Has the proposed UK travel ban been dropped? Have a read at the law

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• Alex W says:

  4 Nov4 November 09:14

  Of course you can’t fly willy nilly unless it’s essential for work. How many homeless people can afford to jump on a plane somewhere? Ridiculous article.

  • WaynedP says:

    4 Nov4 November 10:00

    On a bleak news day, I recognised and thoroughly enjoyed that tongue-in-cheek gem.

    As an observer not having been born in Britain, I would say that darkish, irrepressible and uplifting humour overwhelmingly characterises the “British way” (not just “English way”), if such a thing exists, rather than claims to any other traits.

    And long may that last !

    • Alex W says:

      4 Nov4 November 10:18

      1.2 million deaths so far worldwide – hilarious. Nobody should be encouraging unnecessary travel right now, tongue in cheek or otherwise.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        4 Nov4 November 10:36

        You’re absolutely right there are about 1.5m deaths from road accidents globally a year. We should all stop travelling.

        • Callum says:

          4 Nov4 November 11:38

          So you think banning all forms of travel across the globe forever is equivalent to a one month partial lockdown? If not then I have no idea what point you’re trying to make?

        • TGLoyalty says:

          4 Nov4 November 12:12

          Both Blunt instruments.

• Christian says:

  4 Nov4 November 09:33

  I had a weekend stay at the IC Park Lane (6-8 November 2020), I enquired about whether the stay would go ahead, and initially, they said the hotel would remain open, provided it was a business stay. I then received a call yesterday afternoon confirming that they would in-fact be closing and not reopening again until December (or whenever the new rules permit reopening). My Free Weekend Night Ambassador voucher expires on the 1st December, so having been extended once already (by 6 months), I need to enquire about extending again, though the hotel said they would try and accommodate me regardless of what happens with the voucher!

  In the grand scheme of things, none of this is a problem, and I do look forward to the day I can freely travel again – whether in our own cities or to destinations I’ve yet to explore!

• Sukes says:

  4 Nov4 November 09:53

  Given the interest in this stat instrument it’s worth highlighting that Hancock is currently scheduled to begin speaking on it in the commons around 12.50pm with 3hrs scheduled for the debate. There’s a live feed on parliament uk website or I’m sure it’ll be on bbc parliament.

• pavioj says:

  4 Nov4 November 09:55

  Overnight stays and holidays away from primary residences will not be allowed- including holidays in the UK and abroad. This includes staying in a second home or caravan, if you own one, or staying with anyone you do not live with or are in a support bubble with.
  Couldn’t be much clearer than that.

  • jc says:

    4 Nov4 November 10:52

    Surely once you’re outside the UK the UK has no authority to rule on what you may or may not do overnight in someone else’s country?

    • The real John says:

      4 Nov4 November 11:01

      Why not? It might not be illegal in that country, but you could certainly be prosecuted if / when you returned to the UK, at least if the CPS thought there was a public interest in prosecuting you

      • Mike says:

        4 Nov4 November 11:14

        Uhm, that’s not how criminal law works. Apart from crimes against humanity (is this one?), criminal law is eminently territorial in its jurisdictional scope. Imagine the consequences if it weren’t, even for the pettiest of offences.

        • will-h says:

          4 Nov4 November 11:29

          Not at all true. One that might be relevant to HfP readers who travel for business is the Bribery Act which applies worldwide for those with a connection to the UK. The law banning nuclear weapon explosions by British citizens worldwide is probably less likely to be important. 🙂

      • Peter Green says:

        4 Nov4 November 11:26

        What nonsense. UK law has no jurisdiction abroad, except for a very few specific areas, such as war crimes or complex international fraud and the like.

    • Char Char says:

      4 Nov4 November 11:02

      Yes exactly, some people are fear mongering

  • The real John says:

    4 Nov4 November 10:58

    This is advisory.

  • GeorgeJ says:

    4 Nov4 November 12:16

    You are not looking at the law, this came from the original justification of the legislation and has been dropped from the SI going before parliament today.
    Clearly a change of mind and a realisation that it was unenforceable.

• Sam says:

  4 Nov4 November 10:13

  Still no clearer how I’m going to fare when attempting to permanently leave the country on November 21.

  It’s technically for work since I’m starting a new job out there but no idea how that’s interpreted, and I don’t actually start until January.

  • Harry T says:

    4 Nov4 November 10:23

    I imagine you’ll be fine, both practically and from a legal perspective.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    4 Nov4 November 10:27

    You will be fine. You’re moving on a permanent basis.

  • A says:

    4 Nov4 November 10:59

    This is going to be fine from the perspective of the UK SI.

  • The real John says:

    4 Nov4 November 11:04

    6(2)(g)(iv) permits you to move house, therefore you have nothing to worry about.

    • Sam says:

      4 Nov4 November 11:18

      Thanks all, helpful for me and useful reassurance for my wife.

• ChrisW says:

  4 Nov4 November 11:03

  The few people I know who had holidays booked during the lockdown #2 period have now cancelled them. They still wanted to travel but there was too much uncertainty over whether they would be stopped on the way to the airport (the luggage would have been a giveaway!), denied boarding, and would struggle to get home if their airline reduced services because of outbound demand.

