Boris Johnson confirms he's just spoken to @EmmanuelMacron.
"I want to stress we in the UK fully understand our friends' anxieties about the new variant. But it's also true that the risks of transmission sitting alone in the cab is very low. So we hope to make progress."
"I want to stress we in the UK fully understand our friends' anxieties about the new variant. But it's also true that the risks of transmission sitting alone in the cab is very low. So we hope to make progress."
Something of a backtrack from Saturday, when the emphasis from the prime ministerial podium was just how severe this new strain was.
In trying to offer assurances, a somewhat strained sounding Prime Minister sounds like he's talking to other world leaders as much as the UK.
In trying to offer assurances, a somewhat strained sounding Prime Minister sounds like he's talking to other world leaders as much as the UK.
PM says conversation with President Macron was "excellent" and says he's keen to work out a solution within the next few hours
When asked about whether a Brexit trade deal is likely (10 days to go) Prime Minister says the "position is unchanged" and repeats that "WTO terms would be more than satisfactory for the UK...'prosper mightily' remains a very good description."
"Not that we don't want a deal!", the Prime Minister quickly added.
PM's language on school reopening:
"We want if we possibly can to get schools back in a staggered way at the beginning of Jan... But the commonsensical thing to do is follow the path of the epidemic and keep things under constant review."
Sounds like we're heading for a change.
"We want if we possibly can to get schools back in a staggered way at the beginning of Jan... But the commonsensical thing to do is follow the path of the epidemic and keep things under constant review."
Sounds like we're heading for a change.
Imp. from Vallance: "The evidence of the new strain is it spreads easily, it's more transmissible... I think it's likely it will grow across the country and I think it's likely that measures will need to increased in some places."
The obvious question which flows is why not now?
The obvious question which flows is why not now?
Vallance is repeatedly making it very clear he thinks that the tiers need to be fortified: "It's important to get ahead of this and to make sure the tier system is adequate to stop things happening, not reacting in retrospect."
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