Boris under pressure to relax more lockdown rules as Scotland and Northern Ireland will have more freedom to meet up

BORIS Johnson is today under pressure to relax more lockdown rules in England - after it emerged that they would have LESS freedom to meet friends than in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Scots will be able to meet up with several pals or members of their family from May 28 onwards if they stay 2m apart and outside, Nicola Sturgeon said today.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

5

5

As part of her plan to ease the lockdown, it will mean that anyone can meet with people from one other household, outdoors.

That can even be in each other's gardens, the new Scottish plan said - which is forbidden in England if it involves going inside someone's home.

The First Minister told Scotland this lunchtime: "You will be able to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas, and you will be able to meet people from one other household, though initially in small numbers, while you are outside.

"This is a change which we hope will benefit everyone, but particularly those without gardens, and people who live on their own.

"However it is important to stress that different households should remain two metres apart from each other – that is critical in ensuring that this change doesn’t provide the virus with easy routes of transmission."

Phase one will begin next Thursday, but Ms Sturgeon said it would only be confirmed next week which measures listed would kick in on May 28 itself.
She said: “Some may be introduced a few days after that and, depending on the evidence, it is possible that some may have to be postponed, though I hope that won’t be the case.”

Her plan included:

• Schools will open to more pupils from August, not June 1 like in England
• More time allowed outdoors - including for sunbathing, sport and picnics
• People from different households will be able to see one another but only in small, socially distanced groups
• Outdoor shops such as garden centres will be allowed to reopen
• Resumption of NHS services paused to clear beds for COVID-19 patients
• Outdoor businesses such as agriculture, forestry and construction encouraged to return to safe working

But the change will mean that Brits in England will be even LESS free to meet up than people north of the border.

At the moment in England people can only meet one person outside at a time - but we can sunbathe and go outdoors and on day trips too.

And people in England are allowed to meet up with people from other households too - they do not have to just pick one.

But in Northern Ireland, up to SIX people can meet up outside at one time.

The different messages across the country have been confusing the public - with one family stopped going on a day trip into Wales at the weekend.

And it's feared that the Bank Holiday weekend could see even more chaos across the four corners of the UK.

Ms Sturgeon set out a four phase approach to easing lockdown restrictions after Scotland refused to follow the PM's plan to relax measures.

Teachers and other school staff will begin returning to classrooms in June, without students, so they are prepared to get kids learning on a part-time basis.

Ms Sturgeon said today: "Teachers and other staff will return during June to prepare classrooms.

"On 11 August, all schools will reopen.

"Children will return to a blended model with part in school and part time at home.

"These arrangements will not represent a complete return to normality but we judge them to be most sensible (changes to lockdown)."

5

5

5

MOST READ IN POLITICS

SPY SHUTDOWN

Uni recruits will need MI5 clearance in bid to weed out Chinese spies

FAR & AWAY

Nigel Farage will be Prime Minister after Keir Starmer, claims Steve Bannon

ALL OUT BAN-ON

Trump's trials & Hamas attack probe - Bannon lets rip at Sun’s Harry Cole

SPENDING POWER 

If Europe believes Putin is gonna unleash WW3, spend money, demands Bannon

This means Scottish students won't follow some English primary school pupils who are due to head by on June 1.

But Scottish schools break up for their summer holidays at the end of June and do not head back until August based on a regular timetable.