Dear Constituent,

Thank you for your email for which I am grateful. I respect your opinion and it is very clear there should not have been any social gatherings. The Prime Minister has apologised and I accept his apology.

Given the grave problems facing us nationally and internationally, I don’t think there is anything to be gained by replacing the Prime Minister at the present time, nor do I think it is a proportionate response to events that took place in the Prime Minister’s house with his own colleagues. I do, however, share the deep sense of disappointment in the failure of leadership which has taken place.

My view has always been that we should have taken a more measured approach to controlling the virus, focussing on supporting the vulnerable rather than heavy-handed lockdowns and regulations.

As I said in the debate on Plan B in December, the more and more you try and control people’s lives the more hypocrisy you will create.

Thank you, however, for taking the time to share your views on this with me and rest assured that I have very much taken them on board.

Yours,

Edward Leigh MP