Boris Johnson, left, on a bike ride in July.
Photographer: Rui Vieira / AFP via Getty Images
Photographer: Rui Vieira / AFP via Getty Images
Boris Johnson has a new enemy in his battle to persuade the British public to follow the blocking rules: himself.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister was seen riding a bicycle, along with his security officers, in the Olympic Park in East London, 11 km from its official residence in Westminster.
Government guidelines say that outdoor exercise should be limited and people should stay in your local area. The prime minister and his team warned on Monday that a tougher blockade may be necessary if people continue to ignore the restrictions.
The episode, first reported by the capital’s Evening Standard newspaper, raised a series of questions to Johnson’s office, which was unable to provide a statement explaining his trip.
In the end, it was up to Health Secretary Matt Hancock to give the prime minister some political coverage, saying that an 11-kilometer ride for some exercise is allowed. “It is normal to take a long walk or bike ride,” said Hancock at a news conference. “But stay on the spot.”
Dangerous
However, Johnson remains open to criticism and the risks are multiple for a leader whose pandemic strategy has been marked by twists and turns in a country that already has a more flexible approach to coronavirus rules than its neighbors. A succession of British politicians and public figures has been caught breaking the blockade since the pandemic began, leading some, but not all, to apologize or resign.
The premier bike ride could undermine his own government’s message in what he says is a “dangerous” time for the country, with the pandemic out of control and hospitals on the verge of being overwhelmed.
Almost 82,000 people across the UK died of the disease – an average of 926 a day last week – and 32,294 are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital, Hancock said Monday. Although 2.2 million people have been vaccinated, more than anywhere else in Europe, ministers urged the British not to be complacent.
UK faces more severe blocking restrictions as Covid infections increase
Johnson and his employees spent most of Monday calling on people to abide by the rules of staying at home, except on vital trips, and supported the police and supermarkets who adopted a hard line to enforce them.
If the public thinks the prime minister is distorting the guidelines, he may ask why he should take a responsible approach. This can trigger a new wave of rule breaking and make matters worse the increase in infections.
Dr Richard Vautrey, chairman of the British Medical Association’s GP Committee, says UK medical professionals are ready to meet vaccination targets, but vaccine delivery is a big variable.
As the main spokesman for his government, Johnson is also trying to persuade the UK population to be vaccinated in the coming weeks and months. This can also be more difficult if your credibility is damaged.
Politically, Johnson’s trip opens him up up until charges of double standards. He relives memories of the most infamous example of allegedly breaking blocking rules when his former adviser Dominic Cummings drove 250 miles to seek help with daycare centers at a time when the rest of the country was being told to stay home.
Keeping Cummings
When that story broke out last May, Johnson loyally arrested Cummings, refusing to fire him despite public outcry and resignations from senior colleagues within the government’s Conservative Party.
Cummings is now outside the government, but at the time the authorities were concerned about the damage that the controversy would do to public compliance with the blocking rules. Researchers say Cummings’ trip still appears regularly in discussion groups when discussing restrictions.
Some of Johnson’s own party also fear that it has caused a long-term blow to your prospects. General elections will not take place until 2024, but local disputes are scheduled for May.
It is not yet clear how much furor Johnson’s Sunday afternoon bike ride will cause. One question his employees have not answered, for example, is whether he was driven to East London before taking a bicycle.
If more damaging details arise, the prime minister will face further criticism from his own party. Ultimately, voters can choose to punish him the next time they get the chance.