Responding to the Welsh Government’s announcement of a Wales-wide lockdown starting on the 23rd October, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood said:

“It’s very easy for this Welsh Government to take such a flippant approach to shutting down the economy of Wales over and over again when they’re not the ones paying for it. They’ve had months to develop a hyperlocal response which suppresses the virus where it’s cases are highest, but have instead pursued a broad strokes approach that has paralysed vast swathes of the economy without any financial support.

“As some of the information from this weekend has shown, the First Minister has shown a blatant disregard for the Senedd, local authorities, businesses and the people of Wales by creating a media hysteria for the circuit breaker, leading everyone on a wild goose chase whilst the decision seems to have been already made. If this was the UK Government they would have been torn apart in the media.

“And, given that communication is key in suppressing this virus, just why have this Welsh Government decided to brand it as a fire breaker, just when everyone is getting used to the terminology of a ‘circuit breaker’?”

Paul Davies MS, the Leader of the Opposition in the Welsh Parliament, has called the lockdown “not-proportionate” and is calling on the Welsh Government to be “open and transparent” on the evidence to support a lockdown and if the First Minister is committing Wales to rolling Wales-wide lockdowns every month.