I have just found the legislation. It was hidden away in regulations which at first appeared to be amending rules about mask-wearing, but in fact put stuff in to cover this new travel form too. The regulations are here:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/247/contents/made
It is regulation 3 that does the deed, inserting new material in SI 2020 number 1374.
To be fair to the Government, the regulations were made on Friday afternoon, so we will have had nearly 60 hours to pick our way through all the fiddly amendments and check that the guidance fairly represents the law. And of course we could not possibly have expected the Government to have given more notice, whether to individuals, airlines or the police, as they had no idea until Friday that airports were still functioning.
So...can we not travel anywhere for pleasure now?
Is there a way around it, such as booking in a doctor's appointment abroad and saying it's an emergency?
Anyone here remember exchange controls?
When from the start of the War until well into the 1960's independent foreign travel was completely contingent on being able to acquire foreign currency. Which was purely at the discretion of the government. For long periods of time the government decided that very few people should travel and spend money abroad so it took a real effort to collect enough foreign exchange to be able to travel. So very few people could travel abroad independently. Apart from the rich and the connected. The reason why most people at the time who did go abroad did so on package tours is because almost all expenses were prepaid in the UK so the people only needed small amounts of spending money. Which the government allowed them.
So very like the Intourist set-up in the Soviet Union. In theory you could travel independently in the Soviet Union. In practice it was almost impossible. Although I knew several people who did. It took a huge effort and immense cunning.
This new travel documentation law sounds remarkably like the old exchange controls laws. Passed supposedly for the "duration of the war" but remained in force (and enforced) for many decades afterward. For almost three decades. By the mid 1970's they were no longer enforced and it was the Thatcher government who finally revoked the regulations.
So a warning from history. If these travel restrictions are in place and going to be enforced they will most likely be in place for many years to come. They will not be temporary. Regulations like these never are.
This is the very first time in the last year where a government measure cannot be explained away as reasonable and proportional. As part of some well intentioned plan. No matter how incoherent and half-assed. The only purpose of this measure is authoritarian control of the population. The regulation of a fascist government, in the true Gentile sense of the word. I always thought that the first "new age" fascist government would be a M5S one in Italy but it looks like Boris may beat them to it. After all one of the defining characteristics of the various national fascisti political movements of the last century was a leader driven by extreme political opportunism and little else.
What does Boris actually believe politically? This week?
So...can we not travel anywhere for pleasure now?
Is there a way around it, such as booking in a doctor's appointment abroad and saying it's an emergency?
My experience of the past week has been that unless you have a valid reason you will be turned around at the check-in, and pleasure is not a valid reason.
My evidence for this comes from:
1) a friend of mine who wanted to travel to Germany by air to collect some personal effects he had stored there was turned back at check-in
2) I travelled by ferry to Holland and asked at check-in what would have happened if holiday was my reason to travel and was told I would be turned back (however I'm not sure if this was the Duty, UK or both countries regulations).
As an additional point there were only 6 cars on the ferry and at least 3 of them had quite severe searches on the Dutch side. Also I was questioned quite intensively by the Dutch officials regarding my reason for travel. I'm not sure if this applies only to Holland but it could indicate that even if you escape the UK there might be quite some additional checks in the country in which you arrive.
All thats changed is the pointless addition of a MS word tick box.
It really isn't that hard to get a letter from your destination saying its for "work".
Check-in staff are happy, they're covered and off you go.
I know many people travelling this way.
