Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Uk-wide plan needed for Xmas travel
UNIFORM guidance for family gatherings at Christmas must be devised between all four nations of the UK, political leaders have been urged.
Boris Johnson, Nicola Sturgeon, Mark Drakeford and Arlene Foster were warned that their governments must “accept the inevitability” that people will travel over the festive period.
The call came in a letter from the Liberal Democrats in Scotland, Wales and England, together with the Alliance Party.
It stated: “It therefore falls on you and your counterparts to explore workable solutions that can enable travel to happen safely.
“To manage the implications for public health, we are urging you to hold a four nations summit to co-operate on students’ return, to agree uniform guidance on the number of people who can gather, and to explore how best to expand travel options to allow social distancing.”
It is signed by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, his Scottish and Welsh counterparts Willie
Rennie and Jane Dodds and Alliance MP Stephen Farry.
Sir Ed said: “We need a four nations summit to agree on one set of uniform guidance for Christmas that works for families across the UK. Ministers across Britain need to start work on it now.”
Despite the UK taking a near uniform approach to lockdown restrictions at the start of the crisis in March, the picture is now more fragmented.
In Scotland, First Minister Ms Sturgeon said she is looking at phased term dates and possible testing of students and issues of people returning home where there are vulnerable persons.
Welsh First Minister Mr Drakeford has said the “firebreak” restrictions should give a pathway to Christmas.
Downing Street claimed it is the government’s “ambition to ensure people may celebrate Christmas as a family this year”.