Covid: Welsh Tories could scrap social distancing in Wales in June

The Welsh Tories hope to end social distancing restrictions as early as 21 June should they win the May Senedd election.

The party has published a roadmap for exiting lockdown.

Senedd group leader Andrew RT Davies said the "cautious but irreversible plan will restore our freedoms in a safe and manageable manner".

But Welsh Labour claimed "major parts of the plan are simply a cut and paste from the Downing Street website".

Labour's deputy economy minister Lee Waters tweeted that the Tory call was "deeply irresponsible" while "people are still being vaccinated".

So far, parts of lockdown have been eased more quickly in Wales than in the rest of the UK, but the Welsh government has declined to give target dates for each step, or a date for when restrictions may end.

Mr Davies said: "Welsh Conservatives have been calling for a detailed roadmap for over a month, but our calls have been ignored by Labour ministers, who sadly believe if you give the Welsh public an inch, they will take a mile.

"We'll change that concerning mentality."

Conservative candidate Darren Millar told BBC Radio Wales Drive that the roadmap "aligns well with dates in other parts of the UK".

The Welsh Conservative roadmap is broadly similar to the UK government's own tentative plans for easing restrictions, which would see rules on social contact ending by 21 June at the earliest.

However the Welsh Tory plans specifically say it is hoped "legal limits on social distancing" could be scrapped in a similar timeframe.

That appears to go further than what the UK government's roadmap has said on the same issue. It says a review would be carried out before 21 June to determine when rules on social distancing can be lifted.

A Welsh Conservative spokesman said the two approaches were consistent, pointing to remarks by Health Secretary Matt Hancock that suggested the vaccine roll out meant social distancing limits could be lifted by that date.

WALES ELECTION: THE BASICS

What elections are happening? On 6 May, people across Wales will vote to elect 60 Members of the Senedd (MSs). The party or parties that can command the support of a majority of members will form the Welsh government. Find out more here.

What powers does the Welsh Parliament have? MSs pass laws on many aspects of day-to-day life in Wales, such as health, education and transport. They also have control over some taxes. Defence, foreign policy and immigration are decided by the UK Parliament.

How do I vote? Anyone who lives in Wales and is registered to vote is eligible, so long as they are aged 16 or over on the day of the election. You can register to vote online.

The Welsh government has proposed allowing all shops to reopen from 12 April, alongside a full return of pupils to secondary schools and an end to travel restrictions out of Wales to the rest of the UK.

Gyms, outdoor pubs and restaurants, and organised activities outdoors could find out where they stand on 22 April.

Under the Conservatives' plans, the options listed for review in April in Wales would be implemented as soon as possible after May's election, if they had not been already.

Financial business support for retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses would be backdated to 1 April.

Under stage two of the Tory plan most social contact rules would be lifted, but no earlier than 17 May. Gatherings of more than 30 would remain illegal.

From that date cinemas, indoor pubs and restaurants and accommodation not already open could resume trading, and six people or two households could meet indoors.

Larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues could hold events with up to 1,000 people, depending on the size of the venue.

Outdoor venues would be able to host up to 4,000 people - again depending on the venue's size. Larger venues could see crowds of up to 10,000.

Thirty people would be able to attend weddings, receptions and wakes, as well as funerals.

In the third step, as well as scrapping social distancing rules, it is hoped restrictions on large events and performances could be lifted by 21 June at the earliest.

A Welsh Conservative spokesman said they'd also hope to be in a position to reopen nightclubs by 21 June, promising a review to "give those businesses clarity within a matter of weeks".

The party said before proceeding to ease restrictions it would conduct four tests, including whether the vaccine programme continues to be successful and that infection rates will not risk a surge in hospitalisations.

On the matter of flights abroad, Mr Davies said: "Until we restore freedoms at home, and to protect our people against any potential importing of new variants during Europe's third wave, we would stop holiday flights in and out of the Welsh government-owned Cardiff Airport until the evidence states they are safe to resume."

However, in a virtual speech to Tory activists on Monday, he said of Labour: "Just because they don't like foreign holidays, they don't want people to have one either."

Asked how the Welsh Tory position was different from Labour's, a spokesman said: "When the evidence allows, and there is the progress that we all want to see in the distribution of vaccines across Europe, we'll be the first to champion holidays.

"But we do not believe large swathes of the Welsh economy should be shut whilst Labour's government-owned airport is given preferential treatment."

A Welsh Labour spokesman said: "With the Tories its always 'for Wales, see England'. Major parts of this plan are simply a cut and paste job from the Downing Street website - that's not leadership."

"The Tories' contempt for Wales is once again on show as they want to 'ban' people from using Cardiff Airport, ignoring their own advice to follow a four-nation approach towards coronavirus regulations and travel, which they spent so long arguing for."

A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said: "It was the Tories who refused the people of Wales an extension of furlough - a lifeline for thousands of businesses.

"It was the Tories who botched the test and trace system - putting public health in peril," she added."The notion that the Tories have a semblance of credibility when it comes to protecting lives and livelihoods is laughable."

Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: "We all want an end to lockdowns but that should only happen when it's safe.

"There is a danger of another wave of infections and a further lockdown this autumn."