A VICAR has spoken of his anger after the government’s U-turn on reviewing lockdown fines and breaches.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, Reverend Martin Poole said that he had received many positive messages after posing the query.

He asked the question at yesterday’s press briefing from Downing Street, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock suggesting it would be “looked at”.

But the Treasury slapped down the Health Secretary’s suggestion within minutes - and today Rev Poole voiced his disappointment.

He also sounded a warning on GMB over the government’s muddled messaging.

The Argus: Dominic Cummings in Downing Street

Dominic Cummings

Host Ben Shephard asked: “It seemed like they were going to actually listen carefully and do something about that.

“They’ve come back and decided they’re not going to review them.

“Have you heard anything from the government post asking your question?”

“I generally reflected the mood,” he said.

>> SEE ALSO: Reverend Martin Poole asks question at coronavirus briefing

“We’re sharing the frustration in these boundaries are flexible and now we know they are.

“It doesn’t seem to be fair.

“I’m a little disappointed that there has been some rowing back on that since the press briefing.

“Sadly that message reinforces the feeling that we’re operating on different sets of values.”

Mr Hancock had said it was “perfectly reasonable to take away that question” and that the government could review the question with colleagues.

He added: “If the government is starting to say that we can interpret the law with our own judgement, that has enormous implications for the law in general.

The Argus:

“What I’m hearing is that the government isn’t on the same page as the rest of them.”

The Reverend, from St Luke’s in Brighton, also he told BBC Radio 4 that he was disappointed to hear that after Hancock said he’d pass the matter onto ministers, it had been announced that there won’t be a review of penalties.

“I took him at his word that he’ll go away and have some discussion and that was nice to hear.

“It’s disappointing to hear afterwards that they’ve rowed back on that,” he said.

“What I want is honesty from the government.

“If their response is they can’t review things or don’t want to, I accept they’ll say that.”

It comes as Sir Bernard Jenrick, who will chair today’s grilling of Boris Johnson at the Commons Liaison Committee, confirmed this morning that there will be no such review.

The Health Secretary suggested punitive penalties could be reviewed by the Treasury after Dominic Cummings made a 260-mile dash from London to Durham.

Mr Cummings, Boris Johnson’s chief aide, justified the March 27 journey on the grounds that he was concerned that if he and his wife became ill no one would be able to look after his son.