Boris Johnson: 'No choice' but to impose third national lockdown

Speaking in the Commons today the Prime Minister said there was “no choice” but to plunge the country into a third national lockdown given the spread of coronavirus, particularly the more infectious new variant.

And he said: “Our emergence from the lockdown cocoon will not be a big bang but a gradual unwrapping.

“That is why the legislation this House will vote on later today runs until March 31 – not because we expect the full national lockdown to continue until then but to allow a steady, controlled and evidence-led move down through the tiers on a regional basis.”

The Prime Minister told MPs there would be “continuous review” of the measures with a statutory requirement to look at them every fortnight and a legal obligation to remove them if they are no longer necessary.

“We are in a tough final stretch, made only tougher by the new variant,” Mr Johnson said.

“After the marathon of last year we are indeed now in a sprint, a race to vaccinate the vulnerable faster than the virus can reach them.

“Every needle in every arm makes a difference.”

And he said: “We recognise it will not be possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal and the Education Secretary will be making a statement shortly.

“I know many people will ask whether the decision on schools could have been reached sooner and the answer is that we’ve been doing everything in our power to keep them open because children’s education is too vital and their futures too precious to be disrupted and til every other avenue, every other option has been closed off and every other course of action has been taken.

“That’s why schools were the very last thing to close as I’ve long promised that they would be and when we begin to move out of lockdown I promise that they will be the very first things to reopen.

“That moment may come after the February half-term although we should remain extremely cautious about the timetable ahead and as was the case last spring our emergence from the lockdown cocoon will not be a big bang but a gradual unwrapping.”

The Prime Minister faced pressure from some Conservatives to ease the lockdown as soon as possible.

Conservative former minister Sir Edward Leigh said many of his colleagues who will vote in favour of the lockdown regulations “out of loyalty or because we want to preserve the Government’s authority” are “worried” about successive lockdowns being “less and less effective”.

Sir Edward, 70, said: “While every death is tragic, young people will have noticed reports that out of a population of tens of millions, only 400 have actually died who are healthy between 16 and 60.

“So will the Prime Minister tell people like me in these priority groups that there has to be an element of self-reliance, self-isolation and actually looking after our own health, and we can’t just rely on successive lockdowns?”

Mr Johnson acknowledged the impact of Covid-19 falls “disproportionately” on the elderly and vulnerable, telling the Commons: “Those lives must be saved where we possibly can and I think that is what people of all generations in this country want to do.”

While Conservative chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady said “many” MPs are concerned at being asked to approve a lockdown which could last until the end of March.

Sir Graham told the Commons: “I welcome the Prime Minister’s assurance that this House will be consulted on the lifting of restrictions, should it be possible before the end of March, but can I say to him that many of us are concerned at being asked to approve a lockdown which could continue until March 31.

“Can I ask (Mr Johnson) to reconsider and to offer the House a vote at the end of January and at the end of February as well, not on whether to lift restrictions, but on whether to continue them or not?”

Mr Johnson replied: “I can’t believe it will be until the end of March that the House has to wait before having a new vote and a new discussion of the measures we have to take.”