Housing Minister Robert Jenrick has defended his 40 mile drive to visit his elderly parents during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, saying he was delivering essentials.
He penned an explanation on Twitter tonight in response to a report detailing his trip.
Mr Jenrick wrote: “For clarity – my parents asked me to deliver some essentials – including medicines.
“They are both self-isolating due to age and my father’s medical condition and I respected social distancing rules.”
The senior minister insisted he had not broken lockdown rules after a report surfaced in the Guardian in which a witness claimed to have seen him visiting his parents at their Shropshire home.
A witness had told the news site they had seen Mr Jenrick, 38, visiting the property over the past weekend.
(Image: Pippa Fowles / 10 Downing Street)
A source had confirmed the trip, but claimed Mr Jenrick had dropped off food and medication, and did not enter his parents’ house.
The Guardian reported that the local community had been taking care of the minister’s parents’ grocery deliveries in recent weeks.
The source said Mr Jenrick had also been collecting and delivering medication for his parent.
The government’s lockdown rules bar all but essential travel.
As housing and communities secretary, Mr Jenrick has been one of the key ambassadors government’s lockdown advice.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday just over two weeks ago, the minister urged local communities to help out their elderly and vulnerable loved ones, rather than relatives travelling to help.
“While we create physical distance between ourselves, we must at the same time have closer social support for our neighbour,” he wrote.
Mr Jenrick’s visit to his parents came after he urged other Brits not to visit their families on Mother’s Day.
“The advice today is very clear, we need to stay at home all bar the most essential activities, and by doing that we’ll protect the NHS and help to save lives,” he told Sky News.
“I know it’s Mother’s Day and I know it’s tough and it goes against everything that we want to do as a family but don’t go and see your mum
“Give her a phone call, Skype her, FaceTime her, tell her that you love her and that we’re going to get through this together.”
The miniter has also taken the reins on the issue of social distancing in public spaces, amid concern at the size of the crowds still flocking to Britain’s parks during lockdown.
Some councils had shut parks over fears users weren’t following social distancing rules and amid pictures of people sunbathing in warmer weather.
Mr Jenrick has been calling councils not to shut parks unless it is “impossible” to maintain social distancing in them.
He said earlier this week that he had called local leaders to warn them to be “very judicious” in locking open spaces.
