Almost half of families in the UK say they WILL stick to coronavirus rules at Christmas

Would YOU break the rules to spend Christmas with your family? Almost half of families in the UK say they WILL stick to coronavirus regulations over the festive period – but one in five would break the law to see their loved ones

  • New poll shows almost half of families intend to stick to Covid rules at Christmas
  • Some 46 per cent said they will not meet with others indoors if it is banned
  • Just 19 per cent said they will not adhere to rules if household mixing is banned 

Almost half of families in the UK intend to stick to coronavirus rules at Christmas even if they prevent them from seeing their loved ones. 

An exclusive poll for MailOnline found 46 per cent of people said they will fully adhere to the rules and not celebrate with relatives or friends from other households indoors if that is what the restrictions in their local area demand. 

The survey of 3,000 people, conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on October 28, found that just 19 per cent intend not to fully adhere to the rules and still celebrate indoors with people from outside their immediate household.  

Just over one in 10, some 14 per cent, said they would try to stick to restrictions and meet loved ones outdoors in a public space on the big day while five per cent intend to celebrate overseas and 17 per cent were unsure what they will do. 

Just 19 per cent of people said they intend not to adhere to coronavirus rules over Christmas if there is a ban on households gathering indoors 

The Government is facing a major headache over what to do about coronavirus rules over the Christmas period. 

Ministers believe it is inevitable that many people will travel to be with their families even if restrictions say they should not do so. 

However, there are fears that lifting the rules temporarily to allow families to meet would result in a ‘spreading event’ which would cause a significant spike in coronavirus infections. 

Today’s poll found that the nation is split on whether the Government understands the economic and social damage its lockdown restrictions are doing. 

Some 47 per cent of respondents said the Government does understand the impact on the public but 37 per cent think the Government does not. 

Meanwhile, four in ten Britons (39 per cent) said they would support restrictions like the Rule of Six being relaxed over Christmas and 31 per cent would oppose such a much.  

The debate over what to do during the Christmas period remains ongoing in Whitehall with ministers insisting that it is too early to make decisions on the matter. 

Police chiefs have said that if rules banning household mixing are in place over Christmas then officers could break up family gatherings. 

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said yesterday that ‘the police have a duty and a responsibility to enforce the rules’.

‘We obviously want to ensure that families can gather for Christmas,’ he told Sky News.

‘I want to be with my own family at Christmas. That is some way off.

‘What we have to do now is take action, decisive action now against the virus to give us the best possible chance of being able to achieve that and that is exactly what we are trying to do.’

Tory MPs have urged the Government to give families a ‘break’ and allow them to meet after a ‘dreadful year’.   

They also blasted the suggestion that police could crackdown on families meeting for Christmas dinner as they said ‘this is not some totalitarian state like China’.  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk