Boris Johnson will take the public with him if he is cautious about lifting restrictions

Editorial: Fortunately, the prime minister has given himself some flexibility on the 21 June deadline

Public opinion will support Boris Johnson if he delays the lifting of some restrictions, a poll for The Independent finds (Reuters)

No matter how much a vocal minority of Conservative backbench MPs insist that the British public has had enough of coronavirus restrictions, the evidence points the other way.

A Savanta ComRes opinion poll for The Independent finds that a clear majority of the people are worried about lifting most of the remaining restrictions on 21 June – the earliest date set by the government for the fourth stage of the phased return to normality.

The poll suggests that 65 per cent of people are worried about ending social distancing, 63 per cent are concerned about dropping the requirement for face coverings in closed spaces, and 60 per cent think it is too early to allow unlimited numbers into concerts, theatres and sports stadiums.