Summary

  • Boris Johnson unveils a "conditional plan" to end lockdown in an address to the UK

  • PM says people in England who could not work from home should return to the workplace - but avoid public transport

  • Nicola Sturgeon says PM was not clear he was talking mainly about England

  • First Minister says the clear message in Scotland remains 'stay at home'

  • Scottish government was 'not consulted' over UK government's new 'stay alert' slogan

  • Form Monday, people will be allowed to exercise more than once a day in Scotland

  1. Today's headlinespublished at 20:58 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Before we end our live coverage today, a reminder of Sunday's main developments:

    • From Monday, people will be allowed to exercise more than once a day in Scotland, but other lockdown restrictions remain in place.
    • Nicola Sturgeon insists the advice in Scotland remains 'stay at home' despite a new 'stay alert' slogan introduced by the UK government.
    • Boris Johnson, in an address to the nation, says people in England can spend more time outdoors from Wednesday and people who cannot work at home should return to workplaces but avoid public transport.
    • The prime minister also outlined a new Covid Alert System with five levels, while also unveiling plans to reopen some schools, shops and public places "if the science supports it".
    • Nicola Sturgeon said everything in Boris Johnson's statement, apart from possible quarantine measures at UK borders, applied to England and not the devolved nations.
    • The first minister said it is incumbent on Mr Johnson to stress "a bit more strongly than he did tonight" that he is talking about England.

    Thanks for your company today. We'll be back with more live coverage in the morning. Join us then.

  2. Leading UK trade union cautious about return to workpublished at 20:54 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Factory workersImage source, Getty Images

    The general secretary of a leading union is calling on the government not to "cut corners" or "play fast and loose with employees' safety" as people are encouraged to go back to work.

    Speaking after the PM's speech, the general secretary of Unison, Dave Prentis, warns: "If safety isn't paramount, then infections will increase and there'll be a second wave that risks overwhelming the NHS and social care."

    He says many health, care and other key workers use trains, buses and the Tube to get to work, saying their safety "must not be compromised by crowded public transport".

    And he says the government "must ensure the NHS and the care sector have guaranteed supplies of protective equipment and there's a comprehensive test, track and trace programme in place before any mass return to work".

  3. Johnson's words 'reflect pressure Prime Minister is under'published at 20:38 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Rajdeep Sandhu
    Westminster Correspondent

    This encouragement to get people back into work in manufacturing and construction - that's an interesting change in mindset from the UK government. That's quite different from the tone of Nicola Sturgeon, which is much more cautious.

    But I think there will still be confusion for people living in England because part of that message is stay at home as much as you can. Now how does that marry with also having unlimited exercise if you want to and have those drives just for fun?

    I think it's due in part to the pressure Boris Johnson is under to balance the needs of the four different nations and politics within his own party and pressure he is under. I also think he just wanted to deliver a message of hope and optimism - if we all do what we are supposed to do, kids can go to school and pubs and restaurants will be able to open.

  4. Analysis: Different messages north and south of the borderpublished at 20:28 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Douglas Fraser
    Scotland business & economy editor

    Boris Johnson on a construction siteImage source, Getty Images

    We are now getting two quite different messages as a result of the announcement by the prime minister and the response from the first minister.

    Businesses deciding whether to go back to work in construction or manufacturing are being encouraged to do so south of the border. However, you’re being pretty strongly discouraged if it’s not essential work north of the border.

    That’s going to lead to employers having different expectations of their staff depending on where that employer is based.

    Employers are looking for answers about how much money will be available and for how long.

    The furlough system has been absolutely essential to avoiding redundancies soaring. In Scotland, around 370,000 jobs are estimated to have stayed on the payroll rather than becoming redundant.

    So what’s going to happen to that once the money stops, as it is currently scheduled to do at the end of June?

  5. Johnson 'must make it clear he is talking for England'published at 20:19 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

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  6. Sturgeon focusing on future, not possible past mistakespublished at 20:15 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Asked if, in hindsight, she would have done anything differently in her response to the Covid-19 crisis, Nicola Sturgeon tells BBC Scotland: "Undoubtedly when we look back at this, there will have been things we should or could have done differently.

