Former PM urges use of vaccine passports Public told ‘don’t wreck this now’ as people are beginning to relax
Society will struggle to have the "confidence" to return to normality after coronavirus restrictionsareliftedwithout a vaccine passport scheme in place, Tony Blair has said.
The former prime minister is urging ministers to set out the rules for how a scheme would work whereby people can show proof of their vaccination status or that they have tested negative for Covid-19 to gain entry to venues and events.
Mr Blair predicted a wild west would develop if government did not lead on introducing a "framework", saying ministers would "find it grows like topsy with no control over it at all" and people "demanding" a way
of proving they had been jabbed or swabbed.
Boris Johnson announced this week that Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is heading up a review into "Covid status certificates" as the Prime Minister acknowledged the "deep and complex issues" surrounding the concept.
England’sdeputychiefmedical officer has told people "don't wreck this now" as he warned there were "some worrying signs that people are relaxing" in the coronavirus battle at "exactly the wrong time".
Professor Jonathan Vantam alerted people who have already been vaccinated to the dangers of "taking their foot off the brake" and being tempted to break Covid-19 rules.
He told a Downing Street briefing on Friday: "All the patients that I vaccinate… I say to them, 'Remember, all the rules still apply to you and all of us until we're in a much safer place'. It doesn't change because you've had your first dose of vaccine.
"And so, please don't be tempted to think, 'Well, one home visit might be all right now the weather is getting better'. So my key message tonight is look, this is all going very well but there are some worrying signs that people are relaxing, taking their foot off the brake at exactly the wrong time."
Douglas Ross has insisted the new Union Strategy Committee is a separate operation from the Scottish Tories.
Chaired by Boris Johnson, the new Cabinet Union Strategycommitteefeaturesnotasingle Scottish Conservative MP.
Tasked with setting the Government's strategic agenda" for keeping the UK together, Michael Gove and Chancellor Rishi Sunak will attend the meetings, along with the secretaries for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and chief Brexit negotiator Lord Frost.
Launching the Scottish Tory election message, Mr Ross explained he had no problem withneitherhenorruthdavidson being invited to attend the meetings.
He said: "With the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the key departments within the UK Government are all covered, but as before with the Union Unit going forward with this new committee I'll have regular input through Alister [Jack] and the other ministers.
“I’llbemeetingwiththeprime Ministerontuesdaynextweek, and he’s keen to make sure that the open lines of communication that we’ve had throughout my leadership continue.
“It'salsoveryseparatetowhat we're doing here north of the border and the Prime Minister understands I'm the leader of the party here in Scotland, and I'm taking the challenge to the SNP over the next few weeks.
“It’s my party, my manifesto and my team that are going to be elected on the sixth of May.”
It is understood while the Union Unit currently lacks a leaderfollowingtheresignation of Oliver Lewis, it will still continue. The Vote Leave veteran quit last week amid claims his positionwasmade“untenable” by others in Number 10.
Theformerallyofmrjohnson hadonlyjuststartedtherolefollowing
the exit of former Scottishconservativemplukegraham earlier this month.
Askedaboutthestaffingproblems,themoraympadded:“you can’t hide that there has been troubleswithinthatunionunit,
but the PM has acted decisively to then move to this cabinet committee which has worked well during the Brexit negotiations.”
The comments came during a speech where Mr Ross
unveiled the Scottish Conservative campaign message that will appear on the ballot paper – “End Division. No Referendum. Rebuild Scotland.”