Remove All Lockdown Rules

All coronavirus legal restrictions must be permanently lifted by the end of April, a group of Tory backbench MPs have demanded.

The lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group (CRG) has written to the PM to say there will be no justification for Covid laws once the nine priority groups have been vaccinated.

Boris Johnson said on Saturday he plans a “cautious” reopening.

So far 14.5 million people have had at least one dose of the vaccine.

Formed in November to oppose a third lockdown, the CRG – which says it has 63 MPs backing its letter – said the vaccine rollout meant the prime minister had to set out a plan for “a return to normal life” from 8 March, the date pencilled in for school reopening.

“All restrictions remaining after 8 March should be proportionate to the ever-increasing number of people we have protected,” the group said – adding that the burden of proof should be on ministers to show restrictions are necessary.

They called for pubs and restaurants to open by Easter in a “Covid-secure” and “commercially viable” way, saying two-thirds of the people in the nine priority groups should have had a first vaccine dose by then.

And by the end of the April, they say, all the priority groups should have had one jab – meaning laws can be removed.