    "I said at the outset - we will make mistakes. But I've got a choice right now - spend all my time looking backwards or continue to focus on the steps we need to take from now to make sure we steer the country safely through this."

  7. Scotland being 'deliberately cautious' - Sturgeonpublished at 20:11 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Nicola Sturgeon

    Asked on BBC Scotland why people could exercise in the park but not sit down for a picnic, Nicola Sturgeon replies: "The more you normalise going to the park, the more you risk different households meeting together, but being able to sit in the park and have a barbecue or sunbathe, that's one of the things we are going to be looking at over the next week.".

    The first minister stresses that exercise and travel should be "within your own area" or with your own household.

    Ms Sturgeon stresses that the Scottish government is being deliberately cautious, taking "baby steps" to see what impact they have before taking bigger steps in case the virus takes more lives.

  8. No change to advice on business and schools - Sturgeonpublished at 20:03 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Office staff observe social distancing at workImage source, Getty Images

    Nicola Sturgeon points out that, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson talking about some businesses being able to open up, the advice in Scotland had not changed.

    "I am not, at this stage, asking anybody who is not working to go back to work, although we have said we are looking, with priority, at the construction sector, the retail sector and the manufacturing sector," the first minister tells BBC Scotland.

    She says, in order for that advice to change, she has to see changes in the number of new cases being reported, the admissions to hospital, admissions to intensive care and the number of deaths.

    Ms Sturgeon says the estimated R number for Scotland is between 0.7 and 1 but that experts cannot be certain, although they think it is higher than the rest of the UK.

  9. 'PM's plan lacked clarity and consensus'published at 19:57 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    People are being told to go back to work without clear safety guidance, Labour leader Keir Starmer says.

    Read More
  10. Sturgeon unhappy at Johnson's 'unclear messages'published at 19:51 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Nicola Sturgeon

    Nicola Sturgeon is concerned that Boris Johnson was not clear enough in his prime minister's address that he was talking mainly about changes in England.

    "I think it is incumbent on him, perhaps a bit more strongly than he did tonight, to stress that when he is talking about lifting these restrictions, he is talking for England," Scotland's first minister tells BBC Scotland.

    "When he talks about things like border control, he is talking for the whole UK, but really all of us have a duty right now to be as clear as possible and, having watched the prime minister, I think there is still some room for some simpler messages."

    Quote Message

    If you change the message from stay at home to something vaguer then you don't give clear messages to the public."

    Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister

  11. Only change in Scotland is unlimited exercise - Sturgeonpublished at 19:43 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Nicola Sturgeon points out that everything in Boris Johnson's statement, apart from the possible quarantine measures at UK borders, applied to England and not the devolved nations.

    "My job is to take decisions based on the data for Scotland and my judgement now in the immediate term, with the one exception I outlined today - that people can exercise as often as they want as long as they comply with social distancing rules - is to stay at home, except for exercise, food, medicine or if you are doing essential work," the first minister tells BBC Scotland.

    A runner runs past a closed playground in Glasgow

    "We are planning more changes in the longer term and will look closely at the longer-term plan being outlined by the prime minister tomorrow, but we have not yet seen the detail of that, although we'll try to have as much alignment with that as possible."

  12. Sturgeon: R number means Scotland moving 'at different pace'published at 19:39 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Nicola Sturgeon

    Nicola Sturgeon, responding to the prime minister's statement, tells BBC Scotland that she and Boris Johnson are "in agreement that we have to slowly and gradually get normality back into our lives as soon as possible, but we must do that in a way that keeps this virus suppressed because we know the toll it can take."

    But the first minister stresses that "different parts of the UK are at different stages" of the "infection curve".

    She says the "all-important R number" is still a little bit higher in Scotland and that leads to the devolved government moving at "a different pace".

  13. UK ‘will be changed’ by this experience - PMpublished at 19:36 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Boris Johnson

    The prime minister says that if the alert level means the dates for the plan have to be adjusted “we will simply wait and go on until we have got it right”.

    He says the country will come back from “this devilish illness” and will return to “robust health”.

