Nadhim Zahawi grilled by Nick Ferrari over UK border controls

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LBC host Nick Ferrari lashed out at Covid Vaccine Deployment Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, as the pair engaged in a fiery rant over the current travel rules in Britain. Mr Ferrari argued it was unfair that tourists could get into the country fairly easily while Britons would be fined if they attempted to leave the country for a holiday. He highlighted the Government just imposed a £5,000 fine for British citizens if they tried to leave the country without a justifiable reason last week despite tourism still being allowed.

Mr Zahawai hit back by insisting the Government was doing all it can to manage people coming in and out of the country in order to combat the virus.

Mr Ferrari said: “How did someone get into the country to see Big Ben if the measures are so stringent Minister?”

Mr Zahawi said: “Enforcement has been pretty good, millions of checks have been made.

“People sometimes do slip through, but ultimately that person will have had to fill in a passenger locator form, if they don’t they get fined and the airline gets fined.

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“They will have had a pre-departure test that would have been negative otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to travel.

“We have a pretty stringent border control system, we review it all the time to make it as tight as we can make it.”

Mr Ferrari interrupted to highlight some flaws he sees in the Government’s approach.

He said: “Minister last week your Government brought in a £5,000 fine, if I arrive at the airport with the intention of going on holiday and there is no justifiable reason.

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“I can be fined £5,000 as a British citizen but other people can come into the country to see the tourist hot spots like Big Ben.

“It doesn’t seem fair Minister.”

Mr Zahawi argued that the Government was focussing on controlling the spread of the disease within the country.

He said: “The important thing is that we continue to control our borders by identifying people before they arrive.

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“We do this through the pre-departure test and the passenger locator form.”

The Government has also faced criticism for the consideration of vaccine passports.

The Government’s review into “Covid-status certification” said the system may stay in place until the risk of contagion has been completely eradicated.

This comes despite the firm backlash from MPs throughout the political spectrum and the public. 

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