PMQs: Boris Johnson says Christmas plans will ‘proceed’

Boris Johnson said families will be able to come together during the Christmas period despite earlier suggestions the relaxation of coronavirus tiers may be shelved. The Prime Minister reached an agreement with the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure Britons could mix up to three households indoors between December 23 and 27.  Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said: “At every stage, we follow the scientific guidance and continue to do so.

“We should exercise extreme caution in the way we celebrate Christmas.”

It comes as Mr Johnson was questioned by Michael Fabricant MP as to whether he would review the easing of restrictions.

Mr Fabricant hit out at Sir Keir Starmer for requesting an urgent rethink.

He said: “On the subject of Christmas, my constituents in Lichfield have had a torrid year with the Covid pandemic.

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“We’ve got this very small break over Christmas.

“People have got to use common sense of course and not start hugging granny or go wild over Christmas.

“As the Prime Minister previously said, let’s be jolly careful over Christmas.

“But I want to say to my Prime Minister if some smarmy lawyer at this late stage were to argue for a change in the laws.

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“Can I ask my right honourable friend right now who is not either smarmy nor a lawyer, is he going to change the rules?”

Mr Johnson went on to accuse Sir Keir Starmer of wanting to “cancel Christmas” as he said the planned easing of restrictions has been agreed “in principle” with the devolved governments.

Labour leader Sir Keir said the Prime Minister’s “next big mistake” is likely to be over the easing of restrictions, adding: “If he really is going to press ahead with this, could he tell us what’s the assessment and has it been done of the impact it will have on infection rates that increase pressure on the NHS?”

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Mr Johnson replied: “I wish he’d had the guts to just say what he really wants to do, which is to cancel the plans people have made and cancel Christmas – I think that’s what he’s driving at, he’s looking a bit blank, I think that’s what he’s driving at.

“I can tell him as of today that just this morning there is unanimous agreement across all the UK Government, across all the devolved administrations – including members of all parties, including his own – that we should proceed in principle with the existing regulations because we don’t want to criminalise people’s long-made plans.

“We do think it’s absolutely vital that people should, at this very, very tricky time, exercise a high degree of personal responsibility – especially when they come into contact with elderly people, and avoid contact with elderly people wherever possible.

“That is how by being sensible and cautious – not by imposing endless lockdowns or cancelling Christmas as he would appear to want to do, that’s the only implication I can draw from what he’s said unless he wants to announce some other idea – that is the way we’ll continue to work together to keep this virus under control, to defeat it and take the country forward.”

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