Responding to the Prime Minister’s annoucement on the change to guidance on using public transport and going to workplaces in England, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “While we all want life to get back to normal as soon as possible, people remain rightly worried about coronavirus. The Prime Minister’s plan to change current guidance for working at home and public transport use is utterly reckless and flies in the face of experts, including the UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser.
“With Government testing and tracing plans in an unholy mess, it is deeply irresponsible to throw caution to the wind like this. Ministers are passing the buck and, without protections, they have opened the door to serious disputes between employees and employers.
“The Government must be held to account to ensure that the same mistakes are never repeated. That is why I have called on the Prime Minister to bring forward a timetable for an independent inquiry before the summer recess. We need a commitment to an independent inquiry now, not more dither and delay.”