Government did not tell Sadiq Khan of plan to seal off London in case of coronavirus outbreak

Sadiq Khan has said the government did not consult him over reported plans to seal off London inside the M25 in case of a spike on coronavirus infections.

The Mayor of London has written to Boris Johnson expressing his “great surprise” over the “totally unacceptable” way in which the decision was made, which he said amounted to “riding roughshod over democratically elected representatives”.

The Sunday Times reported that the prime minister held a “war game” session last week with chancellor Rishi Sunak that included using the orbital motorway as a barrier around the capital.

The letter sent to the PM from Mr Khan and chair of London Councils, Peter John, said failing to include local authorities would lead to mistakes being made.

“It is with great surprise that we read in the Sunday papers that Government held a critical exercise last week in which a major resurgence in Covid-19 infections in London was a central scenario,” the letter says.

“According to media reports, the plans included using the M25 as a quarantine ring – effectively sealing off the city.

“Our surprise is that such far-reaching contingency plans have been discussed and tested without the involvement or awareness of London’s government.

“This is clearly totally unacceptable and an affront to London and Londoners.”

The letter also accused the government of being slow to take decisions or taking the wrong decisions “time and again throughout this crisis”, adding: “This must stop.

“Riding roughshod over democratically elected representatives who understand their communities better than central Government will lead to worse outcomes for Londoners, and the country as a whole.”

The Mayor and other local leaders has repeatedly accused the government of failing to include them in major decisions or exercises about their jurisdictions.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has warned that the government’s approach risks a “fracturing of national unity”.

Mr Khan said last month that Mr Johnson had not spoken to him for months. A Mayor of London election is due next year; the original plan to hold it in May 2020 was postponed due to the outbreak.

Mr Johnson has said the government is keen to avoid another national lockdown, and it is reportedly focusing its planning on how measures could be applied locally.

Speaking on LBC radio on Monday morning, business minister Nadhim Zahawi refused to rule the policy out.

“We constantly look at how the virus is behaving,” he said.

“If we see the virus spreading in a particular way in London, as we‘ve seen in Manchester and West Yorkshire, where it’s spreading through people coming into another person’s home and that’s the way it’s spread, then we will discuss that with the police and we will not hesitate to act.”

Challenged on whether such a policy would mean the city was sealed off and its airports frozen, he added: “Look, I don’t want to speculate and set hares running in any way on your programme.

“What I would say is look at the way we’re dealing with it, whether in Leicester or Manchester and West Yorkshire and East Lancashire or elsewhere.

“We will actually follow how the virus is behaving and how it is being transmitted between people and then act accordingly.”

Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk