Next summer will be a “different world” for weddings, Boris Johnson said as he tried to strike an optimistic note in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Prime Minister insisted the rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations would be a great boost to the weddings and events industry in 2021.

Pressed during an online ‘People’s Prime Minister’s Question Time’ organised by Downing Street, Mr Johnson was coy about his own wedding plans with fiancee Carrie Symonds.

Asked about the impact of coronavirus restrictions on weddings by a woman who worked in the sector, Mr Johnson said: “If you are thinking about the summer, I think you will be alright.

“It’s my strong hope and belief that by the summer, one way or the other, whether by vaccination – which I hope and believe we will have delivered by Easter as I say – or by lateral flow testing, we’ll be in a different world.

“So my hope is that, by summer, it really will be a different world for the weddings and events industry.”

Asked about his own wedding plans, Mr Johnson said: “I didn’t want to drag that in but, anyway, I’ll take that one offline as they say.

“I think mass testing will help before Easter – hopefully well before Easter – but I think you should be able to plan for a really much more active summer and lots of happy nuptial events all over the UK.”

What’s going to make business boom in this country is going to be confidence

Mr Johnson was upbeat about the general economic outlook.

He said: “I am absolutely sure that next year we are going to bounce back, collectively, very strongly.

“And businesses are going to bounce back strongly.

“I can tell you that the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, is looking at the fiscal, the regulatory environment, that we need to have to make sure that this is the best place in the world to start a business.

“We will be looking at the tax environment, the regulatory environment, and everything to encourage and support business across the country.

“In the end, what’s going to make business boom in this country is going to be confidence.

“An ounce of confidence is worth a ton of Rishi’s money. That’s the key thing.”

Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds was scathing about the Prime Minister’s comments.

Ms Dodds said: “It says everything about this Prime Minister that he treats public money as his own personal piggy bank to raid whenever he chooses.

“This irresponsible attitude explains why the Conservative Government has wasted and mismanaged billions during this crisis. Instead of pouring more public money down the drain, Boris Johnson should act to restore confidence by finally getting a grip on the health and jobs crises.”