YouGov criticised for claim about lifting Covid restrictions in ‘England and Wales’
YouGov has been criticised for a claim about lifting Covid-19 restrictions in England and Wales.
The polling firm suggested that most are “due to be lifted this month” in England and Wales in a survey about public attitudes towards wearing face masks.
Covid rules in England are decided by the UK Government, but in Wales they are decided by the Welsh Government.
This led Labour for an Independent Wales president Bob Lloyd to say that “YouGov has a serious problem with Wales.”
Boris Johnson has confirmed today that the final step of lifting coronavirus restrictions in England would happen as planned on 19 July.
These include scrapping the legal requirement to wear face masks and ditching social distancing rules.
However, the Welsh Government has yet to announce what it plans to do and has said that ministers and officials would evaluate data ahead of the next review on 15 July.
The YouGov survey said: “Most remaining Covid restrictions are due to be lifted this month (in England and Wales) or next month (in Scotland).
“Thinking about the current requirement to wear a mask, when most restrictions are lifted do you think…?”
In response Nia Jenkins said: “@YouGov wrongly claiming that Covid restrictions in #Wales will be lifted this month.
“The guidance in Wales is set by the @SeneddCymru @SeneddWales NOT Westminster. @ThatsDevolved.”
Barry Suddery said: “For f***’s sake, @YouGov, devolution has been in place for decades! DO. YOUR. RESEARCH!”
‘Follow England’
Robert Jenrick, Boris Johnson’s Communities Secretary, told The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that the UK Government wants the other nations of the UK to follow England and lift all legal coronavirus rules on July 19.
He said the Westminster government was going to “work with” Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to “try and be as coordinated as possible”.
But at a Covid-19 press conference today, Wales’ Health Minister, Eluned Morgan has said that Wales will “follow the data rather than the politics”.
She added that it was “very clear that we are still in a very difficult situation because case numbers are increasing exponentially in Wales”.
“Boris Johnson will do what is right for England and we will do what is right for Wales,” she said. She added that “time and time again deadlines have been set in England and missed”.
“In an ideal world we would like to move together,” she added. “But here we’ve been following the data and will continue to do that.”
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This is the YouGov that treats Wales as part of the West Midllands, is it not? Madam Zahawi, heater of horses, set it up so take from that what you will.
YouGov is clearly an incompetent organization who should not be trusted to undertake any form of polling.
This happens far too often to be accidental. Somebody needs sacking at Yougov
when you see who the active directors and major shareholders are, YouGov’s agenda becomes much more clear.
Maybe their should be a poll about You Gov ….confusion is still rife.Went to Sainsburys…sign outside read “Shop Alone “..then went home and saw 30,000 people sat together at Wimbledon enjoying a Pimms with food !