Former Tory Minister Edwina Currie has defended the Government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the public need to lose weight and use their "intelligence".
The former teacher also refused to comment on Gavin Williamson's U-turn on A-level results , calling it "above my pay grade" during her appearance on Good Morning Britain.
Her comments sparked criticism online with social media users claiming Ms Currie was trying to "rewrite history".
Ms Currie defended the government's handling of the crisis , adding that it was treating the British public like "intelligent human beings.
“Most important, this government is treating us like intelligent human beings”, she said.
She asked the public to put themselves in the shoes of the government she described as "new", despite the Conservative Party having been in power since 2010.
“It’s not the easiest circumstance, we should all put ourselves in the shoes of ministers, remember it’s a new government it was only elected in December", she said.
“What a business to get into three months into being elected, new government ministers, new MPs, I think they are doing their best, it isn’t always brilliant, but they’re doing a good job.
“But it relies heavily on all of us - 65 million of us - using our brains and using our common sense. Don’t do anything stupid. If you’re obese, get that weight off. Actually do something about it, make good use of that time.”
Dr Lucy-Jane Davis tweeted that Ms Currie was "rewriting history".
"Edwina Currie on @GMB re-writing history; “but it’s a new government, they were only elected in December”", Ms Davis wrote
"So that Tory government which won the 2015 and 2017 elections wasn’t a Tory government?"
Another social media user Judy Tomlinson tweeted: "The mixed messaging from the Government is being done on purpose so that if things go wrong & a second wave occurs it will be our own fault, this will lead to herd immunity which is what the Government wanted all along, no matter how many deaths along the way ... incompetence."