Coronavirus: Boris Johnson sets out plan for 'significant normality' by Christmas
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Coronavirus pandemic
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Coronavirus restrictions will ease further in England under plans for a "significant return to normality" by Christmas, Boris Johnson has announced.
Under the new guidelines, people may use public transport for journeys immediately, while advice for employers will change from 1 August.
Companies will have more discretion to bring staff back to workplaces if it is safe to do so, the PM explained.
Mr Johnson added he was "hoping for the best and planning for the worst".
At a news conference at Downing Street, the prime minister said the plan "remains conditional" on continued progress in controlling the virus and preventing a second wave of infections that could overwhelm the NHS.
"It is my strong and sincere hope that we will be able to review the outstanding restrictions and allow a more significant return to normality from November at the earliest - possibly in time for Christmas," he said.
Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have the power to set their own timings for the easing of restrictions.
In the announcement, Mr Johnson said the government was making it clear to people in England they may use public transport now.
From 1 August, he said: "Instead of government telling people to work from home, we are going to give employers more discretion, and ask them to make decisions about how their staff can work safely."
He explained that could mean "continuing to work from home, which is one way of working safely and which has worked for many employers and employees".
However, the Welsh government said it would carry on advising people to work from home.
VIDEO - Labour's Starmer on lifting coronavirus lockdown measures
Responding to Mr Johnson's announcement, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "I positively don't want people to be returning to offices in the way that we did before coronavirus happened."
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On Friday, a further 114 coronavirus deaths were announced, taking the total number of people who have died with the virus in the UK to 45,233.
On Thursday, the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told MPs there was "absolutely no reason .. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53436865" to change the government's current guidance on working from home.
Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak have both quit as ministers in a devastating blow to Boris Johnson.
They were followed an hour later by Bim Afolami, who stood down as Conservative Party vice chairman live on TV.
Javid announced he was standing down first, writing on Twitter: “I have spoken to the prime minister to tender my resignation as secretary of state for health and social care.
“It has been an enormous privilege to serve in this role, but I regret that I can no longer continue in good conscience.”
Sunak confirmed he was resigning as Chancellor moments later, saying: “I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”
It comes as Johnson was embroiled in yet another scandal, after he was accused of lying to cover up his knowledge of allegations of sexual misconduct against Chris Pincher before hiring him as deputy chief whip.
The double resignation leaves the PM in a perilous position amid growing restiveness on the Tory backbenches over Johnson's disregard for ministerial standards .. .https://uk.news.yahoo.com/furious-tory-mps-tell-ministers-133028949.html . [...] Reacting to the news, Sir Keir Starmer said: "After all the sleaze, the scandals and the failure, it’s clear that this government is now collapsing.
"Tory cabinet ministers have known all along who this prime minister is. They have been his cheerleaders throughout this sorry saga”. [...\] The resignations came minutes after Johnson was forced into an apology over the Pincher scandal .. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/johnson-apologises-handling-pincher-row-170004105.html .
The PM said sorry to "everybody who has been badly affected", adding: "I just want to make absolutely clear that there is no place in this government for anybody who is a predator or who abuses their position of power".
Downing Street had initially claimed the PM was not aware of "specific" allegations against Pincher when he gave him the job – a position they were forced to abandon when a former top civil servant revealed the prime minister had been personally briefed on the matter.
Later on Tuesday, minister Michael Ellis admitted in the House of Commons that Johnson was indeed briefed on the allegations in late 2019 – but forgot about it.
The scandal has worsened the mood amongst Tory MPs, which was already fractured following the handling of the Partygate scandal.
Last month the PM narrowly survived a vote of no confidence - seeing 148 of his own MPs voting against him in an effort to oust him from power.
In the Commons, the atmosphere among Tory MPs has been mutinous with critics lining up to condemn the handling of the situation.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Liaison Committee which will question Mr Johnson on Wednesday, demanded to know why those with “the wrong attitudes and the wrong behaviours” are promoted by their leaders.
Tory MP Peter Bone’s supportive intervention in the Commons chamber stood out so much that even Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle remarked that he was a “lone batter” for the Government.
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