Boris Johnson covid slogans
© Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/AFP via Getty ImagesSeveral public information campaigns and slogans were used during the Covid crisis in a bid to alter people's behaviour.
'Level of fear willingly conveyed on the public' to get people to change their behaviour was a 'far-reaching mistake', says co-founder.

Scare tactics have been misused during the pandemic to get the public to follow coronavirus lockdown rules, the co-founder of Downing Street's "Nudge Unit" has suggested.


Simon Ruda, a behavioural scientist, said he feared the "most egregious and far-reaching mistake" made during the Covid-19 crisis was the "level of fear willingly conveyed on the public".

While defending behavioural science for driving improvements in public policy, Mr Ruda said he now appreciated the "vulnerabilities of well-intentioned, democratic regimes" and the ability for the field to be "used inappropriately".

In an article published by the website Unherd, he went on to warn that this trend could have unintended consequences, including worse "inter-societal relations" and a decline in trust of "institutions".

'We inadvertently sanctioned state propaganda'

He said: "Nudging made subtle state influence palatable, but mixed with a state of emergency, have we inadvertently sanctioned state propaganda."

Launched under David Cameron's administration in 2010, the Behavioural Insights Team was seen widely as a Whitehall success. Hundreds of similar initiatives have been launched across the world since.

Mr Ruda's intervention comes just weeks after Lord Frost, the former Brexit minister and chief negotiator, quit the Government - citing his unwillingness to continue supporting its "coercive policies on Covid".

His resignation followed the introduction of a number of new restrictions including Covid passports, requiring people to show proof of vaccination or a negative test before entering a large venue, such as a nightclub.

Lord Frost's departure has been partially credited with emboldening a number of Cabinet ministers, who have in recent weeks railed against calls from scientists and the Government's advisers for further measures.

Appearing to echo his concerns, Mr Ruda wrote that he feared that the strategy employed at the beginning of the pandemic to boost public compliance appeared to have continued throughout the crisis.

"Though I don't think it's fair to blame behavioural scientists for propagating fear (I suspect that this was more to do with government communicators and the incentives of news broadcasters), it may be worth reflecting on where we need to draw the line.

"In my mind, the most egregious and far-reaching mistake made in responding to the pandemic has been the level of fear willingly conveyed on the public.

"Initially encouraged to boost public compliance, that fear seems to have subsequently driven policy decisions in a worrying feedback loop."

He added that while "behavioural science in policy can help us improve people's lives", there should not be complacency over "the potential for unintended harm".