UK prime minister plans major economic speech on pandemic recovery

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly working on a speech highlighting his government’s efforts to launch a post-pandemic economic recovery after Friday’s monthly jobs report revealed slow growth in the U.K. economy in May. 

Bloomberg reported Friday, citing three people familiar with the prime minister’s plans, that Johnson is expected to deliver the address soon, potentially around July 19’s “Freedom Day” when the country will lift most of its remaining COVID-19 restrictions.

According to the sources, Johnson is likely to focus on boosting jobs as more businesses are able to reopen. 

In the proposed plans for lifting restrictions announced Monday, social distancing will no longer be required, with nightclubs reopening and capacity limits on businesses like restaurants expected to end.

Johnson said while announcing the reopening plans, “We must be honest with ourselves that if we can’t reopen our society in the next few weeks when we will be helped by the arrival of summer and by the school holidays, then we must ask ourselves when will we be able to return to normal.” 

“We will move away from legal restrictions and allow people to make their own informed decisions about how to manage the virus,” he added. 

A Johnson spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment from Bloomberg. 

The reported upcoming address comes as the Office of National Statistics reported Friday that the U.K. economy grew by about 0.8 percent in May, a slowdown from the 2 percent expansion seen in April. 

The office said that the growth is also 3.1 percent below pre-coronavirus pandemic levels. 

Economists who spoke to the BBC on Friday said that pubs and restaurants, which were allowed to begin serving indoors again in May, were responsible for much of that month’s growth, while U.K. car manufacturers are continuing to suffer from a global microchip shortage. 

While officials hope lifted restrictions later this month will help push further economic growth, U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Tuesday that coronavirus infections are expected to double in the next two weeks amid a rise in the highly transmissible delta variant.