Dominic Raab has said this morning that if "everyone plays by the rules" then a national lockdown may not be needed at Christmas.

In an interview on Sky News, the foreigh secratary said if people listened and took on board the rules that there wouldn't be a national lockdown by Christmas.

He has also insisted the government is taking a "focused, balanced and proportionate" approach to lockdown measures.

Mr Raab continued: "Let’s hope that we can get through the winter months if we take these measures and if everyone plays by the rules, and we go into Christmas not needing to go into that national lockdown with all the impact on society and families but also the damage it would do to businesses."

Mr Raab also defended the 10pm curfew on hospitality, despite figures suggesting just 5 per cent of coronavirus cases are linked to pubs, bars and restaurants.

He said: "We know that in bars and restaurants, particularly after people have had a few drinks, as you go into the later hours of the evening, that there’s a risk that the compliance with the guidance ebbs a little bit.

"So we’re taking this measure, we’re confident based on the evidence that we’ve got domestically and internationally that it’s one element of those that we need to make."