Johnson abandoned plans for second national lockdown amid fears Rishi Sunak would quit

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson abandoned the plans for a second national coronavirus lockdown amid fear that Finance Minister Rishi Sunak would quit. While Sunak had warned that the economic carnage caused by a second lockdown would make his job near impossible, a senior MP told The Sun that there were fears that the UK Chancellor would find it difficult to carry on if he was ignored. 

Sunak has repeatedly argued to keep Britain open in a bid to protect millions of jobs and businesses, however, health experts have demanded tough restrictions to halt a deadly second wave of COVID-19. Despite a call for tougher restrictions, several UK leaders have credited Sunak for single-handedly saving the country from a brutal regime of curbs on freedom and movement. While speaking to the media outlet, the senior MP said that it was all because of the Finance Minister that the UK avoided delivering a ‘hammer blow’ to the economy and took a more balanced approach instead. ‘Rishi saved the day,’ the MP added. 

READ: Protester Reax At Demo Against UK Virus Measures

Last week, Sunak reportedly said that the nation needed to learn to ‘live without fears’. He unveiled the Winter Economic Plan and said that lives can no longer be put on hold. Amid the pandemic, the Chancellor had also introduced a number of measures to save jobs and businesses, including the Job Retention Scheme and Eat Out To Help Out. 

Johnson’s balanced approach 

Johnson, along with Sunak and Chief Medical Advisor Professor Chris Whitty, is trying to balance the need to protect the economy and lives. However, while Sunak has been pushing to reopen the economy, Whitty has been pushing for tighter restrictions. Johnson, on the other hand, listened to the full range of arguments and took a balanced approach, with maximum social measures to drive down the infection rate while also having minimum impact on the economy. 

READ: UK At Risk Of Losing Climate Research Centre Contract Over Brexit Row With European Union

The UK, which is facing an ‘inevitable’ second wave of the virus has reported 431,817 positive cases and 42,060 fatalities till now. Earlier this month, the authorities rolled out multiple new regulations including fines on breaking isolation, work from home advisory amongst others. Johnson had warned that ‘difficult months’ were ahead as the battle from coronavirus continued. 

Urging people to stick to the newly imposed restrictions, the UK PM said that if all people followed rules, then Britan could come out of the “winter” adding that there were “difficult days” ahead. Calling for a collective battle against the pandemic, he reckoned that it was the time to summon all the “discipline, resolve and spirit of togetherness”.

READ: UK To Work With G7 Summit To Chart 5-point Plan On Global Health Security

READ: Protest Against Virus Restrictions Held In London