Boris Johnson news: No ‘perfect way’ to end lockdown, Whitty warns as Scottish and Welsh leaders attack ‘shambolic government’

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Boris Johnson says he would not take the knee: 'I don't believe in gestures'

The UK government was accused of a “shambolic” response to the coronavirus pandemic as it lifted its travel quarantine for 59 countries and further eased lockdown restrictions.

Scottish and Welsh leaders both described the new policy for arrivals in England as a “mess” as police forces braced for the “perfect storm” of pubs reopening for “Super Saturday”.

However chief medical officer Chris Whitty said there was no “perfect” way to reopen Britain’s economy after the lockdown. Meanwhile Boris Johnson indicated he would not take the knee in support for Black Lives Matter – saying he does not believe in such “gestures”.

Key Points

• No 'perfect way' to end lockdown, Whitty warns
• Boris Johnson lays out plan for dealing with new outbreaks
• PM: Local outbreaks will be 'feature of our lives for some time'
• Pubs must wait until 6am to open, Downing Street says
• Scottish and Welsh leaders attack 'shambolic government'
• No-deal Brexit scenario still ‘good option’, claims Johnson
• PM ‘wouldn’t take knee’ for Black Lives Matter

[3 July 2020 21:11 · Peter Stubley]

[3 July 2020 21:20 · Peter Stubley]

Portugal PM unhappy at exclusion from travel list

Antonio Costa, the prime minister of Portugal, is clearly not impressed with the UK government's decision not to exempt Portugal from the 14-day travel quarantine.

He tweeted a graph showing the UK with a much higher number of cases per 100,000 population than the Algarve, adding: "Which is the safest place to stay? You are welcome to spend a safe holiday in Algarve! £UK £visitportugal."

His foreign affairs minister also branded it "absurd", pointing out that the UK had had 28 times more deaths related to coronavirus.

The UK government says it has made its decision on the current rates of infection around the world.

 

[3 July 2020 21:50 · Peter Stubley]

'The government's list of holiday destinations is bizarre'

The list of locations from which quarantine will not be required for travellers returning to England this summer is baffling, writes travel correspondent Simon Calder.

"The term “U-turn” hardly begins to describe the contortions performed in the government’s shambolic efforts to reverse the bizarre policy of blanket quarantine. The“traffic light” system, championed just days ago, appears to have been abandoned in favour of a binary go/no-go choice."

[3 July 2020 22:12 · Peter Stubley]

'Eat out to help out', says chancellor

Rishi Sunak has urged the nation to go out and enjoy the relaxation of the restrictions tomorrow, telling The Times that people need to "relearn what it's like to go out again" to boost the "consumption-driven economy".

It contrasts with Boris Johnson's slightly more cautious approach this afternoon, when he said that "the economic health of the whole country is dependent on every single one of us acting responsibly".

[3 July 2020 22:26 · Peter Stubley]

Cricket to return next week after another PM U-turn

Boris Johnson has made a sudden reversal of his decision on the return of recreational cricket, announcing the sport is set to be back from next weekend having said only hours earlier on Friday that cricket was not safe due to “the teas, the changing rooms and so on”.

A month ago the prime minister described cricket balls as being “a vector of disease”, but on Friday morning he veered from those comments when asked why recreational tennis had been allowed to resume in recent weeks, but not cricket, instead blaming the team environment.

[3 July 2020 22:27 · Peter Stubley]

NHS at 72

As the National Health Service approaches it's birthday on Sunday, here's Joe Sommerlad with the story of how it was created.