Matt Hancock today told Britons to grass up their neighbours if they break tough new coronavirus laws that could see them fined £10,000 – and admitted he would do it himself.
The Health Secretary said people should ‘absolutely’ tell police if they see rule breakers as he warned he could not rule out a second national lockdown if rules continued to be flouted.
But the Government appears to be at sixes and seven over whether Britain should become a nation of narks, with contradictory views around the Cabinet.
Mr Hancock’s comments were at odds with Boris Johnson’s position, after the Prime Minister said last week that he did not like ‘sneak culture’ and urged people to inform on neighbours as a last resort, ‘if there is some huge kind of Animal House party taking place … hot tubs and so forth, and there is a serious threat to public health’.
British citizens made their feelings known after the Policing Minister suggested that people should spy on their friends and neighbours and report them to the authorities if they see them breaking Covid rules.
However Home Secretary Priti Patel had earlier backed people informing on their neighbours if they were breaking the new rules, adding: ‘It’s not dobbing in neighbours, it’s all about us taking personal responsibility.’
Mr Hancock spoke today as ministers unveiled plans to fine Covid sufferers up to £10,000 if they leave their house when they are meant to be self-isolating under draconian new rules being brought in to tackle a sharp up-spike in Covid-19 cases across the UK.
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