Prime Minister's father accused of flouting travel advice
Boris Johnson's father has been accused of ignoring coronavirus travel advice after it emerged that he flew to Greece to visit his holiday home.
Stanley Johnson yesterday said he made the trip for “essential business” reasons, to “Covid-proof” his coastal villa prior to the holiday season.
The former Conservative MEP revealed he had arrived in Athens on Wednesday evening, having travelled to the country indirectly via Bulgaria, owing to Greece operating a ban on direct flights from the UK.
Mr Johnson, 79, shared a video on Instagram of his plane landing in the Greek capital and a photo of himself wearing a face mask, which appeared to be taken in the airport.
While the Foreign Office currently advises Britons against “all but essential international travel,” Mr Johnson said the trip was necessary in order to make his villa safe for guests staying this summer.
“I’m in Pelion on essential business trying to Covid-proof my property in view of the upcoming letting season,” he told the Daily Mail.
“I need to set up distancing measures at the property because they’re taking it very seriously here. The Greeks are trying to stop bulk arrivals from the UK but they were quite happy to have me coming in.
“All they wanted to know was where I was coming from and what I was doing. Then I had my temperature taken and was swabbed twice.”
He said air bridges permitting quarantine-free travel between the UK and other low-risk countries needed to be established “as soon as possible”, adding: “From what I’ve seen, the arrival of the British will not be a danger to the Greeks because they’re so careful here.”
The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday that plans for reciprocal deals with a small number of destinations are to be effectively abandoned, with ministers instead preparing a list of up to 75 countries exempt from quarantine.
Greece, which is expected to be a “green-rated” low-risk under the Government’s traffic light system, has suspended flights from the UK until July 15 due to the UK’s higher virus rate.
The list of exempt countries is expected to be published either today or over the weekend.
Mr Johnson’s decision to travel before restrictions are eased was criticised yesterday by some MPs, who attempted to link it to the controversy surrounding Dominic Cummings’ trip to Durham during lockdown.
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, a shadow health minister, said: “Most people have been following the guidelines and socially distancing – not everyone will get a holiday this year. Those closest to the Prime Minister have different rules though.”
Separately, Alistair Carmichael, a Lib Dem MP, said the Prime Minister should personally announce the air bridges plan so he could explain his father’s actions.
Hitting back, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons leader, said: “I seem to remember it says somewhere in the Bible that the ‘sins of the fathers will be visited upon the sons’ but I don’t remember it ever being the other way around.”
Downing Street refused to comment, saying it was up to individuals to choose whether to heed the Foreign Office travel advice or not. “In relation to Foreign Office advice, that is exactly what it is,” the Prime Minister’s spokesman said. “It’s for individuals to make a judgment themselves.”
