 others quoting the footage, came as he criticised Boris Johnson after he said the third dose of the Pfizer vaccine provides “excellent” immunity, a first full trial has shown, suggesting older people should be able to get boosters sooner than currently allowed.

The prime minister piled pressure on vaccines chiefs to change their advice and let people have boosters less than six months after their second dose, as a study showed an additional jab raises protection by a further 95 per cent.

Mr Oliver, who has previously branded lockdown "the biggest mistake in world history" said the situation is now about morality.

"Governments make laws, but just because government makes something law does not necessarily make that law moral, which is to say, right," he said.

"History is littered with the consequences of immoral laws passed in all sorts of places. I say a government that uses a Nudge Unit to manipulate via social engineering and psychological techniques, the behaviour of the people it has been elected to serve, not to rule remember, but to serve, is immoral.

"Millions of people in this country have been harmed too badly by what has unfolded here since the spring of 2020.

"Millions of people have been driven metaphorically, if not literally, to their knees by lockdown and the rest. The health outcomes of millions, the future prospects of generations have been compromised.

"Far too many have been compromised beyond repair. We are not stupid. We have however been too trusting. More than anything else, this is now about our freedom, as human beings.

"But if we do submit to any more erosion of our civil liberties, then we will have no one to blame but ourselves. This is our country and the government are our servants, paid for by us.

"And I tell you now that I won't submit to immoral laws. Submitting to the law means less to me, a lot less, than being guided by my morals, by that which I know to be right and not wrong.

"Abraham Lincoln said, 'to sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men'.

"We have not been a nation of cowardly men or women. We are not stupid either. We must not let them treat us as though we are."

In August, an online  campaign was launched to boycott Mr Oliver's programmes who was widely criticised for stating he would "cheerfully risk catching Covid" in the name of personal freedom.

In 2017, the TV presenter best known as a presenter of several BBC documentary series, including A History of Scotland, Vikings and Coast revealed he quit using social media after being subjected to “vicious” abuse from pro-independence supporters. He later returned.