Telegraph columnist urges people to ‘snitch’ on Mark Drakeford over covid rules

A Telegraph columnist has urged people to “snitch” on Mark Drakeford because of covid rules.

Madeline Grant, who is also a parliamentary sketch writer for the right wing paper, told her followers on Twitter to check if he was following his “own absurd guidance on household sizes”.

Ms Grant said: “Not usually a snitch but if any followers in Wales happened to live near Drakeford or one of his ministers and fancied maybe ringing the Covid marshal helpline on Christmas Day to check if they’re following their own absurd guidance on household sizes, that would be rather dreamy.”

The First Minister of Wales recently announced that only two households could come together to form a bubble over the Christmas period, between December 23 and 27, and that this would be written into law. It had initially been suggested that it was a guideline.

This has been reduced from three households, which been agreed with the other governments of the UK’s other nations.

The measure is a response to a surge in covid cases in Wales, which the First Minister has described as “extremely serious”.

‘Necessary’ 

Mr Drakeford also announced that Wales would go into Alert Level 4 after Christmas.

All non-essential retail, including close contact services and all leisure and fitness centres will close at the end of trading on Christmas Eve. All hospitality premises will close from 6pm on Christmas Day.

On December 28 at the end of the five-day Christmas period, tighter restrictions for household mixing, staying at home, holiday accommodation and travel will come into force.

According to Mr Drakeford these measures are necessary to “control the spread of coronavirus and save lives.”

The First Minister added: “A smaller Christmas is a safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas.

“The fewer people we mix with in our homes, the less chance we have of catching or spreading the virus.

“None of us wants to be ill this Christmas. And we don’t want to give coronavirus to our close family or friends.”