Covid-19: PM Boris Johnson and chancellor to self-isolate in U-turn
The prime minister and chancellor are now self-isolating after contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who has tested positive for coronavirus.
No 10 initially said they would not have to isolate, as they were taking part in a pilot scheme that involves daily testing instead.
But opposition parties said it suggested there was “one rule for them and another for the rest of us”.
The PM later said they had “briefly” considered taking part in the scheme.
But Boris Johnson said it was “far more important that everybody sticks to the same rules and that’s why I’m going to be self-isolating until Monday 26 July”.
In a video published on Twitter, Mr Johnson added: “I know how frustrating it all is, but I really do urge everybody to stick with the programme and take the appropriate course of action when you’re asked to do so by NHS Test and Trace.”
He will now conduct meetings remotely from Chequers, the prime minister’s countryside retreat, where he was when the health secretary received his positive test result.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Twitter: “Whilst the test and trace pilot is fairly restrictive, allowing only essential government business, I recognise that even the sense that the rules aren’t the same for everyone is wrong.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said infection rates were “going through the roof”, causing hundreds of thousands of people to have to self-isolate.
He told reporters: “What happens when the rules apply to the prime minister? He tries to wriggle out of them and to pretend that he’s on some pilot scheme that exempts him.
“I’m afraid yet again we see it’s one rule for them and another rule for everybody else.”
Mr Javid tested positive on Saturday morning after a meeting at Downing Street the day before, and both Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak were contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
No 10 had said a workplace pilot scheme would allow the prime minister and chancellor to keep working from Downing Street by taking daily tests. A spokesman said they would only be able to carry out essential government business and would self-isolate at all other times.
But the announcement met with an angry response. Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth had told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that it was unfair that politicians appeared to have access to “VIP testing” to avoid self-isolation, while Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey asked if it was only available to “the privileged few”.