tonight at ten, borisjohnson defends his plan to relax the lockdown in england at a faster rate than the rest of the uk. workers in manufacturing and construction can go back from wednesday, but firms say it can't be back to normal. we cannot work as we were in the past with a full shift, everybody working close together. we can't maintain social distancing. from 1stjune, a phased return for schools and nurseries, with all primary schools back for a month before the summer. how on earth do we get 30 children

in a classroom and make them socially distanced 7 you can't do it. and a new development for england: people told to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces — all part of a common sense approach, says the prime minister. i think what the british people understand is that this is the moment for the whole country to come together and to obey those rules and to apply their common sense in the application of those rules. what the country needs at this time is clarity and reassurance and at the moment, both are in pretty short supply. we'll have more details of the plan and we'll be exploring the new challenges arising from the differences between england on the one hand, and scotland, wales and northern ireland on the other. also tonight... plans to impose a 14—day quarantine on people flying into the uk will be extended to other modes of travel. and people are being urged to stay away from beauty spots and beaches in england

because of fears that the new rules will add to the pressure on rural communities. and coming up in sport later, no professional sport in england, even from behind closed doors, until the 1st ofjune at the earliest. good evening. borisjohnson has sought to provide answers to some of the many questions being asked about his plan to relax the lockdown in england. the prime minister has published a 50—page document, a "road map" which he says will work on condition that people follow the rules. scotland, wales and northern ireland have their own powers, and they say it's too soon to relax measures to the same extent. they are still telling people to stay at home. but in england, from wednesday, people can go outdoors as often

as they want and can meet with one person from another household in a public space as long as social distancing is respected. the advice remains to work from home if possible but if not, workers in manufacturing and construction can go back from wednesday, though ideally not by public transport. and in a new development for england, people are advised to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces where the two—metre rule can't be observed. from 1stjune, there'll be a phased return for schools and nurseries in england, with the goal of getting all primary school pupils back for a month before the summer. more shops will also be able to open and some sporting events will be given the go—ahead, but without spectators. from july, hairdressers, some bars and restaurants and leisure facilities could begin to reopen. all of this is conditional on a continued fall in the number of new coronavirus cases. in the latest 24—hour period,

210 deaths linked to coronavirus were recorded in the uk, bringing the total so far to 32,065. we start tonight with this report by our political editor laura kuenssberg. was the day any different? on the wild yorkshire coast? on the quiet manchester commute? to a few more travellers on london's lines, all trying to work out what the slow train to a new normal looks like, with many questions tonight put direct to the prime minister. yesterday, you left the nation with more questions than answers. why have you been so vague with who can start back at work and which businesses can reopen this week? it's when you come to take small steps back to normality, as we are now, that clearly, the message becomes finer, more complicated. where schools have remained

accessible to children of key workers, are they now expected to allow children to return where their parents are from industries that are being actively encouraged to return to work? if not, how do you propose these people return to work if there is no childcare available? i think it is only fair to regard that as an obvious barrier to their ability to go back to work and i'm sure that employers will agree with that. how is it logical that i, as a primary school teacher, can mix with the many returning children, but seeing my relatives is still not allowed? people can see somebody who isn't in their household, but you have to do it one on one, outdoors, and obeying social distancing. earlier there were plenty of questions from mps too. the prime minister made no bones about the complexity but the opposition, like many of the public, wants crystal clear messages too.

what the country needs at this time is clarity and reassurance and at the moment, both are in pretty short supply. and at the heart of the problem, it seems, is that the prime minister made a statement last night before the plan was written or at least finalised, and that has caused considerable confusion. and whether it's near empty parks in cardiff, or deserted beaches of aberdeen, the administrations in scotland, wales and northern ireland are taking a different path, sticking to the stay at home message with sharp political disagreement. it is obvious that the last 24 hours have spread confusion. what the public desperately needs today is to be given some clarity. mr speaker, lives are at risk so politicaljudgments and verdicts on this weekend's chaos will have to wait for another day. there is now a three nations approach. wales, scotland and northern ireland all agree on policy and message, and i mean this with no malice

but for the sake of clarity, can he confirm that on almost everything he has announced today, the prime minister is acting as the prime minister of england? no, mr speaker, i reject that completely. it is very good advice for the entire population of the united kingdom though i perfectly respect the inflections and variations that may be necessary both locally, regionally and nationally to reflect differences in those areas. in number 10, there has been worry for weeks, not just about the disease, of course, but about how to keep the public onside when a new phase begins with more complicated instructions. those concerns were well placed. there are, prime minister, different instructions for people in different parts of the uk. you can see your colleagues if you go to work, but grandparents can't look after their children. many employers say they are just not ready to have people back to work yet. so what do you say to millions of people watching right now who may

