June 7, 2021 5.43 pm This story is over 33 months old

Lincolnshire MP says “incredibly high bar” needed before lockdown easing delayed

People have “done everything they’ve been told”
Scunthorpe MP Holly Mumby-Croft (left) and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Scunthorpe’s MP has called for an “incredibly high bar” to be met before the easing of lockdown restrictions is delayed.

Holly Mumby-Croft told health secretary Matt Hancock during a public health update in the House of Commons on Monday that her residents had “done everything they’ve been asked to do”.

She said case rates in North Lincolnshire were 19 per 100,000 population. The national rate is 40.6 per 100,000.

“We’ve seen incredibly low levels of hospitalisations since the middle of May, due I’m sure to the vaccination efforts and all those people who have had their jab,” she said.

“The people in Scunthorpe have done everything they’ve been asked to do, so will [Mr Hancock] agree that unless we meet an incredibly high bar of evidence, we will proceed with the opening on the June 21.”

Mr Hancock had previously said it was “too early” to make a decision.

He promised the government would look at the evidence and make a judgement.

In response to Holly’s question, he said: “Of course I want to proceed, but we’ve got to do so safely and not see this go backwards.

“When the Prime Minister set out the roadmap he said he wanted it to be cautious and irreversible and so far we have succeeded in making it irreversible. I hope we can keep it that way.”