UK coronavirus LIVE: Sir Keir Starmer calls for 'circuit breaker' lockdown in England as UK death toll hits four-month high

AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images

Sir Keir Starmer has urged the Prime Minister to implement a two to three week "circuit breaker" lockdown in England to stem the rising tide of coronavirus infections.

In a major intervention, the Labour leader said the Government did not have a “credible plan” to slow infection, that they had “lost control” of the virus and were no longer following scientific advice.

It came 24 hours after Boris Johnson announced a new "three-tier" system for local lockdowns in England, despite being warned by the Government's scientific advisors that a national "circuit breaker" was needed.

MPs will vote on the measures on Tuesday evening. Earlier the Department of Health reported a further 143 coronavirus deaths in the UK, the highest daily death toll since June 10. Some 17,243 new cases were also recorded.

Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan has warned that Londoners will face new coronavirus restrictions within the coming days as cases continue to move “in the wrong direction”.

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