Coronavirus: was Britain’s ‘delayed’ India travel ban decision driven by post-Brexit trade ties?

Officials privately suspect Boris Johnson’s team was reluctant to close the border to travellers from India for political reasons

There were also concerns Britain country didn’t have the infrastructure in place to cope with the sheer number of people wanting to return home

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Photo: PA via AP

Published: 10:40pm, 22 May 2021Updated: 10:40pm, 22 May 2021

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was slow to ban travel to India, even as cases of a dangerous Covid-19 variant in the world’s second most populous country surged. Scientists and advisers now fear the UK has exposed its vulnerability, and the question is if the government machine can move fast enough when the next strain arrives.

Officials privately suspect Johnson’s team was reluctant to close the border to travellers from India for political reasons with post-Brexit ties around the world high on the economic agenda. There were also concerns the country didn’t have the infrastructure in place to cope with the sheer number of people wanting to return to the UK.

This week, ministers confirmed the variant discovered in India had taken hold in 86 separate parts of Britain, including areas of northwest England and Scotland’s biggest city, Glasgow. While Johnson says there’s no evidence so far that the arrival of the new strain will mean lockdown rules have to remain for longer, he has already warned a delay to lifting restrictions might be needed.

Germany said late on Friday it will impose fresh restrictions on Britain starting Sunday, travellers from the UK will have to spend two weeks in quarantine upon arrival even if they test negative for the virus. In addition, transport companies will only be allowed to bring German citizens back into the country.

The UK has registered Europe’s highest death toll from the pandemic, though has rolled out its fastest vaccination programme. Yet as the government promises a return to as close to normal as possible next month, the country appears to be in familiar territory after a succession of reversals with rules eased and then tightened again.

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