James O'Brien reacts to PM's lockdown roadmap announcement
15 February 2021, 13:26
James O'Brien reacts to lockdown roadmap announcement
This is James O'Brien's reaction to Boris Johnson saying the Government will provide target dates for sectors to reopen when he reveals his roadmap for lifting lockdown.
The Prime Minister will this week begin considering how restrictions in England may be eased ahead of a statement on February 22 setting out his "roadmap" out of lockdown.
Mr Johnson's announcement has come as more than 15 million people across the UK received their first dose of a vaccine.
Responding to the PM's words James said: "Now restrictions keep us healthy and they keep us alive."
Boris Johnson: Roadmap out of lockdown will include key dates
"And given the mess up of the last three times, they don't protect the economy in the way that they would do if we'd gone in really hard and really heavy from the very beginning.
"What really damages the economy is the constant toing and froing...which is what we've seen so far."
James added: "The vaccines change that model so that there is a very realistic chance of this lockdown being the last lockdown.
Matt Hancock: Government will ease restrictions "as soon as we can"
"And the biggest threat to this lockdown being the last lockdown would be coming out of it too soon."
Speaking to LBC, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said lockdown measures will be lifted by government "as soon as we safely can".
Meanwhile, Tory MP Steve Baker has told LBC that pubs and restaurants should be open by Easter as he called for this lockdown to be the last.
