Tory call to end restrictions by June

TORY lockdown sceptics have expressed worry that the Government is shifting the goalposts on reopening society, as they called for a complete removal of restrictions by the end of May.

The Prime Minister told a Downing Street briefing that the level of coronavirus infections in the country was still “forbiddingly high” and that it was too soon to relax current restrictions.

But Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG) made up of lockdown-sceptic Conservative MPs, said he thought ministers could “get rid of restrictions completely” by the end of May, when all those over aged 50 are likely to have received at least one vaccine jab.

“Back-of-the-envelope calculations that I did based on two million doses a week, you could get the top nine [priority groups first doses, and the top four groups second doses, all done by the end of May,” the former chief whip told the BBC Radio 4’s World At One.

“So it seems to me by the time you get to the end of May, no later than that, you should be in a position to get rid of restrictions completely.

“But obviously it does depend on the roll-out of the vaccine.”