Prime Minister Boris Johnson records a televised message to the nation on May 10 in London.
No 10 Downing Street via Getty Images
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he understands that people will “feel frustrated” by some of the government’s new coronavirus rules as parts of the country begin to ease restrictions.
“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,” Johnson said in an opinion piece published in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
“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.”
Johnson last week announced the government’s roadmap to ease coronavirus restrictions in England, but faced criticism for dropping the “stay at home” message and providing confusing advice about what was and was not allowed.
The UK is made up of four constituent nations, three of which – Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland – have not relaxed their “stay at home” orders.
Officials in Wales and Scotland, neither of which are run by Johnson’s Conservative Party, have criticized the UK government’s response, particularly for creating a potentially confusing mix of rules across mainland Britain, as have other opposition figures.
Speaking to the BBC on Saturday, Labour leader Keir Starmer warned that the divergence was not going to “help us out of this crisis.”
“The sooner, frankly, we get back to operating as four nations together the better,” Starmer told the broadcaster.
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Johnson said the process will become easier as time passes.
“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,” he wrote.
“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 during this last week will be seen as an important moment on the road to our nation’s recovery.”
Johnson said the community needs to understand it could well be living with the virus for “some time to come.”
He has also announced moves to fast-track the development of the Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre through an investment of £93 million ($113 million).