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Jon Ashworth was criticised by BBC Breakfast viewers after he was accused of “fitting in a dig against Dominic Cummings in every question” during his interview this morning. Labour’s shadow health secretary repeatedly attacked Boris Johnson’s senior adviser during his appearance on BBC Breakfast, following allegations last week that he breached lockdown rules. Viewers brought up incidents where Labour MPs did not follow lockdown rules, including Stephen Kinnock and Tahir Ali.
This comes as the Government begins to introduce the new NHS Test and Track system in a bid to lift lockdown restrictions and move towards more localised, targeted measures.
As part of the scheme, a team of 25,000 contact tracers will track down people who tested positive with coronavirus and ask who they have had contact with.
Any of those contacts deemed at risk of infection will be told to isolate for 14 days, even if they are not sick or show symptoms.
The Prime Minister said the system will “change people’s lives”.
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Mr Ashworth raised concerns that the Cummings controversy will cast doubt on the new NHS Test and Track scheme.
He told the BBC: “This is why the whole future over Dominic Cummings is so damaging and I think it’s highly irresponsible for ministers like Hancock to endorse him because we need everyone to cooperate with these system and isolate for 14 days even if they don’t show symptoms.
“It is vital this tracing regime works. I hope people do not take as a signal from Mr Cummings action, and ministerial endorsement of it, that they can break the quarantine laws.
“The Government should be making an example of Cummings.”
Viewers attacked the shadow health secretary for “making political points” with the attack on Mr Cummings.
A viewer remarked: “He’s a joke. Brought on to talk about track and trace and all he wanted to talk about was Cummings. Well done to Charlie who kept bringing him back from onto topic.”
One simply added: “Oh for goodness sake…can we now move on? Its becoming boring now!”
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Referencing the Labour MPs who were claimed to have broken lockdown rules, a viewer added: “You mentioned Dominic Cummings 10 times but you forgot to mention Labour MPs Tahir Ali’s funeral with a 100 Pepole & Stephen Kinnock’s 100 mile drive.
“Are you suffering from selective memory loss or political point scoring?”
More than 60 Conservative MPs have so far defied Mr Johnson’s calls to “move on” from the Cummings saga.
One senior minister Penny Mordaunt further fueeled the crisis by criticising Mr Cummning’s “inconsistencies” following revelations that the senior adviser had travelled 260 miles to his family estate in Durham with his wife suffering coronavirus symptoms.
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