Sir Keir Starmer has called on ministers to publish the UK’s exit strategy from the coronavirus lockdown, as he said the severe restrictions have “exacerbated existing inequalities” across the country.
The Labour leader’s intervention comes as the government prepares to sign off an extension to the severe restrictions on British public life at an emergency Cobra committee meeting on Thursday.
It is expected that senior cabinet ministers and officials will be briefed on findings from the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) into the effectiveness social distancing measures in curbing the spread of covid-19.
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In a letter to the foreign secretary Dominic Raab, who is deputing for the Boris Johnson as he recovers from a coronavirus infection at his countryside residence Chequers, Sir Keir says Labour will support the government’s extension to the lockdown.


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A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street
Photos Angela Christofilou

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Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread
Angela Christofilou

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An empty street in the heart of Chinatown
Angela Christofilou

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People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown
Angela Christofilou

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A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown
Angela Christofilou

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Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance
Angela Christofilou

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A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Angela Christofilou

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Making sure I stay two-meters apart – D’Arblay Street, Soho
Angela Christofilou

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A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice
Angela Christofilou

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A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden
Angela Christofilou

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As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street
Angela Christofilou

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A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area
Angela Christofilou

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Communities have been coming together in a time of need
Angela Christofilou

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A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day
Angela Christofilou

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A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced
Angela Christofilou

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During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown
Angela Christofilou

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Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time
Angela Christofilou

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‘Stay Safe’ – Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures
Angela Christofilou

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Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown
Angela Christofilou

20/29 Camden High Street
There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops
Angela Christofilou

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Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day
Angela Christofilou

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Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up
Angela Christofilou

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Empty streets around Soho
Angela Christofilou

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A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home
Angela Christofilou

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Camden High Street, one of London’s busiest tourist streets turns quiet
Angela Christofilou

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Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
Angela Christofilou

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Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced
Angela Christofilou

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A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road
Angela Christofilou

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A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub
Angela Christofilou

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A man walks down a deserted Camden High Street
Photos Angela Christofilou

2/29
Goodge Street Station is one of the many stations closed to help reduce the spread
Angela Christofilou

3/29
An empty street in the heart of Chinatown
Angela Christofilou

4/29
People in masks in Chinatown a day after the lockdown
Angela Christofilou

5/29
A near-empty Piccadilly Circus during the first week of lockdown
Angela Christofilou

6/29
Sonja, my neighbour, who I photographed while taking a short walk. It was nice to briefly chat even from a distance
Angela Christofilou

7/29
A couple sit on the empty steps of the statue Eros in Piccadilly Circus
Angela Christofilou

8/29
Making sure I stay two-meters apart – D’Arblay Street, Soho
Angela Christofilou

9/29
A mannequin behind a shop window. UK stores have closed until further notice
Angela Christofilou

10/29
A notice displayed on a shop window in Camden
Angela Christofilou

11/29
As part of the lockdown, all non-essential shops have been ordered to close.Image from Camden High Street
Angela Christofilou

12/29
A skateboarder wearing a mask utilises his exercise allowance in the Camden area
Angela Christofilou

13/29
Communities have been coming together in a time of need
Angela Christofilou

14/29
A woman stands alone in a deserted Oxford Street. Up until a few weeks ago, on average, half a million people visited the street per day
Angela Christofilou

15/29
A couple walk hand in hand down a street in Soho, a day before the stricter lockdown was announced
Angela Christofilou

16/29
During the first week of March, shoppers focused on stockpiling necessities ahead of a countrywide lockdown
Angela Christofilou

17/29
Many supermarkers are operating a queuing system to make sure only a limited amount of customers are allowed in at anyone time
Angela Christofilou

18/29
‘Stay Safe’ – Curzon cinemas are temporarily closed under the new measures
Angela Christofilou

19/29
Pubs, restaurants and bars were ordered to shut as part of the lockdown
Angela Christofilou

20/29 Camden High Street
There are fears that coronavirus could lead to permanent closure of struggling shops
Angela Christofilou

21/29
Camden Town is eerily silent on a normal working day
Angela Christofilou

22/29
Shops and supermarkets ran out of hand sanitisers in the first week of the lockdown. As we approach the end of the second week most shops now have started to stock up
Angela Christofilou

23/29
Empty streets around Soho
Angela Christofilou

24/29
A noticeboard on Camden High Street urges the public to stay at home
Angela Christofilou

25/29
Camden High Street, one of London’s busiest tourist streets turns quiet
Angela Christofilou

26/29
Thriller Live confirmed its West End run ended in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
Angela Christofilou

27/29
Empty and eerie Soho streets after stricter rules on social distancing announced
Angela Christofilou

28/29
A woman pauses for a cigarette on Hanway Street, behind Tottenham Court Road
Angela Christofilou

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A man steps outside onto Hanway Street, that sits behind what is usually a bustling retail hub
Angela Christofilou
But, he added: “The question for Thursday therefore is no longer about whether the lockdown should be extended, but about what the government’s position is on how and when it can be eased in due course and on what criteria that decision will be taken.”
“Ministers have argued that now is not the time to talk about this. I profoundly disagree. Overcoming this crisis requires taking the British public with you. Millions of people have played their part and exceeded government assumptions about their willingness to make sacrifices and to stay at home in the national interest.
“In return, the government needs to be open and transparent with the public about how it believes the lockdown will ease and eventually end, how this decision will be informed and what measures are being put in place to plan for this eventuality.”
Sir Keir also warned the “silent pressures” on communities across the UK cannot be underestimated, and said “to maintain morale and hope” the public must be given a sense of what comes next.
“Many will be struggling with their mental health as well as other health conditions that may not receive the attention they normally would without the virus,” he added. “This lockdown is not affecting people equally. In fact, it has exacerbated existing inequalities in our country.
“A family living in an overcrowded flat will have particular challenges. And it is hard to imagine the daily horror of someone trapped in a home with his or her abuser. The government has a duty to do what it can to alleviate these pressures on people.”
A government source responded: “Our strategy is focused on saving lives. We have been clear that all decisions will be guided by the scientific advice and data. Talk of an exit strategy before we have reached the peak risks confusing the critical message that people need to stay at home in order to protect our NHS and save lives.”