Labour tells Rees-Mogg to apologise for “carping” accusation on Covid tests

Labour has called on government frontbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg to apologise for telling people that they should stop their “endless carping” about the lack of coronavirus tests available across the country.

Addressing MPs earlier today, the House of Commons leader said: “The issue of testing is one where we have gone from a disease that nobody knew about a few months ago to one where nearly a quarter of a million people a day can be tested…

“Instead of this endless carping saying it’s difficult to get them, we should actually celebrate this phenomenal success of the British nation in getting up to a quarter of a million tests of a disease that nobody knew about until earlier in the year.”

Rees-Mogg added: “Yes, there is demand for more, yes demand exceeds supply but it is growing, the supply is increasing. And what has been done is really rather remarkable and something we should be proud of.”

Responding to the comments, Labour’s shadow minister for public health and patient safety Alex Norris shot back: “For weeks, people across the country have been struggling to get coronavirus tests.

“But rather than fixing problems, the government have instead resorted to a blizzard of blame shifting and excuses. Now, out-of-touch ministers have got a new message to those who can’t get tests: ‘stop complaining and praise us’.

“Jacob Rees-Mogg should immediately apologise. Whining about the public not being grateful enough won’t sort anything – only his government can fix the testing shambles they are presiding over.”

As the unavailability of Covid tests has seen many symptomatic people told to travel hundreds of miles away from their homes to be tested, the NHS Test and Trace system has been described as “on the verge of collapse”.

In the House of Commons today, Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the system had become “not so much test and trace, more like trace a test” and warned that the UK faces a “very bleak winter”.

Asked whether Boris Johnson agreed with Rees-Mogg’s comments today, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson pointed out that only yesterday did Johnson talk about the need to increase capacity, adding: “We will continue to increase capacity.”

The Prime Minister admitted on Wednesday that there is not enough UK testing capacity to meet demand, telling the liaison committee: “We don’t have the testing capacity. We would like to test everyone who wants a test.”

Government ministers have sought to blame the British public for coronavirus test shortages, despite Matt Hancock telling people in June: “If you have symptoms of coronavirus, or if you have any doubt, get a coronavirus test.”

Rees-Mogg was forced to self-isolate last week after one of his six children showed possible symptoms of coronavirus. He was tested for the virus, and returned to parliament when the result was negative.

Here’s the full clip of Jacob Rees-Mogg saying people speaking out about the difficulty of getting a Covid test should stop the “endless carping”. pic.twitter.com/vhUlimENa1

— Ben Kentish LBC (@BenKentish) September 17, 2020