THE GOVERNMENT’S daily coronavirus briefings are being scrapped at the weekends because the number of people tuning in has plunged.
The PM’s spokesman said today the press conferences were being dialled back because the UK has entered a “different phase” of the pandemic.
The spokesman said the Government was “absolutely committed” to keeping the country updated and the press conferences would continue to happen during the week.
He said: “From this week, the press conferences will be on weekdays only – so no longer on Saturdays and Sundays.
“The PM will take a press conference every week alongside… the scientific and medical experts.”
“Others will be led by secretaries of state, alongside scientific and medical experts where relevant.”
He said the change was because “the numbers who are viewing at weekend do tend to be significantly lower”
The shift away from weekend press briefings – which have happened every day since March 13 – comes after senior Tories told the MailOnline the daily talks were “bloody boring” and the PM should scale them down to normalise the country.
They said having updates every day was creating a pressure for the Government to make announcements, whether there was anything to say or not.
One senior Tory MP said: “I think there is a very, very good argument to say suspend the press conference and just have one a week on the track and trace stuff.
“A press conference without an announcement is just pretty bl**dy boring.
“To start with we all tuned in avidly. It was like the early episodes of EastEnders, everybody watched.
“And now people go and rearrange their shell collection or dust their pencil cases. It has all become a bit boring.
“To fill it, what is the new announcement today? This is part of the problem. I don’t think that messages are being tested.”
Last night’s session was held by Matt Hancock but there was no specific announcement other than showing the daily figures on coronavirus.
The PM’s spokesman said it was possible Mr Johnson “could do more” than one of the press conferences a week.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.hellofaread.com/politics/priti-patel-postpones-publishing-tourist-quarantine-details-after-backlash-from-mps-and-tourism-bosses/
