The Prime Minister set out today (19 January) that Plan B Covid restrictions will end next week.

People up and down the country have made enormous sacrifices throughout this pandemic to ensure that we can all limit the spread of the virus. They have stayed at home and worked together to keep everyone safe.

I support the relaxation of Plan B restrictions – because no one wants to see them in place a moment longer than necessary, as long as the scientific evidence is showing that restrictions should be eased. We need to ensure that there is a robust plan in place to help us all live well with Covid – without this plan, we will continue to ‘yoyo’ in and out of restrictions.

The Labour party has a plan that includes training and retained a number of reserve vaccinators, build a supply of test kits, that are made in Britain to protect us from global shortages. Raising statutory sick pay, making all workers eligible and improving ventilation in schools to ensure they don’t need to close again.

If the Tories we’re thinking about people across the country and not just themselves, they would also have a plan – but instead we’re left with a Prime Minister looking out for himself.