- The UK government's new
coronavirus lockdown rules have caused widespread confusion. - UK Prime Minister
Boris Johnson announced the new rules on Sunday evening. - However,
Dominic Raab , the foreign secretary, on Monday contradicted several of the key measures announced the night before. - Downing Street had indicated that people should be "actively encouraged" to return to work from Monday, but Raab later said people should not return until Wednesday.
- Raab also suggested that people could socialise with two members outside their household if they remained two metres apart.
- A government spokesperson later said this was wrong.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The UK government's attempts to loosen the coronavirus lockdown were thrown into chaos on Monday after a senior member of Boris Johnson's government completely contradicted the new rules outlined by the prime minister.
Johnson on Sunday evening laid out his "roadmap" for phasing out the lockdown in England.
Under the rules people will be allowed to sunbathe in parks, play tennis and golf, and drive to other destinations from Wednesday, he said.
Individuals who cannot work from home will also be encouraged to return to work.
However, Johnson's announcement did not include key details about how the new rules would work, and several details briefed to publications including Business Insider in advance of the announcement were later contradicted by Johnson's own deputy Dominic Raab,
Officials on Sunday said that people would be "actively encouraged" to return to work from Monday.
An embargoed statement emailed to journalists before the prime minister's speech said: "He [the prime minister] will say that from tomorrow (Monday) 'anyone who can't work from home, for instance, those in construction and manufacturing, should be actively encouraged to go to work'."
However, the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, on Monday said that people should only go back to work from Wednesday.
"We're saying to them, they should now from Wednesday, go back to work," the foreign secretary told BBC's Today programme.
Despite announcing the change on Sunday, Johnson's government is also not due to release full guidance for individuals and businesses about returning to work until later today or tomorrow.
The prime minister's words caused immediate confusion, with business leaders warning that employers should not require their employees to return to work on Monday.
Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, issued a statement after the speech saying: "Having heard the prime minister this evening, my strong and unequivocal advice to London businesses is not to change your plans for tomorrow. You have not been given sufficient information on how to get your employees safely to work, nor how to keep them safe while they are there."
In a further divergence from Johnson's words, Raab said that people would be allowed to meet both their parents in a park as long "you were two metres apart."
This was contrary to information briefed by Downing Street in advance of the prime minister's statement on Sunday which stated that people could only meet with one individual at a time outdoors
Following Raab's comments, Downing Street again said that people could meet just one person from outside their own household as long as they remained two metres apart.
Confusion also grew over whether the new rules applied to meeting relatives in gardens. A spokesperson insisted that any meetings could only take place in parks, or other outdoor spaces, but not at home.
Full details of the plan have not yet been shared with the UK parliament and Johnson is not due to make a statement to members of parliament until Monday afternoon.
The government's opponent accused them of spreading confusion for businesses and individuals.
Ed Miliband, Labour's shadow business secretary, said: "Workers and employers deserve better than shambolic policy-making on the hoof when the stakes are so high."
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