23 February 2021updated 30 Jul 2021 10:49am

Why England’s inhumane sex ban must now end

The lack of attention paid to relationships suggests a peculiarly British unwillingness to consider human sexuality.

Members of the public walk past a new mural of a mask wearing couple kissing on March 21, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo By Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

When Alistair Foot and Anthony Marriott wrote the play No Sex Please, We’re British in 1971, they probably didn’t expect it to become unofficial government policy.

And yet, when Boris Johnson yesterday announced his much-hyped roadmap for easing the current lockdown, his statement made clear that getting a manicure or playing outdoor tennis will be legal long before England’s de facto sex ban is revoked. For while the dates and details for the subsequent phases of relaxing the rules remain tentative, the absolute earliest indoor mixing will be permitted is 17 May.