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One British cabinet minister has proposed a French-style 'permission slip' policy in an extreme crackdown on people violating the UK lockdown measures. The Spectator's Fraser Nelson told the BBC's Chris Mason that the cabinet was split over whether the lockdown should be loosened or tightened further. Divisions in the cabinet are mounting since Boris Johnson's absence following his stay in intensive care this week.

Speaking to Mason on the BBC's World at One, Nelson said: "The cabinet is split into three groups for the lockdowns. "One group thought the lockdown should be tightened. One cabinet minister even proposed following France in asking people to carry documents with them when they go outside." In France, people need to fill out a permission form every time they leave their home. Police patrolling the streets can fine people between £120 and £175 if they are caught outside without the necessary documents. JUST IN: Wales tourists send suitcases by COURIER to dodge police

One British cabinet minister has proposed a French-style 'permission slip' policy

Whitehall civil servants has calculated that a long-term lockdown would lead to 150,000 'excess' deaths from non-coronavirus causes

Fraser Nelson wrote in the Telegraph: "Some think the lockdown is, if anything, too lax. One minister has even proposed adopting a French-style system, demanding that no one steps outside without papers authorising them to do so. "Then we have those who think the cure is already worse than the disease and want to phase out lockdown at the earliest opportunity. "Then a third group, who think it doesn’t matter what government thinks. Public opinion, they argue, led us into the lockdown so only public opinion can lead us out. "The trick is to be ready to seize the moment when it comes."

Nelson also said cabinet ministers claimed there had been "a lot more job losses than expected"

Divisions in the cabinet are mounting since Boris Johnson's absence following his stay in intensive care this week