Rishi Sunak ‘willing to accept a short delay to end of lockdown’

Rishi Sunak is willing to extend the ending of the lockdown roadmap by four weeks amid a rise in cases, it is understood.

The chancellor has in the past been more keen to end the roadmap than some of his colleagues but a Whitehall source reportedly said Sunak was not fixated on the date, The Guardian reports.

The source pointed towards the Treasury having gone “long” on emergency Covid support packages in the Budget to cover the possibility of a delay to the plans.

From 21 June, the lifting of Step 4 will restore society as close to normality since the virus emerged last year.

The limitations of social contact are due to come to an end completely and sass-spectator events will also be able to go ahead as normal and nightclubs will reopen after more than a year.

‘Huge disappointment’

It comes as Tory lockdown-sceptic Sir Charles Walker warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson against delaying the earmarked end to legal Covid restrictions.

The vice chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs told BBC Newsnight: “There will be a huge wave of disappointment across the country if we don’t open up on June 21.

“The delay could be two weeks, a month, but I think the real issue here is if we can’t open up the economy at the height of summer then I think we are facing the very real prospect of more forced lockdowns in the autumn – I just don’t see how we can avoid that.

“The goalposts – as we’ve always said, it’s a well-worn cliche – are moving.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on June 8 there was a “challenging decision” to be made over the further lifting of Covid restrictions on June 21.

Mr Hancock also announced that a “strengthened package of support” will be provided for Greater Manchester and Lancashire, similar to that seen in