Boris Johnson appeared to issue a veiled threat to citizens that failing to “get boosted” as a matter of urgency could see their “freedoms” and “way of life” taken away in an address to the nation.

The Prime Minister’s tone throughout the speech was more cajoling than threatening, and he stopped well short of announcing any new restrictions — beyond those already imposed via the implementation of ‘Plan B’ — but comes against a backdrop of many allusions to serious curbs of people’s personal liberty being under consideration, with Johnson even suggesting it is time for a “national conversation” about making vaccination compulsory.  He also closed with what appeared to be a clear threat that, if people do not heed his urgings to “get boosted” in record time in the coming days and weeks, there will be consequences for civil liberties, saying: “Get boosted now for yourself, for your friends and your family; get boosted now to protect jobs and livelihoods across this country; get boosted now to protect our NHS, our freedoms and our way of life.”

The last of these, in particular, would not make any sense without the looming threat of the state depriving people of their “freedoms and way of life” if booster uptake is not to the government’s satisfaction, while the allusion to getting boosted “to protect jobs and livelihoods” may be an allusion to the likely impact of more job-destroying lockdowns on the economy.

We are a great country. We have the vaccines to protect our people.

So let’s do it. Let’s Get Boosted Now.

Get Boosted Now for yourself, for your friends and your family.

Get Boosted Now to protect our NHS, our freedoms and our way of life.https://t.co/I3YTZWggJb pic.twitter.com/JbWPGFrvma

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) December 12, 2021

Prime Minister Johnson began his speech by saying that “vaccination is the key to beating Covid” and asserting that Britain “was the first country in the world to administer a vaccine,” delivered “the fastest roll-out in Europe,” and has “begun the fastest booster campaign too” — but claimed that this may not be enough to stop the Omicron variant of the coronavirus from overwhelming the country’s socialised National Health Service (NHS).

“I am afraid we are now facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant, Omicron, and we must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection to keep our friends and loved ones safe,” the Tory leader — currently mired in allegations of Christmas lockdown-breaking at Downing Street last year — insisted.

“Earlier today, the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers raised the Covid Alert level to 4, its second-highest level, because of the evidence that Omicron is doubling here in the UK every two to three days… No-one should be in any doubt: there is a tidal wave of Omicron coming,” he said, echoing claims by Scotland’s left-separatist First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that the country faces an Omicron “tsunami”.

“I know there will be some people watching who will be asking whether Omicron is less severe than previous variants, and whether we really need to go out and get that booster, and the answer is yes we do,” Johnson went on.

“Do not make the mistake of thinking Omicron can’t hurt you; can’t make you and your loved ones seriously ill. We’ve already seen hospitalisations doubling in a week in South Africa, and we have patients with Omicron in hospital here in the UK right now,” he added.

Farage Slams Boris for Calls to Have ‘National Conversation’ on Mandatory Vaccination https://t.co/zOEWbJMdYo