Debacle over No 10 Christmas party ‘threatens efforts to control pandemic’

Scientists say rule-breaking could damage public compliance behaviours when they are more important than ever'

The debacle over the No 10 Christmas party threatens to undermine efforts to control the Covid pandemic at a time when the Omicron variant is fuelling fears of an imminent and major wave of disease, say scientists.

A so-called Cummings effect last year led to negative and lasting consequences" on public trust following the lockdown-busting trips made by Boris Johnson's aide, Dominic Cummings, researchers found.