N0W WILL BORIS LISTEN TO TWO-METRE PLEAS?

In a howl of rage, some of Britain’s top scientists, business leaders and politicians reveal why controversial 2-metre rule is pointless — and is set to wreak havoc on nation’s fragile finances. So when will No 10 act?

BOrIS Johnson last night faced a growing clamour from scientists, politicians and business leaders to lift the two-metre social distancing rules which threaten to cripple the hospitality industry.

They say thousands of pubs, restaurants, cafes and entertainment venues will be unable to make a profit if they open next month with the strict social distancing rules in place.

Professor Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College london and founder of the Covid tracker app, said the Government was being ‘over-cautious’ by sticking with the two-metre rule at the expense of the economy and children getting back to school.

He added: ‘Currently China, France, Denmark, Hong Kong, lithuania and Singapore are using a one-metre distancing rule and it is the distance recommended by the World Health Organisation. These countries have done better than the UK in suppressing the disease.

‘I would prefer people wear masks more, continue handwashing and we now move to a one-metre rule so our economy can recover and hospitals and schools can function.’

A number of pub chains warned the Prime Minister that many of their branches could be forced to close – leading to the loss of thousands of jobs – unless the distancing rule were reduced.

Simon Emeny, chief executive of Fuller’s pubs, said: ‘At two metres, the British pub will be a shell of its former self and in many cases will end up resembling a soulless canteen rather than the community hub that a pub should be.’

Hotel and restaurant bosses lined up to make the same point, while rail groups have warned the Department for Transport that failure to relax distancing rules will lead to chaos on the railways.

The boss of one operator said: ‘To get the UK moving again, we have to provide the capacity and that’s done through longer trains and the ability to get more people on them.’

Here are just some of the dozens of politicians, scientists and business leaders calling for action...