Michael Gove apologises over tennis and golf lockdown blunder... as Robert Jenrick also gets rules wrong

Two Cabinet ministers were embarrassed today when they got the new lockdown rules completely wrong.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove apologised after wrongly telling the public it would be okay to play golf or singles tennis in the open air.

And then Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick blundered by saying on TV that it was fine for an entire household to meet up with a friend from another household and go for a walk. 

Mr Jenrick then contradicted himself, increasing the confusion sowed by his remarks.

The blunders came as the Cabinet convened for its first weekly session since the emergency four-week lockdown, due to end on December 2, was announced.

Mr Gove’s mistake came in a Facebook Q&A with Surrey voters when he said singles tennis was allowed and said "we are looking at" allowing people to play golf with one other person. 

This morning he confessed via Twitter that he was wrong and tweeted a link to the published Government guidance which clearly shows that golf courses and tennis clubs are being ordered to close.

"My apologies, I got this wrong," he said. "Outdoor leisure facilities including tennis courts and golf courses will be closed from Thursday."

Mr Jenrick, speaking later on BBC Breakfast, suggested households could go for a walk with one other person, prompting presenter Louise Minchin to ask: "I think I heard you say that outside you can be one household, plus one other person, is that what you meant and is that right?"

Mr Jenrick assured her: "Yes, that's right."

She asked again: "So a family could go for a walk, with, for example, a friend?" The Communities Secretary answered: "Yes."

Pressed again whether four people from one household and one person from another could go for a walk, Mr Jenrick changed his tune and said: "Yes, so you can go out in your own household, or with one other person."

The official guidance states that people in England can exercise or visit outdoor public places either with their household or with one person from another household, making a maximum of two people from different households.  Children under school-age with a parent will not count towards the limit on two people meeting outside.