Covid: Vaccine passports plan for England scrapped

Plans to introduce vaccine passports in England for nightclubs and other crowded venues have been scrapped in the latest of the Government’s coronavirus U-turns.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed the proposals “will not be going ahead” on Sunday, just days after ministers had defended the policy to sceptical MPs.

(left to right) Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson arriving at No.9 Downing Street.
Toby Melville

Boris Johnson had previously announced that members of the public would be required to show proof they have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in order to gain entry to clubs and other large-scale events in England.

But following a backlash from Tory MPs, the Health Secretary said the idea had been shelved.

The hospitality sector welcomed the news.

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said: “We hope that businesses will now be able to plan for the future with some degree of certainty, regain confidence from customers and the workforce, and start to rebuild a sector that has consistently been at the sharp end of this pandemic.”

While Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester and co-founder of Parklife Festival, said the idea had been “untenable and illogical”.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi attends the London Vaccine summit in Stratford, east London.
Stefan Rousseau

He said: “The plans were untenable and illogical and there were multiple factors which would have been discriminatory and legally questionable.

“As a sector, we can now move forward, without hesitation or vague regulations.”

Vaccine passports had caused growing disquiet among Tory ranks, as well as facing opposition from opposition parties and industry figures.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi faced a fierce backlash when he defended the policy in the Commons on Wednesday, with Tory MPs accusing the Government of picking an “unnecessary fight” with them.

The decision means Covid measures in England again deviate from those in Scotland, where a motion on their introduction was passed in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, while a decision is expected in Wales next week.

Stormont ministers have yet to reach an official position on using vaccine access passports within Northern Ireland.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Sunday that a “very targeted and limited system of vaccine certification… can help us reduce transmission in some higher-risk settings”.