Cabinet split over tougher lockdown
Plans for traffic light system face delay as local leaders warn rules are not working
A CABINET row has threatened to throw an overhaul of local lockdown rules into disarray, as the leaders of the worst-affected cities warned the current measures were “not working”.
A “traffic light” system of different levels of restrictions was due to be announced tomorrow, but an intervention by Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, may now delay the plans.
The row erupted as Boris Johnson faced a growing Conservative backlash over his handling of the coronavirus crisis, with critics arguing that lockdown measures such as the 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants were hugely damaging to the economy and could even be increasing infections.
A parliamentary vote on the curfew, which had been expected by MPS to be held today, has been delayed until next week after dozens of Conservatives threatened to rebel and Labour refused to back the measure publicly.
Now Mr Sunak is understood to be insisting that decisions on which towns should be placed into the “red” zone should be made by a new committee comprising himself, the Prime Minister and Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary. It would exclude Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, from the decision-making process, meaning Mr Sunak, a “hawk” who wants to protect the economy, would not be outnumbered by Mr Gove and Mr Hancock, both “doves” who want stricter lockdown measures.
Ministers have also failed to agree on how harsh the strictest of the three lockdown tiers should be. The closure of pubs, restaurants and non-essential retailers is still on the table, along with a ban on households mixing. The row came as the elected leaders of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle wrote to Mr Hancock calling for more funding and a better local approach to avert an economic collapse.
They told the Health Secretary: “The existing restrictions are not working, confusing for the public and some, like the 10pm rule, are counter-productive.”
Infection rates in the four cities have shot up over the past week, with Manchester recording 529 cases per 100,000 people, up from 246 a week before. Other university cities have seen huge rises, including Nottingham, where the rate has rocketed from 59 cases per 100,000 to 382 in a week.
The Uk-wide seven- day rate currently stands at 125.7 cases per 100,000, up from 63.8 per 100,000 a week ago.
Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, warned she would target Scotl and’s pubs and bars in a “circuit breaker” lockdown being unveiled today, which could force them to shut their doors later this week.
Last night, 14 Tories voted against the rule of six in a retrospective vote on the measure, with one telling ministers it was a “massive intrusion into the liberty and private lives of the whole British people”. The 10pm curfew will now be debated in a Commons committee on Monday, a move which could infuriate Tory backbenchers who thought they had been promised the chance to debate national measures on the floor of the Commons by Mr Hancock last week.
There were 14,542 lab- confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK yesterday, a trebling of figures from just a fortnight ago. A further 76 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19. Cabinet ministers signed off
on the outline of a new three-tier local lockdown system three weeks ago at a meeting of a Covid subcommittee on Sept 18. However, the plan is yet to be approved by Downing Street.
The new alert system would simplify the current system of lockdown measures by placing each part of the country into one of three tiers, each of which would have predetermined restrictions.
The Daily Telegraph understands that Mr Sunak is spearheading calls from Cabinet “hawks” for ministers to be given the final say over when an area is deemed to be in the top tier of lockdown restrictions. He is said to have accepted the need for the new system but is concerned about the mechanism in which the most severe level of restrictions are imposed.
The need for a new approach was highlighted by Public Health England data which showed cities under the strictest local lockdowns were spiralling out of control despite the measures.
In the letter to Mr Hancock, four city leaders – Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, Judith Blake, leader of Leeds city council, Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester city council and Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle city council, said they were “extremely concerned” about the sharp increases.
They said that additional powers should be provided to them to rapidly address non-compliance, for example by immediately closing premises.
The row in the Cabinet came as five senior Tories spoke against the rule of six during a heated Commons debate. Sir Graham Brady, the 1922 committee chairman, said it was “truly unprecedented and “a massive intrusion into the liberty and private lives of the whole British people”.
Meanwhile, Prof Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said further restrictions may be needed in England-including closing bars and restaurants and reduced contact between households could be needed.
However, British scientists were yesterday also among thousands of experts warning of “grave concerns” over the physical and mental toll of lockdown.
A spokesman for Mr Sunak said he “has not proposed a new committee nor excluding anyone from that committee.”
A Downing St spokesman said the vote on the 10pm curfew had never been scheduled to take place today.