well be a bit perplexed about what you're actually trying to say, and what they are meant to do? yes, of course the message that we were giving out initially was incredibly clear and incredibly stark and the uk population actually obeyed it more thoroughly perhaps than many other populations around the world. we really did stay at home. we need to make progress if we possibly can in relaxing some of the measures very, very cautiously. the elastic bonds between westminster, belfast, edinburgh and cardiff are certainly being stretched and, in private, frustration among tory mps is bubbling up too. one cabinet minister confided the situation was so complicated, they feel like they almost cannot win, but no question, unease about the government's handling of the crisis is certainly starting to spread. this emergency is on such a scale, it is impossible for the course

to be smooth, but when lives and livelihoods are both at stake, political anxiety is running high too. laura joins us from westminster now. last night, we were talking about these repeated calls for clarity from the prime minister. in your view, did he deliver on those demands today? well, to an extent. you were right, when we talked last night, the prime minister had given his broad outline from the grand state dining room in downing street. but by giving broad principles, he also raised lots of question marks. today we did see from the government a forest of paper, pages and pages of documents of all sorts of different guidelines that have gone a long way to answer some of those vital questions that people were wondering about, giving clarification in particular that people who have been stuck within four was just with their household and only popping out occasionally will be able to see one of the

person as long as they are outdoors and as long as they are keeping their distance. and in terms of what it means for people going back to work, it is significant tonight that the tuc, the union group, have said they now think the plans are a step in the right direction. that said, we are into a more complicated phase. as the lockdown is gradually unravelled, that will mean it is harderfor unravelled, that will mean it is harder for the government to give precision about every single tiny thing and they do reckon that that will rely on more of us using our own personaljudgments will rely on more of us using our own personal judgments about will rely on more of us using our own personaljudgments about how we live our lives, based on broad principles and new rules and regulations that will evolve over time rather than that one big blanket message of stay at home that people followed to such a great extent. the other thing that is certainly true is that political consensus that had broadly held in the first few months of this crisis is certainly fractured now,

particularly with sharp differences between the four governments of the uk, tensions between westminster and edinburgh, belfast and cardiff have become quite acute. even though they are still sharing the same advice and they are still communicating and many of the rules remain the same, those political differences of tone and atmosphere are absolutely there now. laura kuenssberg, with the latest at westminster. the government has issued new guidelines on making workplaces safe, including observing two—metre social distancing where possible and minimising risk where it's not. workers in industries such as construction and manufacturing, who can't work from home, are being encouraged to go to work this week, though preferably not by public transport. union leaders have cautiously welcomed the guidance, though they still have concerns, as our business editor simonjack reports. wake up time for the economy. here at this bed and mattress factory in cambridgeshire,

activity is stirring slowly back into life. 68 workers out of a normal 300 have volunteered to come back to work. sue is one of the team leaders. it's just good being back at work. seeing friends and colleagues and that, and the day goes quicker than being at home doing nothing. working with a skeleton crew like this means it's mostly possible to keep your social distance, but not all the time. some workers need protective equipment and benson's operations manager says that getting back to full swing will require more radical changes. we may have no other option, if demand continues to grow and we have a need to get back to full or close to full capacity, but to introduce shift work, because we cannot work as we were in the past with a full shift, everybody working close together. we cannot maintain social distancing. where social distancing is not possible, it advises back to back, side by side working

or the use of masks. it suggests working in fixed teams to avoid mixing groups of personnel, avoiding public transport where possible, whilst staggering arrival and break times. construction is also on the list of industries being encouraged to get workers back on the job. outdoor work is considered less risky and many sites like this one in bristol have been back at work for weeks. but the boss of bedfordshire—based storey homes says that if workers and subcontractors did not obey the rules, the consequences could be swift and severe. everybody has to adhere to them, otherwise they will be asked to leave the site and may not be asked to return. so, people's livelihoods depend on them working in construction. if you don't work, you don't earn and no one isjust popping the champagne corks and saying, we are all coming back on monday. everybody is being very sensible about it. the last 2a hours have arguably

placed more responsibility and more discretion in the hands of employers, and that concerns the unions. we are saying that they should not be pressured into going back to work and they should refuse, and we will obviously defend them. it is a slow and tentative green light for small parts of the economy, but with a warning that if infection rates begin to accelerate, the brakes go back on. simon jack, bbc news. many businesses on the high street are still not able to open for many weeks, possibly months. business owners say they still have unanswered questions about the circumstances in which they might reopen. our business correspondent emma simpson has been to st albans to speak to some of them. our high streets have been deserted for seven weeks now, the reopening still on pause. here in st albans, the owners behind these shop fronts are now thinking about the road ahead, and they have more questions than answers. like david and sarah at the jewellery shop.

