Coronavirus: Boris Johnson warns 'turbulence is ahead' but insists Covid plan 'not blown off course'

There is still "turbulence ahead" for the UK in its battle with Covid-19, the prime minister has warned, but he insisted the government has not been blown off course in its plan to tackle the virus.

Boris Johnson conceded that U-turns have been made during the pandemic, but said “sometimes it is necessary” to change direction in “response to the facts as they change”.

Mr Johnson told ministers at a socially distanced Cabinet meeting that in the last few months they have been “sailing into the teeth of a gale, no question”.

“And I am no great nautical expert, but sometimes it is necessary to tack here and there in response to the facts as they change, in response to the wind’s change, but we have been going steadily in the direction, in the course we set out, and we have not been blown off that course.”

The prime minister suggested there is now cause for optimism, saying he is "absolutely confident" that the UK can deal with any future outbreaks of the deadly virus.

The PM chaired a socially distanced Cabinet meeting in the Foreign Office. Credit: PA

"Bit by bit this incredible country is getting back on his feet and recovering from this crisis", the PM told his ministers during a socially distanced Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

"And we in this government are committed... to do absolutely everything in our power to help," he added.

He said there would still be “some turbulence ahead” and that things would be “difficult” on the economic front, while the need remained to “get this disease absolutely out of our systems”.

“But I am absolutely confident that if we continue in the way that we have that there will be calmer days, brighter days and calmer seas ahead of us, so thank you all very much for everything that you have done.”

Mr Johnson said the UK's workforce is returning to the office in "huge numbers", including his Cabinet, which met for the in-person meeting at the Foreign Office.

Asked later what the prime minister meant by "huge numbers", his official spokesperson said it was too early to share the data on how many people nationally had gone back to work.

It was the first time the Cabinet has met since Parliament broke for summer recess, during which the government was forced to perform a series of embarrassing U-turns.

Possibly the most damaging U-turn was the A-levels exams fiasco, which saw hundreds of thousands of students have their results downgraded, before a shift in policy allowed them to use the grades their teachers had predicted for them.

Also on Tuesday, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson updated the Commons on millions of pupils' return to schools in England and Wales this week.

He confirmed the government is planning to push back next year's GCSE and A-level exams after

Approximately 40% of schools are expected to welcome back students for the start of the autumn term on Tuesday, despite concerns about their ability to reopen safely.

It will be the first time many pupils in England have stepped into a classroom since March, when schools were closed except to look after vulnerable children and those of key workers.

The prime minister had attempted to have primary schools reopen before the summer holidays but was forced into another U-turn after many concerned parents said they would not send their children back until it was safer.

Mr Johnson is facing pressure from backbench MPs who want him to avoid any further U-turns.

A senior Conservative MP said backbenchers were “tired of the U-turns”.

“There’s that element of calamity – and frankly there are people from the Red Wall seats who are getting jittery. But not only Red Wall seats, but other people who haven’t got marginal seats like that.

“We’d like to be in a Government that has the impression of being competent – rather than lurching from one issue to another and then after a short time doing a U-turn.”

Despite being urged to avoid mishaps, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was pictured shaking hands with someone, in breach of social distancing guidelines.

In other Westminster news, Mr Johnson appointed Simon Case as Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service.

The 41-year-old will succeed Sir Mark Sedwill, who announced in June that he would be standing down amid rumours of a rift in 10 Downing Street.

Mr Case, a former private secretary to the Duke of Cambridge, takes on the job as the country’s top civil servant as the shake-up of Whitehall under Boris Johnson and adviser Dominic Cummings continues.

Currently the permanent secretary in Number 10, his new role will put him in charge of overseeing the day-to-day running of the Government and joining it up with the Prime Minister’s policy priorities.