Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock have to perform a delicate balancing act when it comes to Covid-19

As the clamour grows for tougher controls, ministers find themselves wondering if they are reacting now to a situation which has already moved on, writes Andrew Woodcock

Boris Johnson in front of the Commons Liaison Committee (AFP via Getty)

Tony Blair famously complained that, when trying to push through change as prime minister, he was often in the position of pulling a lever only to find that nothing happened.

Today’s batch of leaders, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, have a slightly different version of the same problem.

When Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock pull a policy lever by introducing new restrictions to social and economic life, there’s no question that something happens.