‘Tech will help us defeat Covid-19’
BORIS Johnson has said technological advances will “defeat this virus by the spring” as he tries to ward off a growing Tory rebellion over the second national lockdown for England.
The Prime Minister promised MPS a fresh vote on the next stage of measures to combat coronavirus when “we intend to return” to a regional tiered system on December 2.
And he announced greater support for the self-employed after extending the furlockdown, if approved by MPS, will autolough scheme for employees as pubs, resmatically expire next month and said that taurants and non-essential shops are the Commons “will have a vote to agree the ordered to close. way forward”.
But a growing number of senior MPS on And the Prime Minister warned that the Conservative backbenches have said “without action” there could be twice as they will oppose the new lockdown during many deaths over the winter as in the first a vote tomorrow. wave, meaning there is “no alternative” but
Mr Johnson hailed advances in medicine another national lockdown. including “virtually instant” Covid-19 tests He said Covid-19 presents an “existential and said there is a “real prospect” of a vacthreat” to the NHS with doctors cine in the first quarter of next year. being forced to choose which patients to
“I believe that these technical developtreat and “who would live and who would die”.ments,takentogether,willenableusto defeat this virus by the spring as humanity With Chancellor Rishi Sunak beside him, has defeated every other infectious disMr Johnson announced that the Governease,” he said. He insisted that the national ment will double support for the selfemployed for November from 40% to 80% of trading profits.
Sir Keir Starmer accused the Prime Minister of a “catastrophic failure of leadership” for having rejected a recommendation from scientists advising the Government to impose a shorter “circuit-breaker” lockdown in September.
The Labour leader warned that the “human cost” of a growing daily death rate was a result of Mr Johnson being “behind the curve” at every stage.
And Mr Johnson also faced growing unrest from his own MPS.
Sir Charles Walker, the vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said he would vote against the legislation, arguing that the UK is drifting “further into an authoritarian, coercive state”. Another reason for their anger is that several newspapers learned on Friday that a new lockdown would be imposed, before Mr Johnson updated the public or Parliament.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said any MP found to have leaked details over the second lockdown should apologise for displaying “discourteous and unacceptable” behaviour.