When will the public accept an end to the lockdown?

In the weeks leading up to Boris Johnson announcing lockdown measures, ministers and aides wondered how in the world you could enforce a lockdown like the one seen in authoritarian China in a liberal democracy such as the UK. But following Dominic Raab confirmation on Thursday that there will be another three weeks of lockdown, public resistance is the least of ministers’ concerns.

The biggest surprise about the lockdown within government has been the level of public support for it. Polling has repeatedly shown that rather than fighting the social distancing measures, Britons are embracing them more obediently than anyone in might have dared imagine. A YouGov poll prior to Raab’s announcement found 91 per cent of Brits support extending restrictions for a further three weeks and 67 per cent say they strongly support it. A Kekst CNC survey suggests that Britons are among the most supportive of lockdown measures, with 74 per cent saying they are happy to prioritise limits on personal movement even if it means costs to the economy – compared to 61 per cent in the US – and 54 per cent in Germany and Sweden.