Video
Brexiteer says ‘government’s job not to follow polls’ but to ‘do best thing for country’
David Davis says governments job not to follow polls but to do best thing for country. Photograph: Sky News. - Credit: Archant
Tory Brexiteer MP David Davis has said that the government's job is not to 'follow polls' as he called for a relaxation of the lockdown.
Appearing on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday the former Brexit secretary was asked for his view on the government's new messaging.
Sighing he said: 'I don't want to see politics driven by slogans'.
'One of the problems we've had so far is a certain amount of confusion about messaging whether it's on masks or whatever. What matters in this is the detailed instructions'.
He said some people had 'over interpreted' the rules of the lockdown. before defending the government by insisting that 'every Western government had made mistakes' at the start of the coronavirus.
You may also want to watch:
Calling for a 'thoughtful relaxation', Davis dismissed a Sky poll by YouGov which suggested only 15% of the public want the lockdown to be lifted immediately.
He explained: 'The job of the government is not to follow the polls, the job of the government is to do the best thing for the country.'
Most Read
- 1 Pro-Brexit fishing campaigner says Boris Johnson's deal has left her with 'no fish'
- 2 European parliament agrees to add British overseas territories to post-Brexit tax haven blacklist
- 3 Nigel Farage reminded of claim that 'acid test of Brexit' surrounds fishing after clip resurfaces
- 4 Ed Miliband mocks Kwasi Kwarteng's 'road to Damascus conversion'
- 5 Telegraph columnist blames Angela Merkel for Brexit
- 6 Piers Morgan causes hilarity with 'Priti Patel with a brain' jibe
- 7 Brussels to launch campaign teaching younger Britons about the EU
- 8 Boris Johnson to visit Scotland this week in attempt to shore up the union
- 9 Backlash over Tory MP receiving Covid-19 vaccine despite not being classed as vulnerable
- 10 SNP MP asks Priti Patel why she has not stood down following UK border comments
He added: 'The polls may change, we've seen this before in other campaigns I've had, whether it's on privacy or on foreign policy.
'People support one thing one day - for instance the Iraq war - something like 60 or 70% supported it at the beginning. At the end of it 80% thought it was a terrible idea.
'What matters is not what the polls say today, what matters is what the polls say in a year's time when we've seen the impact of the policies.
'And the job of the government is not to follow the polls, not to fret about that, but to deliver safety on the one hand and economic recovery and social stability and health on the other.'
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.