Tory MP Henry Smith insisted Boris Johnson’s coronavirus traffic light travel system was overly complex. While speaking on LBC, he argued that it was restrictive and was negatively impacting the UK economy. The latest change has allowed those that are double vaccinated to enter from the US and EU without having to isolate.
Those travelling will still need to take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on the second day after they arrive, however.
Mr Smith: “I think the Government is in danger of making the system for international travel overly complex.
“As you have said, many people are simply just choosing not to book trips abroad.
“It is more than just a week by the pool or a beach.
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“This is also about people who have not seen family for 18 months.
“More importantly, it is also about us being an island trading nation, global Britain.
“We are interconnected, for every day, we don’t have meaningful travel between us and the US it is estimated to be costing the British economy some £23million per day.
“It is a massive impact on our economy and I think the traffic light system has been overly complex and restrictive.
He said: “The Government must focus on getting more countries onto the green list. That’s the single best way to provide the necessary reassurance to families desperate to get away.
“Too many travellers are being forced to pay for expensive tests, essentially an extra tax on travel, putting holidays and reunions out of reach for many.
“There is no reason why many more countries in Europe and around the world can’t go on the green list, giving travellers a major boost and supporting the tens of thousands of travel jobs still at risk, across almost every constituency in the country”.
