Another blown opportunity to reassure lthe North East - Clarity of purpose and clarity of messages essential to defeat Covid says Liberal Democrats Leader Ed Davey MP

Liberal Democrat Leaders Ed Davey MP (seen here with the Newcastle's Opposition Health lead Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor), has attacked the Prime Minister's coronavirus briefing this afternoon. He said: "Another day, another press conference, another blown opportunity by the Prime Minister to give the assurances the British public so desperately need. Testing remains shambolic and people's livelihoods hang on a knife edge with no extension of the furlough scheme to protect them.

"When I have been listening to communities across the country, they are desperately worried about their jobs and the terrible uncertainty they have around the testing regime.

"Make no mistake the UK's lack of preparedness for the second wave lies squarely at the feet of Boris Johnson and his Government. Bluff and bluster can no longer be put in front of adequate provision for our NHS, our teachers, our carers and all our key workers.

"This Prime Minister has made a career out of impenetrable, verbose monologues, when what we need right now is clarity. Clarity of purpose and clarity of messages that people can clearly understand. Only when we have that can we expect to have any hope of defeating this dreadful virus."