A YORK MP has hit out at the Government’s review on the travel list for holidays outside of the UK - describing it as “lacklustre”.

On Thursday, the Government announced that no more countries would be added to the green section of the travel list - and that Portugal, the only mainstream destination in the green section, will move from green to amber from Tuesday, June 8 - meaning people returning from there must quarantine for 10 days.

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy expressed his disappointment at the latest review - and said it has left him questioning the system.

Mr Sturdy said: “I was originally a supporter of having designations for holiday destinations, which would give the consumer certainty in booking specific flights while allowing the travel sector to scale up operations as more countries were progressively added to the green list.

“The removal of Portugal from the green travel list, despite available data showing no major shift in direction since the last review, shatters my confidence that the travel list system can serve this purpose and risks permanent damage to the travel sector.

“This view is compounded by the fact several destinations now have Covid data comparable or better to when Portugal was added to the green list yet remain in amber.”

The review has forced holidaymakers to pay hundreds of pounds to return home to beat the quarantine deadline.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of travel agent group Advantage Travel Partnership, said the decision in relation to Portugal was “an absolute devastating blow” for consumers and the industry.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said that the move was a “safety first approach” to give the country the best chance of moving along the road map out of the pandemic.

Mr Sturdy added: “I will be joining colleagues in calling for Grant Shapps to make a statement so MPs can have the chance to hold him to account and to probe further into the Government’s decision making.”