  Surely if you were desperate to get around these rules you would have left since Saturday evening when the rules were announced, through to the end of today to ensure you could get out?

  • Paula says:

    4 Nov4 November 11:33

    There’s no problem having luggage in your car as you may be travelling for business, you’re assuming there will be roadblocks into the airports, were there last time – I’ve no idea?

• ChrisW says:

  4 Nov4 November 11:04

  I’m keen to know if any H4P readers are escaping the UK for the lockdown period, and where they are headed? Not sure if it’s a genius, or terrible idea!

  • Sarah says:

    4 Nov4 November 11:18

    I flew to Barbados yesterday with the plan to stay until Dec, but a reward flight back booked on 14 Nov just in case. Flight was rammed, lots of people seemed to have brought forward their trips. I’m still undecided if it’s a genius or terrible idea, but the sea view I woke up to this morning is making it seem genius at the minute.

    • Nick_C says:

      4 Nov4 November 13:37

      “I’m still undecided if it’s a genius or terrible idea,”

      You will know in seven days. That’s the average incubation period.

  • Rich says:

    4 Nov4 November 11:30

    I’ve just come back from a week in Greece, returning the day that Lockdown 2.0 was announced.

    Had I not done that, I would have certainly been tempted to get away before the axe falls, for a week or two – assuming I could do so safety and legally. Even if the rules change and you end up quarantining on return, it is less of a chore to do so when the whole country’s in lockdown anyway.

    Obviously, you have to be flexible and have plans for getting home (or not) if things get difficult.

    • meta says:

      4 Nov4 November 11:40

      I came back from Crete on Sunday. I was looking at extending the stay for a week or so, but everything was shutting down as they normally do beginning of November. There was a threat of lockdown in Greece too, so in the end gave up as it might have been too costly.

  • B says:

    4 Nov4 November 11:32

    My wife and I are booked on a repatriation flight to Cayman via BA end of November. All the repatriation flights are fully booked and limited to one per week, so our hands are tied. She’s a Cayman national and we’ve been accepted by their government to home quarantine upon arrival.

    We’re fully intending to make the flight if it isn’t cancelled – both her grandparents have been very sick with covid and I’m sure we could fit in a property visit or two if we have to justify the trip.

    The legislature is quite loose though – it may be enough to be married to a foreign national considering repatriation for both of us has been approved.

    • Anna says:

      4 Nov4 November 15:50

      I might be wrong I’d assumed the repatriation flights were one-way tickets, in which case noone would argue with that. But if not, how long were you planning to stay for?

  • Always_in_the_air says:

    4 Nov4 November 11:46

    I left the UK a couple of days ago to sort a few things out in France, will probably go to Spain in a week or so for the duration. Not because Spain is better, but I have a place in the countryside and space, which just makes life easier!

  • Harry T says:

    4 Nov4 November 11:50

    Flew out yesterday to Tenerife. Staying here until 14th November. Originally he planned to fly out on the 8th Nov but didn’t want to take any chances.

  • Pierre says:

    4 Nov4 November 13:05

    Have done that during lockdown V1: 4-bedroom family home in Brittany with a huge garden, a massive bonus compared to a London flat, especially with 2 toddlers…having been made redundant, we stayed in France and are eyeing a few countries in our next move in a year or 2

  • Arun says:

    4 Nov4 November 19:23

    I flew to Barbados today (a week earlier than planned) and intend to spend the winter here on my remote worker visa. Similar experience to Sarah above – flight was packed as people were bringing their trips forward.

• Always_in_the_air says:

  4 Nov4 November 11:48

  Question: How long does everyone think this will last?

  France and the UK are saying they’ll review after about a month. Personally I can’t see any relaxation before the new year! Would love to hear people’s thoughts.

  • meta says:

    4 Nov4 November 11:58

    BJ said hard deadline 2 Dec, but I don’t trust anyone. Personally, I think they will relax for Christmas period 1 week before and during new year then bring back some form of lockdown from January.

  • Pierre says:

    4 Nov4 November 13:08

    France just passed a law in the lower chamber of Parliament (Assemblee Nationale) that any extension of the lockdown after Nov 30th must be approved by both chambers of the Parliament (Assemblée Nationale and Sénat)
    There’s a massive feeling here that it will last until mid-December here, then relaxed for Christmas, with a prospective Lockdown V3 in January

    • WaynedP says:

      4 Nov4 November 15:10

      +1 in UK too, if I had to put money on it.

  • ChrisW says:

    4 Nov4 November 13:12

    It will be relaxed for Christmas.

    • Chrisasaurus says:

      4 Nov4 November 14:19

      It has to be relaxed for Christmas because if it isnt it’ll be ignored by vast swathes of the population with the knock on damage to the respect for future lockdowns, already struggling under lockdown fatigue and lack of example setting

  • WaynedP says:

    4 Nov4 November 15:14

    If you’re a pessimist, then hope for the best, but expect the worst.

    If you’re an optimist, then hope for the best, but expect the worst to be worse than imagined.

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