Keir Starmer – 2021 Comments on Implementing National Restrictions

The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 3 January 2021.

The virus is clearly out of control and there’s no good the Prime Minister hinting that further restrictions will come into place in a week, or two or three. That delay has been the source of so many problems. So, I say bring those restrictions in now, national restrictions within the next 24 hours. That has to be the first step in controlling the virus.

On schools, I don’t want to add to the chaos that will be caused by having all schools closed tomorrow, but many will be closed. It is inevitable that more schools will need to close and the Government needs to plan for children’s learning, but also for working parents. It is inevitable that more schools will be closed tomorrow morning.

The more important thing is that national restrictions need to come in over the next 24 hours. Let’s not have the Prime Minister say ‘we’ll do it, but not yet’, that’s the problem we’ve had so many times.