Sir Chris Whitty warned public wouldn’t stick to lockdown ‘sex ban’, leaked messages reveal
Sir Chris Whitty advised against imposing a lockdown “sex ban” because couples were “not likely to listen” to orders to stay apart, leaked WhatsApp messages reveal.
England’s chief medical officer (CMO) said a “bit of realism” would be needed when telling people not to see their partners unless they lived together in the spring of 2020.
However, the government went on to issue pandemic guidance that became known as a “sex ban” for couples living in separate households – who were told to move in together or stop seeing each other while restrictions were in place.
The revelation is the latest from more than 100,000 WhatsApp messages leaked to The Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott after she helped former health secretary Matt Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.
According to the newspaper, Sir Chris was asked to give “the official CMO love advice” on non-cohabiting couples during a WhatsApp discussion on 24 March – the day after then prime minister Boris Johnson ordered the nation into its first lockdown.
James Slack, then Mr Johnson’s spokesman, asked: “Sorry for this, but the biggest Q of the day for our finest political journalists is: ‘Can I see my boyfriend or girlfriend if we don’t live in the same household?'”
Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, replied saying that if contact between households was to be broken, the “strict answer is that they shouldn’t meet or should bunker down in the same house”.
“But Chris can give the official CMO love advice,” the adviser reportedly added.
Sir Chris suggested the guidance could be more relaxed for those who did not live with a vulnerable or older person.
Matt Hancock and Isabel Oakeshott. Pic: Parsons Media
“I think a bit of realism will be needed,” he replied in the group conversation.
“If it’s a regular partner I don’t think people are likely to listen to advice not to see them for three weeks or maybe more.
“We could say; if they can avoid seeing one another they should, and if either of them has an older or vulnerable person in the house they must.”
Later that day, Sir Chris’s deputy, Dr Jenny Harries, told a press conference that social distancing guidance should apply to non-cohabiting partners.
Speaking alongside Mr Hancock, Dr Harries said: “If you are two individuals, two halves of the couple, living in separate households then ideally they should stay in those households.”
She said couples could “test” their relationship and move in together while the clampdown on movement was in place.
Mr Hancock said: “There you go. Make your choice and stick with it.”
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Matt Hancock speaking about the ‘sex ban’ in September 2020
The most high-profile breach of the guidance on couples living separately was by Professor Neil Ferguson, who resigned from the government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies (SAGE) after it emerged that a woman reported to be his lover had visited his home in lockdown.
The so-called “sex ban” stayed in place for almost three months, when rules were relaxed to allow some couples to see each other without following social distancing restrictions.
In June 2020, new “support bubbles” allowed people living alone to combine with another household and stay overnight.
But many restrictions remained in place for another year and proved to be the downfall of Mr Hancock, who was forced to resign as health secretary after being caught breaking social distancing rules to pursue an affair with an aide.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it did not comment on leaks.
A government spokesman said: “We have always said there are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic.
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‘People not interested in Hancock’s reputation’ says Isabel Oakeshott
Read more:
Leaked messages show Hancock’s reaction to filmed ‘snog’
How have Hancock’s WhatsApps been leaked – and what is an NDA?
“We are committed to learning from the COVID inquiry’s findings, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future.”
Mr Hancock repeated his response that there was “absolutely no public interest case for this huge breach” and said the national inquiry was the “right, and only” place for government pandemic decision-making to be “considered properly”.
Hancock’s secret plan to ‘bring COVID patients from France to UK during second wave’
There has been a steady stream of leaks since the first story broke last week.
The messages have reignited rows about the UK Government’s handling of the pandemic, even as Mr Hancock and others have described them as only a “partial” account.
New messages also published on Monday evening reveal Mr Hancock planned to bring COVID patients from France to the UK for treatment while the country was in its second wave of the pandemic.
The former health secretary wanted to offer “spare” intensive care beds in England to French President Emmanuel Macron as Europe grappled with a new surge of infection, according to The Telegraph.
Lockdown had been reintroduced in England at that time in a bid to prevent a “medical and moral disaster”.
But on 13 November 2020, Mr Hancock shared a letter with his top advisers that he proposed to send to French health minister Olivier Veran claiming to have “spare capacity in London and the south”.
The plan is not thought to have been implemented, but Mr Hancock reportedly said: “We may need to make a similar offer to Italy”.
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
Read more on this story:
‘Fix care before assisted dying legislation’
Why assisted dying is controversial – and where it’s already legal
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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