MP for Kenilworth and Southam Jeremy Wright has said that "we should sympathise especially with school staff" as the nation enters a third lockdown in the space of a year

In a statement on his website today (January 8), Mr Wright has spoken of "the irritation and concern of facing another six or seven weeks of lockdown," focusing especially on the impact the third lockdown will have on education, as well as raising concerns over the UK's vaccination program.

Mr Wright has said that he shares "with every other parent of school-age children the frustration of more home-based learning and the worry about its long-term effects on education, especially for those students who have exams this year.

"We should sympathise especially with school staff who have spent much time and effort preparing for a full return of pupils on Tuesday that was cancelled on Monday night."

Kenilworth's MP had been critical of the UK Government towards the end of 2020, raising concern over Warwickshire's Tier Three allocation following the November lockdown.

Mr Wright voted against the government on a policy issue for the first time in a decade, by rejecting the tier allocations at the beginning of December.

However, his statement today states that "the overwhelming of the NHS and significant loss of life are once more real prospects and I support the actions the Government are taking now to protect the vulnerable, but also access to healthcare for all of us should we need it."

Mr Wright has also called for clarity from the UK Government over the implementation of the vaccination program, the speed of the roll out, and what this means for the length of the current lockdown.

"For that reason I hope Ministers will be more definitive that when we have vaccinated the most vulnerable groups in our society, restrictions will be lifted for all of us.

"Some risk from the virus will remain at that point, but there is risk too in allowing the restrictions to run on indefinitely, including to the NHS which depends on the tax revenues a working economy generates."

Please follow this link to read Mr Wright's statement in full.