London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Rishi Sunak pushing Boris Johnson to relax travel rules

Rishi Sunak pushing Boris Johnson to relax travel rules

Chancellor urging rethink on border policy amid concerns UK is ‘out of step’ with international competitors

Pressure is building on the prime minister to radically redraw restrictions on foreign travel next week, in time for the final weeks of the summer holidays.

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has made an unprecedented intervention before a crunch meeting on Thursday, writing to the prime minister to demand that the UK change its quarantine policy.

Fully vaccinated travellers from England, as well as children, no longer need to quarantine on their return from amber-list countries, though many may still choose to shun holidays abroad because of the risk of sudden quarantine rules being imposed.

France has already been placed in an “amber plus” category, meaning home quarantine is still necessary for returning travellers.

The UK is also poised to lift restrictions on travellers who land in hubs in red list countries – which require strict hotel quarantine on arrival in the UK.

That change would mean that tourists travelling through popular layover hubs such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai and Istanbul would not have to quarantine, even though countries such as Qatar, Turkey and the UAE remain on the red list.

Government sources said France was likely to be moved off the amber list in an announcement to be made on Thursday that will come into force from the following Monday – 9 August.

Spain, however, where Beta cases have risen by 14.2% in the past four weeks, is at risk of going on to the “amber-plus” list.


Sunak wrote to Johnson before Thursday’s meeting, as reported by the Sunday Times, and said UK border policy was “out of step with our international competitors”. The chancellor said there was little time to save the summer for tourism and hospitality sectors.

The chancellor is also said to be concerned about how rules on travel are hampering business deals with the US. There are still significant restrictions on entry to the US, imposed by Joe Biden.

Discussions are under way about the creation of a watchlist for amber list countries once the requirement to quarantine is fully lifted for vaccinated travellers – which could mean new quarantine measures are imposed. Spain and Greece are thought to be at risk because of cases of the Beta variant.

A No 10 source said it was far too early to make a call about what the data from the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) would show on Thursday. Johnson is understood to be in favour of easing more restrictions on travellers.

The source said Johnson wanted to see travel eased where possible. “We haven’t even seen the data from the JBC yet. The PM was pushing for US/EU double-vaccine exemptions. For this week, it is just too early.”

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, last week defended the decision to put France on the “amber-plus” list, after the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, on Thursday suggested the variant’s prevalence on Réunion, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, was partly to blame.

The JBC was also accused by the Office for Statistics Regulation of “not making the data and sources clear” to evidence the need for the drastic action.

Jim McMahon, the shadow transport secretary, said it was further evidence of chaos over the border policy.

“Rishi Sunak’s latest self-promotion campaign will just create more anxiety for people,” he said.

“Rather than brief the Sunday newspapers against each other, the Tories need to get a grip and bring this summer of chaos to an end.

“Not only have ministers failed to protect our borders, allowing Covid cases to rocket, they also refuse to be straight with the public and give them the information they need to book travel with confidence, with clear information on the direction of travel of infections in each country.

“Families who have booked holidays in good faith now risk losing out – 10-day quarantine is simply not an option for many people who are already struggling financially thanks to the pandemic.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×