Boris Johnson boasts about avoiding harder Covid restrictions amid Omicron surge

Boris Johnson right this moment claimed he had been proved proper to keep away from robust restrictions on social and financial exercise in England in response to the Omicron wave of Covid-19.

As an infection charges soared to report ranges of greater than 200,000 a day and faculties have been pressured to shut by employees absences, the prime minister boasted to MPs that his technique had enabled England to maintain its companies open and its financial system rising.

And he wrongly accused Labour of favouring a return to lockdown – one thing Keir Starmer’s social gathering was not demanding on the time of the introduction of Plan B measures on 8 December.

Mr Johnson has resisted stress to comply with Scotland, Wales and Northern Eire into tighter restrictions, which have seen nightclubs closed and social distancing guidelines launched within the days after Christmas.

And he right this moment advised prime minister’s questions within the Home of Commons that as a consequence England was outperforming different areas of Europe economically.

“Due to the steps the federal government has taken, due to the robust selections we’ve taken, due to the balanced and proportionate strategy that now we have taken to Covid, we’ve been in a position to preserve this nation open, preserve our financial system shifting greater than another comparable financial system in Europe,” Mr Johnson advised MPs.

“That’s why individuals are seeing will increase in employment and will increase of their pay packet as nicely…

“We not solely have probably the most open society and financial system in Europe, however we even have the quickest financial development within the G7,”

Mr Johnson stated that his “balanced and proportionate” strategy to the pandemic had resulted in report low youth unemployment and jobs rising by 400,000 over pre-Covid ranges.

And he accused Labour of opposing his light-touch strategy “each step of the best way”.

“When Omicron offered itself, what did they do?” he requested MPs. “They reached for the lever of extra restrictions. They stated lockdown, we are saying boosters. They carp from the sidelines, we get on with the job.”

In an interview final month, Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer made clear that the social gathering was not calling for a time-limited “circuit breaker” lockdown of the sort favoured by some scientists to rein within the unfold of Omicron.

He advised Occasions Radio on 21 December: “The hospitalisations are completely different than they have been final autumn after we referred to as for the circuit break.

“We act within the public curiosity and we act to guard public well being. Subsequently the federal government must get a grip, must give you a plan. We’ll take a look at it… If we expect it’s the fitting measures then we are going to then assist it.”