How much longer will social distancing go on for in the UK?

[bramling]

One thing that should end social distancing in the not too distance future is that simply put, I don’t think the country can afford for it to go for too much longer. The furlough is very costly and there will come a point when Mr Sunak concludes the UK can no longer afford it (it will probably be tapered down first). The same will go for many of the other economic support measures such as the business rate relief. If there is still significant social distancing at that point then there will be a big increase in unemployment which obviously is not going to be popular.

The trouble is I think Sunak reached that point months ago. Since then he’s pretty much been forced to cover his eyes and sign the cheques.

Ever since that 20,000 figure was passed (the “good outcome”) a lot has been about protecting Boris’s reputation in the history books.

 

[takno]

The trouble is I think Sunak reached that point months ago. Since then he’s pretty much been forced to cover his eyes and sign the cheques.

Ever since that 20,000 figure was passed (the “good outcome”) a lot has been about protecting Boris’s reputation in the history books.

According to 1006 And All That, all the parts of history you can remember includes 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates. I don't think Boris is going to make it in the Good Things column, and I suspect he's never had a genuine date either.

 

[6862]

....or to justify lifting the restrictions, if that is what the government want to do.

I'll eat my hat if we're ever in a situation where the government 'want' to lift restrictions.

 

[duncanp]

The trouble is I think Sunak reached that point months ago. Since then he’s pretty much been forced to cover his eyes and sign the cheques.

Ever since that 20,000 figure was passed (the “good outcome”) a lot has been about protecting Boris’s reputation in the history books.

Rishi Sunak may have reached that point months ago, but sooner or later the rest of the cabinet, including Boris Johnson himself, are going to reach that point.

I am sure Rishi Sunak will be making that point in cabinet meetings leading up to the budget, and once the effect of all the COVID-19 measures on the public finances becomes more widely known, then the pressure to start lifting measures will only increase.

 

[Cowley]

As a lot of what’s being discussed in this thread is along similar lines to what’s being discussed in this one:

New lockdown in England, including school closures, announced by Johnson, 4/1/21

If the 'stay at home' ie. lockdown is lifted for the 8th March then that would be very good. No one expects pubs to reopen then and probably not for at least another month, but if travel restrictions within UK/England are lifted in March then that would be much better than now. A further boost...

www.railforums.co.uk

We’ve decided to close this now just to keep things a little simpler for the staff team.
Thanks everyone.