Tory MPs finally wear masks in the Commons – except for Jacob Rees-Mogg
It appears Jacob Rees-Mogg has still not got the message that wearing face masks inside can help stop the spread of coronavirus.
The leader of the House of Commons was one of a number of high-profile Tories not wearing a covering today for Rishi Sunak’s Budget statement.
Liz Truss, the newly appointed Foreign Secretary and Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, also chose not to wear masks.
Mr Rees-Mogg previously insisted Conservatives do not need to wear masks in Parliament because of their ‘fraternal spirit’.
As MPs crowded into the Commons to hear the Chancellor speak, there was still a divide between Tory and Labour MPs.
The Prime Minister wore a mask alongside other Cabinet members, such as Sajid Javid, but there were more Conservative MPs without masks.
MPs are not currently required to wear face masks in the Commons, but they have been urged by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to wear them.
Dr David Nabarro, the WHO’s special envoy for Covid-19, said ‘everybody’ should be wearing masks in close confinement with other people, ‘including our leaders.’
The advice came as face masks were made mandatory for everyone, with the exception of MPs, working in Parliament.
In updated guidance, the Commons authorities said all staff, visitors, contractors and press will have to wear a face-covering due to rising Covid cases.
But it didn’t extend to MPs as they were not deemed to be Parliament employees.
The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, has, however, encouraged MPs to wear a face covering in the chamber unless they are speaking or exempt.
Mr Javid said wearing a mask in the crowded chamber is a ‘personal decision’ for ministers and backbenchers.
In Prime Minister’s Questions ahead of the Budget speech today, Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter, said: ‘It’s good news to see a few more Conservative MPs heeding the Health Secretary’s plea and wearing face masks in this chamber.
‘But given we have had for several weeks now, Covid infections, hospitalisation and death rates far, far higher than any other western European country – was it a mistake to abandon all those precautions back in July and if not why are our figures so bad?
In response, Mr Johnson said: ‘The reality is that of course we monitor all the data very carefully but we see nothing to suggest that we need to deviate from the plan we set out, that began with the roadmap in February and that we are sticking to.’
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Autumn Budget 2021: All the key points from Rishi Sunak's plan
Rishi Sunak has announced the largest increase in public spending in a century in a budget that has promised ‘the start of a new post-Covid economy’.
Many of the headline policies include a rise in the national living wage and a pledge to spend billions on the NHS.
Here are the main changes you need to know about:
- Will you be worse off or better off? Our Budget calculator reveals the true cost
- Universal Credit raised for 1,700,000 people with 8p boost to pay packet
- Developers will pay £5,000,000,000 tax to fix homes with dangerous cladding
- Fuel duty will not increase as prices at the pumps hit record high
- Millions of key workers set to be paid more as Rishi Sunak confirms end to pay freeze
- National living wage rises to £9.50 an hour
- Pints of beer cut by 3p and sparkling wine is about to become cheaper
- Prepare for a pricey Christmas as inflation ‘likely to rise’