Boris Johnson faces backlash over amber watchlist plans
Boris Johnson is facing yet another Tory rebellion over plans to expand the so-called “amber watchlist” of countries that could be moved to the red list at short notice.
Under the current rules, travellers coming to the UK from red list countries are required to isolate for 10 days in a government-approved hotel at a cost of £1,750, regardless of their vaccine status.
Ministers are due to meet on Thursday to decide the travel rules that will be in place for most of August. They are expected to drop the quarantine requirement for travellers returning from France amid claims they “massively overreacted” to the prevalence of the Beta variant in the country at the start of the month.
France is currently the only country on the new “amber watchlist” – but analysts fear Spain, Greece and Italy are all at risk of being added to the category.
The proposals to extend the “amber watchlist” beyond France have prompted a backlash from senior Cabinet Ministers and Conservative MPs, who have warned the PM that they would devastate the travel industry and wreak havoc with supply chains.
Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, and Liz Truss, the International Trade Secretary, are among senior frontbenchers understood to be pushing for the idea of an “amber watchlist” to be shelved.
Huw Merriman, the Tory chairman of the Commons transport committee, said the proposal was a “giant red flag” that would “likely” cause bookings to those countries to “collapse”.
He told The Times: “In my view, we don’t need any more uncertainty, complexity, or anxiety for passengers, or this beleaguered sector. It just needs clarity. I would urge the government not to do anything with it.”
The publication of a leaked letter from Rishi Sunak to the PM shows the Chancellor also lobbied him to ease what he called “draconian” restrictions – warning of the effect on jobs and the holiday and hospitality sectors.
The letter was said to have been sent before Johnson last week allowed visitors from the EU and US to avoid isolating upon arrival in the UK. None of the countries affected has yet extended a reciprocal offer to British tourists.
The proposals for an extended “amber watchlist” have also been met with dismay by tourism industry leaders, who warned the policy would disrupt trade links, have a severe impact on the economy and be difficult to police.
The government has also been warned of difficulties finding sufficient hotel rooms for returning travellers at short notice.
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: “It is very hard to stop people moving between France, Spain and Portugal. You can’t put one country on a red list because of the nature of the mainland.”
“The government has created a policy which is impossible to implement. They would cause major economic damage because so many people would be taken out of the workforce.”
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of aviation body Airlines UK, said: “The EU must be looking at us in incredulity… No wonder passengers have no idea whether they’re coming or going. Green is the only way forward for the industry — this is the last chance saloon now for saving the summer.”