MP Huw Merriman told Aito members he was “really surprised” by the sudden decision on Friday (16 July) to move France to the new category which means that everybody returning to England must still self-isolate.
“Amber plus doesn’t make any sense – the beta [variant] figures are three times higher in Spain than France,” he told Aito’s Freedom Day general meeting in London on Wednesday (21 July). “Arguably it’s safer going to France than staying in this country.”
Merriman said he understood the industry’s “frustration” at this sudden change to the traffic light system at a time when “the consumer needs certainty”. He added he would be speaking to transport secretary Grant Shapps about the situation.
More positively, the MP argued that the government’s determination to go ahead with the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions this week “bodes well as we have to make sure it’s a success”.
Merriman pledged to continue pushing for more significant reopening of international travel from the UK to allow the industry “to trade”, and if this didn’t happen he would call for more financial support for the sector.
He agreed the travel industry was one of “a few sectors left behind” during the pandemic and “should have had a lot more support”.
Several delegates complained that they had received no grants from their local authorities or much lower payouts than other types of retail businesses, such as hairdressers.
Merriman urged Aito members to keep lobbying their MPs and not to be put off if they just received a “standard” reply that did not address their points.
“The key is to get hold of your individual MP – ensure they see what the problems are and ask what they are going to do to take it up with ministers,” he said. “Make sure they show an interest and come to the organisation and do something about it.”
Merriman said backbench MPs could put pressure on the government to create “a wall of noise” that ministers could not ignore.
He cited the example of the decision to bring froward the quarantine exemption for fully vaccinated people returning from amber list countries, which came into effect on Monday (19 July).
“We created a wall of noise to say we can’t lose the entirety of the summer when the original plan was to introduce this in August,” explained Merriman.
Aito chairman Chris Rowles, who could not attend the event in London because of the change to France’s traffic light status, urged members via video link to “keep fighting and hold the government to account”.
“Badger, badger and badger them [MPs] again,” he said. “Get hold of your MP and keep at them all the time.”
