Boris Johnson faces a "full-scale mutiny" from his Cabinet and senior aides if he does not enforce a lockdown of London, including restrictions on nonessential travel.



Cabinet ministers and aides want the prime minister to bring in French- or Italian-style lockdown measures in the next 24 hours — requiring people to demonstrate that they have a good reason to leave their homes — after seeing data that showed the UK is on a trajectory towards as many deaths per day as Italy is currently experiencing.

Insiders told BuzzFeed News that the scientific advice from the government's experts still dictated that now was not the right time to implement a full-scale lockdown. They insisted that they would be guided by the science and take the appropriate measures if and when they become necessary.

But other government sources said that they wanted Johnson to go further immediately, warning that he faced a Cabinet revolt and the prospect of senior aides telling him he must act faster.

At a press conference on Sunday afternoon, the prime minister again stopped short of introducing tougher measures, instead issuing another plea to people to follow the official advice on social distancing.

Asked repeatedly by reporters why he was not acting faster, he warned the British public that he would consider more draconian measures along the lines of those adopted in other European countries if people continued to congregate in groups.

"If people don't do that [social distancing] we're going to have to bring in tougher measures," he said, adding: "Some people are not making it easy for us because they're congregating in a way that could spread the disease."

One source described the feeling among Cabinet and senior advisers to Johnson as one of "full-scale mutiny" if he does not bring in stricter measures.

There was fury across government on Sunday at people flouting the social distancing orders outlined by the prime minister.