Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer backs ban on households mixing over Christmas during Wakefield visit
Sir Keir Starmer has called for a ban on households mixing over Christmas, claiming it would be a "mistake" to leave the current rules as they are.
Speaking on a visit to a foodbank in Wakefield on Thursday, the Labour leader said the guidelines on families mingling between December 23 and 27 needed to be "toughened up".
As it stands, people from three different homes will be able to mix during those five days, though two medical journals this week described that as a "blunder" which will "cost lives".
The government has subsequently advised families to see each other as little as possible, although they've stopped short of changing the rules in England.
Sir Keir accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of "weak leadership" over the issue.
In the House of Commons on Wednesday, the PM claimed the Labour leader wanted to "cancel Christmas".
But on Thursday, Sir Keir said: "I understand people want to see their friends and family after a year like this. They're desperate to and I completely understand that.
"But you've got to look at the figures over the last seven days. Infection rates are going up across the country, in some places quite sharply.
"The medical evidence is it will be a real mistake just to keep the position as it is.
"A strong leader would do something about it, but the Prime Minister is weak because he's saying to people, "You take responsibility for what happens over Christmas."
Asked if Labour was calling for a complete ban on households mixing, Sir Keir said: "Well I think we've got to toughen up. I don't want to say that, but you can't look at the figures and evidence and say it makes sense to leave things as they are.
"So yes, I'm afraid we do need to toughen up over Christmas."
The Leader of the Opposition also called for more business support, after the government kept West Yorkshire under Tier 3 restrictions on Thursday.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock had hinted on Monday that Leeds may drop down to Tier 2, in response to a sharp fall in the Covid infection rate locally.
But the whole region will remain under the toughest set of rules until at least after Christmas.
Sir Keir said the restrictions were "important" but claimed there were "obvious gaps" in the support packages being offered to closed businesses and workers who have to self-isolate.
He added: "The message from the government has been all over the place.
"It's been, "Go to work, don't go to work. Eat out, don't eat out. Have a Christmas, have a small Christmas."
"That needs to be sorted out and test and trace needs to be fixed.
"People are entitled to say "You can't just keep us in tier 3 without fixing all the other bits too."
Local Democracy Reporting Service