we're worried about the basics of actually serving people. sitting down six feet away is not ideal in a jewellery shop. we're very used to getting up close and personal, measuring a finger, maybe attaching a necklace around a lady's neck. people ask you to do their earrings. yeah, attaching a pair of earrings. mark and sophie run the hairdresser‘s. they, along with beauty salons, won't be reopening untiljuly at the earliest. childcare is a big worry for this family business. our older son is at school. my daughter is at nursery. we don't know what the situation is with that opening. we have grandparents, but they're in the age category where we shouldn't really be exposing them. for us to open is worthless unless i can ensure that both my children are looked after. sean runs three pubs in st albans and doesn't know when he will reopen. he says he can't follow the rules on social distancing because he needs his pubs full to survive.

without that, we cannot trade. so we have an option. we shut and that's it and we never reopen, or we try and develop something that we can continue on. but to do that, we're going to need a hell of a lot of government support. there's a lot for businesses to digest tonight. the government says they'll have to be innovative in getting back to work. there's certainly a willingness to do that here. there's even an idea to pedestrianise the city centre to coax people back. helen and andrew run a bridal and menswear business. like everything else, weddings have been put on hold. the biggest worry is not having the clients come back because they've been so used to being at home. we're all different businesses on the street, but we're all interlinked and if people don't come out and spend their money, basically, that's it, we'd have to shut. they are desperate to reopen. but for now, these owners will have to wait. nobody knows when our high streets will be crowded again.

emma simpson, bbc news, st albans. the government has announced it hopes all primary age pupils in england can go back to school for a month before the summer break and is again advising that vulnerable children and those of essential workers should return now. the goal is for children to restart in nursery, reception, yeari and year 6 onjune ist, depending on the risk level of coronavirus. there's no return planned for england's secondary school children before the summer break. but teachers are being asked to allow for face—to—face time before then, with pupils facing key exams next year. in scotland and wales there's no change and no planned return dates, with scotland's first minister saying the beginning of next month would be too soon for primary school classes to start there. and in northern ireland, the education minister has said it'll be september when pupils are

likely to begin returing to school. teaching unions have expressed "serious concerns" about government plans to restart primary education in england. our education correspondent elaine dunkley has been getting the reaction of parents and teachers in northwich in cheshire. even with just a few children, it is difficult. soon pupils at hertford manor primary will have to learn a new skill — how to keep their distance. classes will be open to all children in reception, yeari and year6. how on earth do we get 30 children in a classroom and make them socially distance? you can't do it. i'd like to see the children wearing facial coverings because if they then cough, it will not go onto the desk they are working at or onto the surface. i would like to see teachers wearing it where possible. schools have remained open for children of key workers and those deemed as vulnerable so why are certain age groups being prioritised to return first? for nurseries, reception and year i,

it is a critical time in early years development. for those in year 6, it is about preparing them for secondary school but parents here are worried about safety. a lot of parents are scared that bringing the children back is going to increase the spread. one of our concerns, keeping the girls in school, was that we would potentially from the hospital, acquire covid, bring it back, pass it on unknown to our children and then bring it in and spread it further out in the community. i don't know how you can open the schools and you can guarantee people's safety. it's unfair. my daughters are coping fine at home. they are quite happy and bubbly at home but they are really desperate to come back to school and see their friends. that is a big part for them, to come back and see their friends and play with their friends and i don't see how that is going to be possible, because you cannot enforce social distancing very well with children, i wouldn't have thought. schools are key in ending the coronavirus lockdown. reopening them is as much

about the economy as it is about education. in order for the country to go back to work, children need to go back to school. it's now been eight weeks. my husband and i both run small businesses, so trying to keep those businesses viable and have both the children at home and try and do some home schooling has created a really high pressure environment. the government says it wants to get pupils back to school as soon as it is safe to do so, with smaller classes and hygiene a high priority. drop—off and pick—up times will be staggered and outside spaces will be used to the full. more reassurances for parents and teachers, but will it give them enough confidence for children to return to classrooms? elaine dunkley, bbc news, cheshire. in scotland, wales and northern ireland ministers are insisting that the "stay home" advice is saving lives, and they've clearly distanced themselves from the approach being taken by borisjohnson in england. the differences have prompted many questions.

