MPs from all parties today urged Boris Johnson to reduce the amount of time the Government is devoting to Brexit to focus more on tackling Covid-19 and the testing failings.
Conservative MP and former health minister Stephen Hammond told the Evening Standard: “Even in a crisis a government should be able to cope with more than one policy matter.
“However the need to make testing available, reliable and with timely results is key to our return to some form of normality. If the Government doesn’t quickly get testing into that place, problems for economy, schools, NHS will escalate.”
A Whitehall source told the Standard that the centre of government had been dividing its time “roughly 50-50” between the pandemic and Brexit in recent weeks as negotiations with the EU have come to a climax.
Brexit had taken a higher share of “bandwidth” during the summer when coronavirus infections dipped.
Michael Gove, Minister for the Cabinet Office, plays a key role in both of the two biggest crises facing the Government. He chairs the Covid-19 Operations cabinet committee, which oversees minute planning of the pandemic response, at the same time as chairing the EU Exit Operations cabinet committee which is in the lead on detailed preparations for the end of the transition period on December 31.
He also sits on the key strategy committees chaired by the PM.
A former Cabinet minister said: “I think people felt the slow initial response to the pandemic… was partly because of Brexit taking priority. I am not hearing any complaints about that happening at the current time.”
However, backbench discontent over testing has risen after MPs were deluged with complaints.
Former cabinet minister Greg Clark urged Matt Hancock to “get a grip”.
Opposition parties say it is inevitable that Brexit has distracted ministers after a week in which there was a Commons revolt over the Internal Market Bill and a heated international row about the Government’s apparent willingness to breach the rule of law.
Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said: “They owe it to the country to focus on the coronavirus crisis, sort out the testing system and protect businesses and jobs.”
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “The Government must put their attention into making sure people who need tests get them now, and put forward a plan to make that happen.”
