UK divided on 'mission creep' of vaccine IDs

British prime minister Boris Johnson is right to resist pressure to speed the UK’s reopening in lines with the US. But plans for immunity IDs have spooked his own party

A woman wearing a face mask passes closed non-essential shops in London this week, as England continues to ease coronavirus restrictions. 

Opposition to British prime minister Boris Johnson’s go-slow plan for reopening the economy and his too-vague plan for domestic vaccine passports has been growing in his Conservative Party.

There are many arguments raised, but what really bothers some conservatives (small and big C) is the suspicion that his policies reflect a sizable shift in the role of the state in people’s lives.