Javid says he’ll wear a mask on Budget day but backs off advice to fellow Tories

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has committed to wearing a mask in the Commons when it is packed on Budget day but declined to repeat his call for Tory colleagues to cover up.

Mr Javid said on Monday that wearing a mask in the crowded chamber is a “personal decision” for ministers and backbenchers.

The Cabinet member took No 10 by surprise last week when he told a press conference that Conservatives MPs should “set an example” by ending their stance of not wearing masks.

“If I’m in the chamber on Budget day, given it will be packed, I will be, yes,” Mr Javid told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“The guidelines are clear, it’s for people to make a personal decision on how they see the risk of them and those around them, and this is obviously a workplace setting, so it’s going to be a decision for them, but I can speak for myself.”

Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg last week insisted Tories do not need to wear masks in Parliament because with their “convivial, fraternal spirit” they know each other well.

That may change if the Government moves to Plan B of its strategy to tackle coronavirus this winter, with a possible return to mandatory use in some settings.

Asked whether Boris Johnson would wear a mask, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It is a matter for personal judgment whether individuals choose to wear masks.”

Meanwhile, Solicitor General Alex Chalk revealed he has tested positive for coronavirus and is now self-isolating.

He was seen without a mask in the Commons chamber during Prime Minister’s Questions last week.

In a message on Facebook on Sunday, he said: “Following a positive PCR (test) I am self-isolating at home. I feel absolutely right as rain and symptom-free but I’m following the instructions, of course.”