Boris Johnson accepts ‘frustration’ over ‘complex’ lockdown plan as he unveils £93m vaccine boost
The Prime Minister said the UK was attempting something never done before
4 min read
Boris Johnson has acknowledged public “frustration” at easing the UK’s “complex” coronavirus lockdown.
The Prime Minister said the unveiling of a plan to gradually lift the curbs would be seen as “an important moment on the road to our nation’s recovery”.
And he said a new £93million investment into vaccine research and manufacturing showed Britain was “leading the global effort” to fight the disease.
But the comments came as Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer blamed the PM for increasing divergence between England, Wales and Scotland on the easing of lockdown measures.
Mr Johnson this week set out the UK Government's “roadmap” out of lockdown, with Brits who are unable to work from home urged to begin heading back in.
Ministers are also eyeing the return of some primary school children and the reopening of some shops from 1 June, while parts of the leisure and hospitality sectors have been earmarked for a return “no earlier than July”.
But the Government has come in for criticism over the way it communicated its new ‘Stay Alert’ message, while Scotland and Wales have opted not to use the same messaging.
"We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before" - Boris Johnson
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Johnson said: “I understand that people will feel frustrated with some of the new rules.”
But he added: “We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before - moving the country out of a full lockdown, in a way which is safe and does not risk sacrificing all of your hard work.
“I recognise what we are now asking is more complex than simply staying at home - but this is a complex problem and we need to trust in the good sense of the British people.
“If we all stick at it, then we’ll be able, gradually, to get rid of the complexities and the restrictions and make it easier and simpler for families to meet again. But we must move slowly, and at the right time.”
The PM explained: “I know this will not be easy - the first baby steps never are.
“But I hope that, when we look back, the changes we have made this week will be seen as an important moment on the road to our nation’s recovery.”
However, Sir Keir claimed the Government’s strategy had failed to “help us out of this crisis" by prompting other parts of the UK to diverge from England.
He told BBC’s Politics Wales programme: “The sooner, frankly, we get back to operating as four nations together the better.
"I do think responsibility for that lies very largely with the prime minister, who I would have hoped could have got all the ducks in a row before he actually made his speech last Sunday.”
'THROW EVERYTHING' AT VACCINE HUNT
Mr Johnson also used his Mail on Sunday article to tout £93million of fresh investment to speed up the opening of a new Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre, which ministers now say will open next summer, 12 months ahead of schedule.
A vaccine for Covid-19 has yet to be discovered, but the Government hopes the new centre, located in Hanwell in Oxfordshire, will open with the capacity to produce enough doses for the entire UK population “in as little as six months”.
The PM said the Government had promised to “throw everything we could at finding a vaccine”.
And he added: “There remains a very long way to go, and I must be frank that a vaccine might not come to fruition.
“But we are leading the global effort. Some of the most promising research into vaccines is happening right here in the UK - and this weekend we are announcing a £93 million investment to open the new Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre a full 12 months ahead of schedule.”
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “As the biggest contributor to the international coalition to find a vaccine, the UK is leading the global response.
"Once a breakthrough is made, we need to be ready to manufacture a vaccine by the millions.
“The new Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre and temporary facility will build ‘fill and finish’ capacity, bringing the UK vaccine programme together from discovery to distribution.”
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