Boris needs to get a grip on his members

WHEN Government scientists warned last September that there could be 200 Covid deaths a day by November if the Government did not order a lockdown, they were ridiculed as doom mongers by noisy Covid-sceptic Conservative MPs.

Boris Johnson weakly bowed to the backbench rebels and ignored the scientists’ advice, leading to 200 deaths a day by October 20 (slightly faster than predicted) and the second wave of Covid, from which we are only now recovering. That’s why we have the largest death toll in Europe.

Now the same backbenchers, formed into the self-styled Covid Recovery Group – modelled on the European Research Group (ERG ) which destroyed Theresa May’s leadership over Brexit - are making more demands that lockdown restrictions should be eased prematurely.

They want all restrictions to end by the end of April; conveniently before the elections on May 6, when they hope the Tories will be doing well because of the vaccine roll out, and Labour won’t have been able to knock on doors or deliver leaflets.

As soon as evidence emerges that Coronavirus restrictions are working, these people demand that they should be scrapped. In the national interest and to save lives, Boris needs to get a grip on his party rather than weakly giving in to those who shout most loudly. Or perhaps he spent so long as an irresponsible rebel that he can’t do it.

Harry Dobson

● Gyms such as The Figure Factory in Runcorn have been closed during lockdown number 3

● Boris Johnson announcing a phased exit from the country’s current lockdown measures