Boris Johnson bans advisors from commenting on Cummings saga - Instant reaction

28 May 2020, 18:54

Eddie Mair Press conference reaction with Ben Kentish

By Seán Hickey

After the Prime Minister announced lockdown restrictions to be eased in the coming days, Ben Kentish was lost for words for another reason.

Eddie Mair was on the air with LBC's Westminster correspondent Ben Kentish to chew the fat of the Prime Minister's press conference, whereby he announced that on Monday, groups of six will be allowed meet outdoors whilst maintaining social distancing among other restrictions being eased.

Eddie asked Ben about the apparent slight of the Prime Minister where "journalists are not being able to ask follow up questions" and also encouraging Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance not to answer questions related to Dominic Cummings. Ben told Eddie that he has "never seen this before" in a coronavirus press briefing.

Ben shared further shock with Eddie as, after the pair eventually addressed questions of Dominic Cummings "they said they didn't want to answer" the questions they were posed with.

He was shocked that the PM would "ban the experts on either side of him from answering questions" but even more surprised that the experts weren't intent on answering the questions themselves.

PM refuses to let chief scientist and medical officer answer Cummings question

Eddie began the conversation initiallly by looking for Ben's comment on Mr Johnson telling the public that the government's "five tests have been met" and that he plans to ease lockdown.

Ben told LBC listeners that "from Monday six of us will be able to mix outdoors at a 2m distance" and insisted that this "will have a big impact on many families" who may have not seen each other since March. He also shared news that schools for some students and certain businesses will be allowed open their doors with social distancing in place.

He also reminded Eddie that the public must still be weary as restrictions are eased, pointing out news from Sir Patrick Vallance revealing that the "R value is dangerously close to one" meaning that we are at risk of a second wave of the virus if the public aren't careful.