DUP Minister Edwin Poots agrees with email stating lockdown will cause devastation - he responds ‘the failure of the health department will inevitably lead to the failure of the economy’

Just a day after the Executive agreed tough new restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19, the Environment Minister signalled that he was not in support of the measures.

An email sent to all MLAs stated: “I cannot believe we are now entering another lockdown which will have a devastating effect on people, jobs, and the economy.

“We need to take advice from more that the medical community about the NHS being overwhelmed, THE NHS IS OVERWHELMED EVERY YEAR AT THIS TIME it’s noting new it happens every year, and we don’t have a lockdown, what has happened to rational thinking??”

In responding to the email Mr Poots said: “I entirely agree, unfortunately the majority of the Executive see things differently.

“The failure of the health department will inevitably lead to the failure of the Economy.”

Responding to the latest comments, Ulster Unionist Health spokesperson, Alan Chambers MLA, said: “Once again Edwin Poots is performing his own twisted version of the blame game.

“A few days ago he was pointing the finger of blame at the nationalist community for Covid-19. Now he’s blaming the health service, and in the process, insulting everyone within it who is working so hard at this particular time to save lives.

“Edwin Poots needs to get real and stop playing pathetic political games in the middle of a global pandemic, which has already delayed crucial life-saving decisions. His words and actions are grossly irresponsible.”