Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Nudge or nutcracker? Either way PM faces vaccine passport backlash

Nudge or nutcracker? Either way PM faces vaccine passport backlash

Analysis: Latest Covid policy announced on what was supposed to be ‘freedom day’ likely to provoke huge anger

What was billed as “freedom day” has ended with accusations that the government has paved the way for exactly the opposite, as Boris Johnson braces for the backlash to his plans to introduce vaccine passports in a matter of months.

The documents have long been a fascination of the prime minister, who touted their use for pubs and theatres back at the start of 2021, but acknowledged the moral dilemma they posed in a country that has always prided itself on opposition to a European-style “papers, please” regime.

Initially regarded as a way to unlock sectors that would find it harder to operate without social distancing, they were considered keenly by some in government, who noted their use in countries further ahead on the road to opening up, such as Israel.

But that is not the problem Johnson says the documents will solve: it is in tackling the vaccine hesitancy and apathy concentrated more among younger age groups that he sees as their main benefit.

The thinking is that by the end of September, when the passports are introduced, all adults will have been offered both jabs – giving a change to everyone to get vaccinated before locking them out of key social settings.


Figures in Downing Street said as far back as February that the documents were being considered as a way to “nudge” young people to get inoculated – given polling that found fewer people said they would get jabbed the further down the age groups you went and as the risks from Covid diminished.

This early warning sign should have been taken more seriously, one source involved in the plans said, arguing that Downing Street ignored the problem until it was backed into a corner and forced to make a quick decision after scenes emerged of hordes of revellers taking advantage of nightclubs reopening.

The timing was also questioned by one senior Tory, who asked: “Why the fuck do we have to announce it now?” It is a sentiment Downing Street will be well aware of – that this will inspire huge anger in Johnson’s own party. “I have backed most of the rules – even the ones I haven’t liked or that are distinctly unpopular – but I will struggle with this one,” the MP said.

At least 40 Conservative backbenchers have vowed to vote against such proposals, meaning Johnson’s majority in the House of Commons would be wiped out instantly, meaning he would have to rely on Labour – although Keir Starmer has not warmed to the idea before. Even ministers have expressed opposition to such a policy before, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission said it could be tantamount to unlawful discrimination.

There is another element likely to infuriate Johnson’s party: plans for the certificates to be available to show people’s recent negative test results or proof of antibodies appear to have been scrapped. The documents will only be able to show proof of vaccination.

This tougher approach might be more of a nutcracker than a nudge for people to get jabbed. There will be some who fear it could do more harm than good to those teetering on the edge: hardening the views of the vaccine-hesitant or vaccine-sceptic and playing into the hands of those peddling false conspiracy theories.

For all the promises that Monday would bring a mass restoration of freedoms, the government seems to be imposing a new set of legal restrictions: mandating social care staff to get vaccinated, forcing most double-vaccinated people to stay in isolation if pinged, and now bringing in vaccine passports for domestic use.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×