Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday (7 February), Nadhim Zahawi said as vaccinations were not mandated by the state and were administered “by consent” such a policy would not be feasible.

Despite Greece’s prime minister saying last week he would welcome British holidaymakers if they could prove they have been vaccinated, Zahawi said: “that’s not how we do things in the UK”.

“There are several reasons why we’re not doing that. One vaccines are not mandated in this country, as Boris Johnson has quite rightly reminded parliament that’s not how we do things in the UK, we do them by consent.

“We yet don’t know what the impact of vaccine on transmission is and it would be discriminatory.”

When later questioned on the same subject by Sky News’s Sophy Ridge, Zahawi said travellers could get evidence of being inoculated against Covid from their GP.

“If other countries obviously require some form of proof, then you can ask you GP because your GP will hold your records and that will then be able to be used as your proof you’ve had the vaccine,” he said. “But we are not planning to have a passport in the UK.”