Boris Johnson under pressure to end ALL lockdown rules as new worrying data released

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Tories worried about the impact lockdown is having on the economy and society have been calling for restrictions to be lifted as soon as possible to help the UK get back to normal.

This morning it emerged the Government is planning to have given a jab to all over-50s by May, with senior backbenchers jumping on the date as the moment when lockdown should be lifted in their entirety.

A document released this morning by the Cabinet Office indicated local elections on May 6 would go ahead as planned because all over-50s would have received a jab and be protected from the virus.

It takes three weeks for immunity to build up after being injected, meaning the Government may be preparing to have phase one of jabs done by the middle of April.

Mark Harper, who chairs the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, said this afternoon there was no excuse for the UK to still be bound by lockdown rules once the most vulnerable are immune from infection.

He said: “These top nine groups account for around 99 percent of those that have died from Covid and about 80 percent of hospital admissions.

“It will be almost impossible to justify having any restrictions in place at all by that point.”

The Prime Minister has vowed to set out his roadmap to ending lockdown the week beginning February 22.

He is facing the challenge of keeping his own MPs happy while also sticking to the guidance of the scientists based on the latest data.

Worrying new modelling from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies suggests there  could be another 130,000 deaths from Covid even if Mr Johnson opts for a slow easing of lockdown.

More to follow…

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