what would the guidance mean, for example, for someone who lived in wales but worked in england? orfor someone who lived in england but wanted to visit wales? our wales correspondent hywel griffith has been looking at the options. the prime minister has given us his road map. but are the borders clearly marked? for the people in chepstow, it should be straightforward. they live in wales under welsh lockdown laws. the message here remains "stay at home". but what about the 100,000 welsh workers, like steve, whosejobs are in england? what if he gets called into a meeting? the clarity‘s just not there. i believe that i'm right, you know, that the welsh rules apply to me, and that i must stay at home. butam i right? i'm not entirely sure. in normal times, the border between england and wales is crossed more than 2.5 million times a week. it's notjust people going to work. it's travelling to their nearest

supermarket or visiting their gp. inevitably, having different lockdown laws either side of the divide is now causing confusion. driving to exercise isn't allowed in wales — only essential journeys are permitted. anything else breaks the law. for helena and her mum, there are more questions than answers today. they live on the english side of the divide but helena studies in wales. are we allowed to come and pick stuff up? over just the little bridge and come for a walk? i've got to get get my uni stuff from cardiff. is that essential? am i allowed to go and get that? peter has a different dilemma. his estate agency straddles both sides of the border. today has brought a flurry of calls. he is having to tell people not to drive in to wales. we just don't really know what to do. we are taking enquiries but i'm saying to clients, look, i really know as much as you do. we are trying to, obviously, interpret what both the welsh

government and english government are saying, and it is all a bit confusing. not only to us but to the general public. the virus, of course, doesn't recognise borders, and this pandemic is now really testing how well the uk's nations can stick together. hywel griffith, bbc news, chepstow. let's get the view from scotland. our scotland editor sarah smith is in glasgow. just a reminderfor viewers just a reminder for viewers that the first minister there today was reminding the people of scotland of their obligations and the differences between scotland and england. yes, she gave a special broadcast on the television earlier this evening because nicola sturgeon's principal concern is to make sure that people in scotland understand that the easing of the restrictions of the prime minister has been discussing do not apply to people here in scotland or in wales oi’ people here in scotland or in wales or northern ireland. there is increasing frustration in the scottish government that when the prime minister talks about the changes he is making, he does not

make it explicitly clear that he means it is for england only. but of course wales, scotland and northern ireland all have the legal right and responsibility to make their own lockdown rules and here in scotland the message has not changed. it remains to stay at home, nobody is being to work or spend more time outdoors pond that you can go out for exercise more than once but not to the same extent that people are being allowed to in england. the rules have hardly changed here at all. there is obvious concern about mixed messaging, that people will be confused about which rules they ought to adhere to. and when nicola sturgeon explains why she is not prepared to ease the lockdown further here and says that she dare not risk acting rationally or prematurely because lives are at risk, you can hear in that the unspoken criticism borisjohnson's. she of course says he has perfect right to make the rules for england but that he has to make it clear it

england he is talking about, not the whole of the united kingdom. sarah, once again, many thanks. sarah smith, our scotland editor. the uk government has decided that plans to impose a 14—day quarantine on people flying into the uk should be extended to people arriving by other means. but there's no start date for the arrangement. passengers arriving from france and the republic of ireland would not be affected. the head of iag, the company which owns british airways, has warned the quarantine measures will mean flights won't resume in any meaningful way. our transport correspondent tom burridge reports from sta nsted airport. flying is changing. this is the new norm at stansted and manchester airports. thermal cameras which check your temperature will become more common too. these people arrived on a flight from berlin today, which was half full.

soon anyone arriving in the uk from anywhere apart from ireland and france will have to self—isolate for two weeks. i think it's necessary. i think we should all have a quarantine because they are doing it also in germany. it's a really nice idea but they are late again. normally stansted would have 500 flights in a day. today there were just 16. it is hard to think forward to the summer and imagine this busy. but airlines warn many people simply won't want to travel if they have to self—isolate when they get home. with their planes stacked up and static, british airways, like other airlines, is haemorrhaging cash. the boss of its parent company today said a quarantine was a further kick in the teeth.

we had been planning to resume on a pretty significant basis our flying in july. i think we will have to review that based on what the prime minister said yesterday. around 100,000 people have arrived in the uk since the lockdown began seven weeks ago. opposition mps say the government failed to prevent more cases getting in. there were cases conceded all across the country over a period of months by not taking measures at the border and quarantining earlier. the government says the relatively small numbers of flights and passengers means the number of cases of the virus which could have come in would have had a minimal impact on the overall prevalence of covid—i9 in the uk. the travel quarantine is expected to take effect at the end of this month. if people cannot provide an address when they arrive then they will have to self—isolate in government accommodation. tom burridge, bbc news, stansted airport.