Tory MPs put pressure on government to be clearer about exit strategy

Ministers are underestimating the British public by refusing to disclose their lockdown exit strategy, senior Conservative MPs have said. Former ministers and current Tory backbenchers have called for the public to be given greater clarity over the lifting of restrictions, saying that the government’s argument that it would “confuse the message” is incorrect. Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said on Saturday that the government should respect that the British people were “capable of recognising what they need to do in lockdown”. They need to know that the sun is rising at some point, in an economic sense.” Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons defence select committee, said that the best way to ensure public cooperation with the government was to keep people informed. The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, also blamed the government’s lack of information on the end of lockdown on Johnson’s absence, a claim which the spokesperson for the prime minister said was “just wrong”. Watch: UK virus death toll rises to 15,464 (ITN News) “At all times we have been consistently guided by scientific advice to protect lives. The current advice from Sage is that relaxing any of the measures could risk damage to public health, our economy, and the sacrifices we have all made.