MPs are putting pressure on Boris Johnson to speed up the end of lockdown

With the UK breaking yet another milestone in its vaccine rollout program after having officially vaccinated more than 50 million Brits, MPs are now urging Boris Johnson to ease off on all restrictions before the expected stage four of the roadmap out of lockdown.

Sooner rather than later

Yesterday, Boris Johnson revealed that lockdown easing was on course with the scheme that was proposed earlier this year. He said:

We have got a good chance of being able to dispense with the one-metre plus from June 21. That is still dependent on the data, we can’t say it categorically yet, we have got to look at the epidemiology as we progress. But that’s what it feels like to me right now.

And Although international travel and indoor hospitality will resume on 17 May—the day the UK will head into phase three of its roadmap out of lockdown– some MPs believe that all COVID restrictions must be lifted sooner rather than later.

Focus on data not dates

With only one single death recorded on 3 May—the lowest ever figure since August of last year—in addition to the plummeting number of new daily infections, Robert Syms, Tory MP for Poole, believes that the PM should focus on 'data not dates.' He said:

If you take the data rather than dates, infections, hospitalisations and deaths have fallen quite rapidly and there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that any of the unlocking has caused any sort of spike.

And added:

It didn’t happen when schools reopened and hasn’t as a result of shops reopening. We need to push the Government to get on with it. A lot of normal life could be returned.

Former minister David Jones also believes that the government should consider bringing forward the date marking the end of all COVID restrictions:

Lots of hospitality businesses desperately need to recommence full trading and lots of livelihoods depend on it.