SIR Jacob Rees-Mogg has said the call to wear masks is the state “attempting to control your life”.

Speaking to GB News he said: “Masks are back. Nearly six years since the first covid lockdown experiment was imposed, the NHS is telling you to wear a mask in your office if you have cold or flu-like symptoms.

“Several schools have been put into lockdown in recent weeks as a strain of flu continues to spread, despite government officials telling schools not to go into lockdown, except in extreme circumstances…

“Now this is absolutely reminiscent of the narrative pushed by the blob to justify locking people in their homes and wearing masks. Wearing masks arguably made no difference during Covid, as the Cochrane review showed.

“And with cloth masks, it may actually give people a false sense of confidence, thinking that they’re not going to spread the disease and actually increase risks as they sit closer to each other, as again, is in reports that have been done into mask wearing.

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“So it’s not about public health, it’s about the state attempting to control your life. During Covid, there were incidents of the Civil Service using behavioural techniques, nudge theory, to persuade the Prime Minister Boris Johnson to wear a mask in public and encourage the use of them by the public.

“This is the wrong way for the Civil Service to be using behavioural techniques on a democratically elected politician. It was completely improper, and now we’re getting a similar strain of paternalism creeping back.

“Every winter the NHS faces a flu outbreak, it’s part of the nation’s life. And while the NHS should take care of those who need it, it’s the responsibility of individuals to protect their health to the best of their ability.

“The flu vaccine is available to those who need and want it, and it’s established and effective. It’s backed by years of research development and clinical trials…

“The reduction in Covid spread has much more to do with individuals staying at home if symptomatic and using common sense to decide whether to attend or even hold a social event.

“It wasn’t masks: masks are a tactic to give the impression of action whilst not making a great difference…the blob is always keen to introduce measures to control your life, regardless of how effective it may be.

“We need to learn the lessons from Covid and not allow the state to impose on our lives in this way. We need to return to the habit of individuals – you and me – taking responsibility for our own decisions, not relying on the nanny state.”