Have your say: Should coronavirus rules be the same across the UK this Christmas?
Lockdown rules should be the same for everyone in the UK at Christmas, political leaders from all four nations have said.
Boris Johnson, Nicola Sturgeon, Mark Drakeford and Arlene Foster were warned that their governments must “accept the inevitability” that people will travel over the festive period – regardless of what restrictions are in place.
The call came in a letter from the Liberal Democrats in Scotland, Wales and England – together with the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.
Despite the UK taking a near uniform approach to lockdown restrictions at the start of the coronavirus crisis in March, the picture across the country is now more fragmented.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey warned people face confusion and complexity over potential restrictions.
Suggesting a four-nation summit, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “People had been looking forward to Christmas and I think they’re increasingly worried they won’t be able to be with many of their families and friends at Christmas as normal.”
He added: “We need to see a much greater co-ordination on, for example, what the rules for gatherings might be, what public transport arrangements may be, whether they’ve got to be expanded, for example, how the policy of getting students back to families will be.”
The letter urges leaders “to co-operate on students’ return, to agree uniform guidance on the number of people who can gather, and to explore how best to expand travel options to allow social distancing”.
Read more: 'People will die' without social distancing over Christmas, former Sage expert warns
