London Daily

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

UK transport secretary says travellers abroad should use ‘common sense’ after govt gets accused of mixed-messaging

UK transport secretary says travellers abroad should use ‘common sense’ after govt gets accused of mixed-messaging

The UK’s senior transportation official has said people should think twice and use common sense before going to amber- and red-listed countries. The opposition earlier said the government's stance on foreign travel was confusing.

“We’ve moved away from a situation where everything is ‘it’s banned, it’s illegal’, I know we’ve got very used to this in the last year,” Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps told Sky News on Thursday.

“We’re moving away from that and asking people to apply a bit of common sense,” Shapps added.

The scheme, which came into effect this month, has since divided countries into three groups, based on how well they manage the spread of coronavirus, and on their vaccination efforts. Upon returning from the countries on the ‘green list,’ which includes Israel, Australia and New Zealand, UK citizens must take a Covid-19 test.

The much longer ‘amber list’ includes UK’s neighbours France and Germany, popular tourist spots Spain, Italy and Greece, as well as states like the US and Canada. After returning from these countries, travellers must take two Covid-19 tests and self-isolate at home for 10 days.

People coming back from any ‘red-list’ countries are required to get tested and be quarantined under supervision inside a hotel. The red list mostly includes countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

Shapps explained that every country automatically lands in the amber list until the government-run Joint Biosecurity Centre advises to move it to the green or red list.

"The default is amber. But amber is not ‘please, go and visit there’. There’s a lot of cost and hassle and quarantine required when you go to these countries. And it is being very strictly enforced."


There was some confusion this week after Environment Secretary George Eustice told reporters that people could go to amber-listed countries “if they feel the need” to visit family and friends, as long as they follow the quarantine rules when returning. Welsh Home Secretary Simon Hart said “a lot of people” will equate holidays with essential travel.

This prompted Labour Party leader Keir Starmer to accuse the government of having “lost control of the messaging.”

Responding to Starmer’s criticism, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that people should not go to amber-listed countries “except for some extreme circumstance,” like a serious illness of a family member. The PM said the government was “trying to move away from endlessly legislating everything” and was more relying on ordinary people acting responsibly.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said it was “crystal clear” that people should not go to amber- and red-listed countries on holidays.

The head of EasyJet airline, Johan Lundgren, slammed the government’s stance on foreign travel as “very confusing” and said that it was “absolutely legal to travel to amber-list countries.” He noted that the travel ban had ended on Monday, and the color-coded scheme was designed to allow people to go overseas again.

“There was no indication [passengers] shouldn’t travel to these countries, because that’s what the restriction was supposed to do,” Lundgren said, adding that the new scheme was meant to “make sure you could do this in a safe way.”

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
×