Boris Johnson felt pushed into a second lockdown by misleading data, a Government source has suggested.
It comes as some of the figures backing up strict new measures this month have started falling apart in the last week – particularly the 4,000 potential deaths a day warning.
The early leak of the lockdown plans may also have escalated the situation, the source claimed.
One Cabinet minister told the Daily Mail: ‘I think he is concerned that he may have been bounced into it.
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‘He was really, really cross about the leak because at that point a different decision might still have been made.
‘There is also concern that some of the information used to inform the decision now seems to be crumbling.
‘In fact the figures seem to be suggesting things were getting better before the lockdown began – we are being shut down for a month when we did not need to be.
‘It means a third or fourth lockdown is very unlikely. All of this goes against his political inclinations.’
Scientists predicted deaths could reach 4,000 deaths a day by December without further action – but Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, later admitted this was ‘unlikely’ and said a peak similar to the first wave was ‘entirely realistic’.
Then Government graphs predicting the number of coronavirus deaths in the second wave could massively surpass those in the first peak were ‘quietly corrected’ at the end of last week.
In addition to this, some figures have suggested the second wave may have levelled off, or even peaked, before the lockdown even started on Thursday.
Yesterday another 156 Covid deaths were reported across the UK, down from 162 a week earlier.
Some 20,572 cases were recorded, which is a fall of 2,682 on the previous Sunday’s total of 23,254.
And the Office for National Statistics reported on Friday that the rate at which the virus is spreading also appears to be slowing down.
Its estimate of new daily infections fell from 51,900 to 45,700 in the week to the end of October.
The Government source claims these events may ‘harden’ the PM’s attitude against any further restrictions after December 2.
But Downing Street last night denied that the PM felt he had been bounced into the lockdown.
A Government source said: ‘It is true that we were furious about the leak, but the PM is absolutely clear that the evidence showed these measures were necessary.
‘Even if you put the 4,000 figure to one side, there was plenty of other very concerning data, such as the hospitalisation figures, that made it very clear he had to act.’
But the claim the PM feels he was pushed into a second lockdown will fuel concern among rebel MPs who claimed the extra measures were unnecessary.
Fifty Tory MPs voted against the lockdown legislation, and sources claim the revolt could top 100 if there is any attempt to extend it.
Mr Johnson has however publicly stated the lockdown will ‘expire’ on December 2, with England then reverting back to the regional tiered system of lockdown.
Cases in Merseyside and the North East fell following the introduction of tough measures under tier 3 of the restrictions.
A study by King’s College London last week found the R-rate, which measures the speed at which the virus is spreading, had fallen to one.
Professor Tim Spector, the scientist behind the study, said it was a ‘positive sign we have passed the peak of this second wave’, although he said the lockdown would help squeeze the virus further.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/09/coronavirus-uk-boris-johnson-feels-bounced-into-second-lockdown-13561052/