Have your say: Who would handle the pandemic better – Johnson or Starmer?

After Sir Keir Starmer called for a short “circuit breaker” lockdown, Boris Johnson is under more pressure to introduce the measure to reduce COVID-19 cases.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the Labour leader cited advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) that said a circuit breaker could set back the virus by 28 days.

He said of Johnson amid a second surge of COVID-19 infections and hospital admissions: “There’s no longer time to give this prime minister the benefit of the doubt.”

Starmer, appearing in front of slogans reading “a new leadership”, said the government has “lost control” of the virus and doesn’t have a “credible plan” to deal with it.

Johnson this week introduced a three-tier local lockdown system for England.

But just hours after that announcement, one of the PM’s chief advisers, Chris Whitty, cast doubt over the effectiveness of the tiered plan at a Downing Street press conference.

Read more: Government’s three-tier lockdown strategy ‘risks Christmas lockdown’