UK opposition calls for government's lockdown exit plan

The new leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party urged the government on Wednesday to set out how it plans to end the coronavirus lockdown, both to give people hope and avoid "mistakes" of the past.

Keir Starmer said Labour would support the government's expected decision on Thursday to renew a stay-at-home order imposed three weeks ago to stem the spread of COVID-19.

He said this was necessary while the death toll kept rising, reaching more than 12,000 so far, making Britain one of the worst affected countries in the global pandemic.

But he called on ministers to explain within a week their plan for easing restrictions, both to reassure the public and to give lawmakers time scrutinise it properly.

"People need hope, they need to know there's light at the end of the tunnel," Starmer, who was elected Labour leader earlier this month, told BBC radio.

In a letter to the government, he also warned: "We cannot repeat mistakes that have already been made on testing and access to protective equipment."