    The UK “will be changed by this experience”, he says, but he believes “we can be stronger and better than ever before”.

    He signs off saying: “But for now we must stay alert, control the virus and save lives. Thank you very much.”

  14. Plan 'will get us through second phase'published at 19:34 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Boris Johnson pays tribute to the efforts of the country so far, praising the “patience and common sense” of the nation.

    He describes the elderly as having shown “fortitude”, saying he wants to be able to end their isolation “as fast as we can”.

    After praising the “bravery and hard work” of NHS staff and care workers, he also thanks other essential workers including the police, bus drivers and bin collectors, as well as the scientists working to get a vaccine.

    He says “millions of everyday acts of kindness and thoughtfulness” have helped get us through the first phase, and we can use “this plan to get us through the next”.

  15. PM could ‘put on brakes’ if further outbreakspublished at 19:33 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Boris Johnson

    The PM says the government “will not hesitate to put on the brakes” if there are further outbreaks of the virus.

    He says the country has been through “the initial peak – but it is coming down the mountain that is often more dangerous”.

    He says everyone in government “has the all-consuming pressure and challenge to save lives, restore livelihoods and gradually restore the freedoms that we need”.

    “But in the end this is a plan that everyone must make work.”

  16. Quarantine on people coming to UK by airpublished at 19:31 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Johnson says it will "soon be the time... to impose quarantine on people coming into this country by air".

  17. Johnson: Parts of hospitality could open by July at earliestpublished at 19:29 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    The prime minister says some of the hospitality industry could open by July.

    He says: "At the earliest by July - and subject to all these conditions and further scientific advice; if and only if the numbers support it, we will hope to re-open at least some of the hospitality industry and other public places, provided they are safe and enforce social distancing."

    First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave no indication earlier that such a change is being considered in Scotland yet.

  18. Johnson: We have not ‘fulfilled’ all testspublished at 19:26 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    A testImage source, Getty Images

    Boris Johnson says if the government achieves its goal of a "world-beating system", it will be “testing literally hundreds of thousands of people every day”.

    The latest government figures show testing has not reached the 100,000 a day target for the past eight days.

    He claims progress on testing has been “fast”, but there is “so much more to do”.

    “We are shining the light of science on this invisible killer, and we will pick it up where it strikes," he adds.

    Johnson says the new alert system will be able to detect “local flare ups” and give a national picture, but, while the R number is between 0.5 and 0.9, he says it is “potentially only just below one”.

    The PM adds: “And though we have made progress in satisfying at least some of the conditions I have given. We have by no means fulfilled all of them.”

  19. Johnson announces ‘unlimited exercise’ in Englandpublished at 19:17 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    Boris Johnson says the next step from Wednesday will be to “encourage people to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise”.

    He says: “You can sit in the sun in your local park, you can drive to other destinations, you can even play sports but only with members of your own household.”

    In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon announced earlier today that the once a day rule would be lifted, but that people should not sunbathe or have pinics or barbeques.

    Johnson warns people “must obey the rules on social distancing” and to enforce them, the fines police can give out will be increased.

    Johnson says, “with ever increasing data” and being able to track progress, “if we as a nation begin to fulfil the conditions I have set out, then in the next few weeks and months we may be able to go further."

  20. Johnson: People should be ‘actively encouraged’ to go to workpublished at 19:14 British Summer Time 10 May 2020

    A car on the M8Image source, Getty Images

    Boris Johnson says, as there is more to do, “this is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week”, and instead, he says the government is taking “the first careful steps to modify our measures”.

    The advice is for those living in England. In Scotland, lockdown measures are decided by the Scottish government which has had a different measures.

    First up is going to work. The PM says people have been told to work from home if they can, but says: “We now need to stress that anyone who can’t work from home, for instance those in construction or manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work.”

    He says he wants it to be safe for those employees, so calls on people to “avoid public transport if at all possible”, adding: “We must and will maintain social distancing, and capacity will therefore be limited.”

    The PM says: “So, work from home if you can, but you should go to work if you can’t work from home.”

    He also says the government has been working to establish new guidance for employers to make workplaces safe - or “Covid-secure”.