By Ben Kerrigan-
Boris Johnson has been accused of hypocrisy by a Labour MP following reports the Prime Minister went cycling seven miles from his home after imposing sweeping Covid restrictions on others.
Mr Johnson was seen at the Olympic Park in east London on Sunday afternoon cycling with members of his security detail, it was claimed
The Prime Minister was wearing his TfL hat and a face mask when he was seen cycling with his security detail in Stratford, east London, at around 2pm.
Official Government guidance on exercise says it should be limited to once a day and “you should not travel outside your local area”.
Official regulations brought in by Mr Johnson say that exercise is limited to once a day and you should not leave your local area, in a bid to halt the surge in coronavirus cases.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock was asked during Monday’s Downing Street press conference if you were allowed to exercise seven miles away from your home.
He replied: “It is OK to go – if you went for a long walk – and ended up seven miles away from home. That is OK, but you should stay local.
“You should not go from one side of the country to another potentially taking the virus with you.
“Remember one in three people who have the virus don’t know they have it because they have no symptoms and yet still pass it on.”
A Downing Street spokesman declined to comment on the matter when asked about it at a Westminster briefing.
Labour MP for Hammersmith in west London Andy Slaughter condemned the Prime Minister.
Mr Slaughter said: “Once again it is do as I say not as I do from the Prime Minister.
“London has some of the highest infection rates in the country. Boris Johnson should be leading by example.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
Asked about Covid restrictions Mr Hancock was pressed on whether people should exercise seven miles from their home – thought to be a reference to the reports concerning Mr Johnson.
The Health Secretary said: “Yes, you can go and exercise in the park with one other person, but only one other person.
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“And we have been seeing large groups and that is not acceptable. And you should be two metres apart from the other person.
“If there are too many people breaking this rule then we are going to have to look at it.
“But, I don’t want to do that because, for many people being able to go for a walk with a friend, that often is their only social contact.
“It is OK to go for a walk with one other person around a park, but you should stay two metres apart from that other person.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
“And, likewise, it is OK, if you went for a long walk and ended up seven miles away from home, that is OK.
“But, you should stay local, you should not go from one side of a country to another, potentially taking the virus with you.”
The comments came after a Downing Street spokesman was unable to tell a Westminster briefing whether it was against the regulations to sit on a park bench on your own, or not.
The Government was engulfed in controversy last year when Mr Johnson’s then chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, was accused of breaking lockdown rules – a claim Mr Cummings denied.
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