Northamptonshire MP describes Chief Medical Officer's suggestion restrictions could be in place next winter as 'very unhelpful'

A Northamptonshire MP has criticised England's Chief Medical Officer over his suggestion Covid restrictions could return next winter.

South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom said Professor Chris Witty's remarks at a Downing Street press conference were "a great shame".

She spoke as part of a panel on BBC's Politic Live on Wednesday (January 6), saying the comments were "very unhelpful" when residents were already "depressed" about lockdown.

Mrs Leadsom made the remark after she was asked by BBC political correspondent Adam Fleming if she thought Chris Witty should be replaced.

"I'm not suggesting he should be replaced for a moment," said Mrs Leadsom. "I'm saying what he has said [and] speculating so far forward without any sense of knowledge about what's going to happen next Christmas is very unhelpful to the public.

"I think it's a great shame that he's done that.

"He can state that as he wishes and if that is his professional opinion then so be it.

"But I would like, if he was here, to challenge him over what makes him so certain that he should come out and put us on the front pages of every newspaper at a time when people are already feeling very down and depressed about this."

Host Jo Coburn questioned whether Chris Witty was just being "realistic".

At the No 10 conference on Tuesday night, Professor Chris Witty warned: "We shouldn't kid ourselves [that] this just disappears with spring."

He said that while restrictions were would be "lifted by degrees" over the course of the year, he went to say: "We might have to bring in a few in the next winter for example, that's possible, because winter will benefit the virus."

The warning came as the UK recorded more than 60,000 people testing positive for the coronavirus in a day for the first time.

And, yesterday, Northamptonshire saw in excess of 1,000 positive tests in a single day for the first time, according to Government figures.

Director of health for Northamptonshire Lucy Wightman said: "The situation is going from bad to worse... Northamptonshire is in the worst position in the East Midlands.

"I know this is exceptionally difficult for residents but given the concerning data and the current pressure on our NHS services, the Government’s action is absolutely essential."