Dr Martin Farr, a senior lecturer in Contemporary British History at Newcastle University, thinks that there is insufficient evidence to assume that it is time that the UK exited the lockdown in the coming weeks.
Sputnik: Ministers could be given the green light to start planning an exit from the lockdown within 10 days, the chief medical officer suggested last night. In your opinion, how realistic is this plan, bearing in mind the continuing rise in coronavirus cases in the UK?
Martin Farr: It’s not at all realistic. Although there is evidence that the rise in cases is levelling off, there is still not enough evidence that it's been in plan. Also, testing hasn't really been to the extent that the government has planned. In addition, of course, the prime minister isn’t yet back at work and it will be ultimately his decision to make.
Sputnik: Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the continuing high death toll, expected to spike again, showed “why we cannot let up”. Then just how viable is the talk about exiting the lockdown? What should be the government’s highest priority right now?
Martin Farr: The reason we’re talking about that [is] there’s a need for news stories. And it's quite hard to keep reporting the same things - there has to be decorative elements to it. It was when the case, when lockdown was originally imposed - it was three weeks and that has now elapsed. There's no real call for lifting, but there has been an increasing call for some sense of the government's plan for curtailing the restrictions, some sense of where this could be going. And the government has been reluctant even to discuss that - by discussing it, by even taking it seriously - they worry that this will undermine public observance of the restrictions.
Sputnik: In your view, what can be done by the authorities to both ensure the health and safety of residents and sustain the economy? Would a permit system like in France be a viable option?
Martin Farr: There’s as much of a division within the cabinet, which is also reflected in the country, or at least in terms of commentators, which is to, Trump's definition, whether the cure is worse than the disease. The long-term consequences on the economy could be worse than a relaxing of the restrictions. That's not necessarily a sense that some believe that there needs to be some relaxing of restrictions. So that's starting to be something which is mentioned. But there's no real sense yet, but the public actually wants the lockdown to continue and to be maintained because they believe that the best way of living and being able to control the situation.
Sputnik: Today the head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said that the UK should request an extension to the post-Brexit transition period to avoid uncertainty as the world economy is in for a major downturn. What does this mean for the UK, as Boris Johnson’s intentions were to secure trade deals and talks as soon as possible after Brexit?
Martin Farr: Many people thought buying timescale was too optimistic, was not possible. That was before, and people think that it is conceivable and that an extension should be required. But the most recent evidence or the rumours we have heard in the last hours of there will not be an extension - it's whether a deal this year without there being an extension. So it doesn't look like they're going to take that route out and risk the political embarrassment.
