Coronavirus daily briefings to end after today, No 10 announces as lockdown eased

Boris Johnson to lead final press conference, with scientific and medical advisers at his side

Prime minister Boris Johnson has been accused of "dodging scrutiny" at a crucial moment for the coronavirus crisis, after Downing Street announced an end to daily televised briefings from Number 10.

Mr Johnson led the last of the daily question and answer sessions alongside chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance on Tuesday evening, saying that in future they would only take place when "we have something really important to say".

Millions of viewers had tuned in to the conferences at 5pm each day throughout the Covid-19 outbreak, in an unprecedented exercise in public scrutiny which saw a number of ministers come a cropper and featured a deputy chief medical officer openly challenging the behaviour of top Number 10 aide Dominic Cummings.

But shortly after Mr Johnson's announcement of lockdown relaxations in the House of Commons, a No 10 spokesman announced: "From today, the press conferences will no longer be daily. We’ll continue to hold press conferences to coincide with significant announcements, including with the PM.

"We will be publishing all of the data which has previously been included in the press conference slides on gov.uk every week day."

Acting Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “On the day the Prime Minister has announced the next crucial stages of exiting lockdown, it beggars belief ministers are now dodging scrutiny.

“At a time when millions of people are worried about how they go back to a more normal life, the government should be making themselves more accessible to the public, not less.

“Combined with their refusal to hold an inquiry to learn the lessons before a potential second wave, it seems the government are simply running away from all the tough questions.”

Mr Johnson told the final daily briefing that he was going to be "winding down the rhythm of these press conferences... basically because we're continuing to make great progress in controlling the virus and we want to make sure that we have something really important to say."

He added: "I want to stress that we will of course be keeping you informed as ... I'm afraid there probably will be more outbreaks and certainly local outbreaks.

"I don't think, therefore, that you've seen the last of us by any means but they will not be happening as often as they have been."

The briefings have allowed scrutiny of every step of the government's response to the outbreak, from PPE supply to social distancing and testing and have made national figures of Prof Whitty and Prof Vallance.

And they have been the forum for a sequence of ministerial gaffes, from Mr Johnson's comment that he had shaken hands with people at a hospital treating coronavirus patients to Priti Patel stumbling over the figures of daily infections and saying that she was "sorry if people feel there have been failings" in the supply of protective equipment to NHS staff.

The Independent revealed that experts appearing at the conferences were asked by political advisers in advance for their position on the sensitive issue of Mr Cummings' lockdown breaches, after deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam made clear that the rules applied to the No 10 aide as much as anyone else.

Mr Johnson's valedictory appearance at Tuesday's press conference was his 16th turn behind the lectern. The most-seen minister was health secretary Matt Hancock, with 24 stints, followed by foreign secretary Dominic Raab on 12. Vallance appeared 21 times and Whitty 18, as the government sought to demonstrate scientific and medical support for its approach.

The first few in mid-March took place in the presence of journalists, but they soon switched to virtual questioning via video call as social distancing rules kicked in. Queries from the public were soon added to the media grilling, and the daily conferences were later reduced to five a week.