'We've got to do better': Michael Gove on coronavirus testing
Telegraph, 12 Sep 2020
Michael Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has defended the government's new "Rule of Six" coronavirus measure.
The politician, who played a central role in persuading Boris Johnson to adopt the controversial restrictions, defended the government's testing progress.
"We're testing more people than any other country in Europe, but we've got to do better," Gove said. "And that's one of the reasons why the health secretary and the prime minister are investing in increasing testing capacity."
Mr Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, was one of only two Cabinet ministers who argued for the "draconian" new measure when the decision was made earlier this week.
Others – including Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, and Priti Patel, the Home Secretary – suggested the number should be at least eight in order to allow larger families to meet grandparents.
Despite Mr Gove and Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, being the only two ministers in favour of the number coming down to six, Mr Johnson later announced that he had sided with them rather than the rest of the ministers.
The new 'rule of six' Covid-19 restrictions faces a legal challenge as the Government is taken to court over its “irrational” and “disproportionate” measures to combat coronavirus.
Amid complaints that the new regulations barring meetings of more than six people will deny grandparents access to their grandchildren, lawyers plan to use them in support of a Court of Appeal claim that the lockdown measures were unlawful.
The judicial review is being brought by multi-millionaire businessman Simon Dolan, backed by a £250,000 crowdfunding campaign.
Read more on this: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/09/10/coming-rule-six-restrictions-already-facing-legal-challenge/
Is Michael Gove really running the country behind the scenes? Read this at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/09/11/michael-gove-really-running-country-behind-scenes/
Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.
The politician, who played a central role in persuading Boris Johnson to adopt the controversial restrictions, defended the government's testing progress.
"We're testing more people than any other country in Europe, but we've got to do better," Gove said. "And that's one of the reasons why the health secretary and the prime minister are investing in increasing testing capacity."
Mr Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, was one of only two Cabinet ministers who argued for the "draconian" new measure when the decision was made earlier this week.
Others – including Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, and Priti Patel, the Home Secretary – suggested the number should be at least eight in order to allow larger families to meet grandparents.
Despite Mr Gove and Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, being the only two ministers in favour of the number coming down to six, Mr Johnson later announced that he had sided with them rather than the rest of the ministers.
The new 'rule of six' Covid-19 restrictions faces a legal challenge as the Government is taken to court over its “irrational” and “disproportionate” measures to combat coronavirus.
Amid complaints that the new regulations barring meetings of more than six people will deny grandparents access to their grandchildren, lawyers plan to use them in support of a Court of Appeal claim that the lockdown measures were unlawful.
The judicial review is being brought by multi-millionaire businessman Simon Dolan, backed by a £250,000 crowdfunding campaign.
Read more on this: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/09/10/coming-rule-six-restrictions-already-facing-legal-challenge/
Is Michael Gove really running the country behind the scenes? Read this at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/09/11/michael-gove-really-running-country-behind-scenes/
Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.
