We could ditch Covid lockdown curbs a month early, Boris Johnson told
BORIS Johnson is being urged to unlock the nation up to a month early as cases have fallen and our vaccine programme is going so well. It comes as the PM faces a Tory rebellion on Parliament this week over plans to extend Covid laws for months to come. The PM’s roadmap is due to […]
BORIS Johnson is being urged to unlock the nation up to a month early as cases have fallen and our vaccine programme is going so well.
It comes as the PM faces a Tory rebellion on Parliament this week over plans to extend Covid laws for months to come.
The PM’s roadmap is due to start unlocking the nature further next week, with plans for outdoor sport to reopen, and for people to be allowed to meet in groups of six outside.
In April pubs, gyms and hairdressers will be allowed to open their doors, and
Scotland’s roadmap is opening some facilities up to a week earlier.
Britain smashed its vaccination target yesterday for the third day in a row – with a whopping 800,000 doses dished out.
More than half of adult Brits have now had their first dose.
Last night a think tank suggested the PM to speed up.
Boris has always said he will consider “data not dates” but has stressed he will stick by his roadmap.
Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “Even if the vaccination programme slows down next month, we are in a far better place than anybody expected in January.
“The data continues to exceed expectations, but the dates in the government’s sluggish roadmap never move.
“Every extra day of lockdown produces diminishing returns and mounting costs. Waiting another two months for hospitality to reopen seems excessive when people will be meeting in their homes regardless of government diktats.
“We should keep a watchful eye on the data, but we should not stick stubbornly to an arbitrary timetable. There is now a strong case for bringing the roadmap forward by four weeks.”
It comes as the PM faces crunch votes on his lockdown rules later this week – but they are set to pass as Labour will back them.
Chief rebel Steve Baker vowed last night to vote against the “authoritarian”. “excessive and disproportionate” legislation, and warned Brits were at risk of getting fined in huge numbers if they meet up indoors with family and friends at Easter.
MPs will have to vote on an extension of the Coronavirus Act on Thursday, which needs to be rubber stamped every 6 months to keep extended sick pay, furlough rules and keep other emergency health changes for the NHS in place until 2022.
Some rules will be binned as they are no longer needed, No10 said last night.
Politicians will also have to give the green light to an extension of the emergency lockdown regulations – which will now be reviewed every 35 days as Britain makes slow steps back to normality as part of the PM’s roadmap.
Mr Baker told Sky’s Sophy Ridge yesterday: “The government really does need to start taking advantage of their own great success on the vaccination programme.
“It needs to answer why, as so many people are vaccinated, we’re not relaxing religious restrictions in line with that data.
“They really should now start looking at, dramatically reducing the range of powers that they have and making sure that the law is clear to the public.”
Tory Mark Harper of the Covid Recovery Group fumed last night: “The Opposition will once again give the Govt a blank cheque this week.
“Someone has to stand up and ask the reasonable questions about why significant powers are going to be extended until October – 3 months beyond the end of the roadmap.”
Ministers warned now was not the time to throw away months of progress and admitted the curbs could end early if they were needed.
Ben Wallace said last night Parliament could always repeal the laws early if they weren’t needed come the summer – but it will depend on progress on vaccinations and cases.
And he stressed now was not the time to throw away progress or put it at risk by unlocking the nation too early.
He added: “The final mile is the most important thing for us all – to make sure that we buckle down.
“None of us want to have lots of draconian measures but this is an unprecedented global pandemic that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives around the world.”
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A Government spokesperson said last night: “The Prime Minister has said the intention is for our roadmap to be cautious but irreversible, so we need to assess the data against our four tests before proceeding with each step.
“We do not want any restrictions to be in place longer than needed, which is why the regulations underpinning the roadmap expire at the end of June and must be reviewed at least every 35 days.
“The separate Coronavirus Act requires an extension to ensure crucial interventions like the furlough scheme, virtual court hearings and the extension of Statutory Sick Pay can continue as long as they are needed.
“We have undertaken an extensive review of every power contained in this Act, and have identified a number of those powers which are no longer required and can be expired.”