Call to exempt under-12s from the rule of six after national restrictions are lifted

MEMBERS of Parliament are calling on the Government to exempt under-12s from the rule of six after the lockdown is lifted on Decr 2.

Amid a mounting Tory rebellion against the latest Covid restrictions, backbenchers are piling pressure on Boris Johnson to announce a number of changes to the rules to “save the traditional family Christmas”.

It comes after Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner, warned that limits on individuals from different households mixing should not apply to children under 12. Currently only children under five are exempt.

Conservative lockdown sceptics would also like to see the restrictions eased further for Christmas and New Year.

Around 70 Tories are now involved in the newly-established Covid Recovery Group, which is pressuring the Prime Minister to ensure the lockdown is not extended next month or reinstated at a later date.

The Government will set out next week what the replacement regime will be.

It is thought it will involve a return to localised measures, although some MPS are opposed to the UK reverting back to the regional tiers as they were before the second lockdown came into force at midnight on Nov 4.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said: “We should not return to the same regionalised approach we had before if the data has changed.

“The latest polling figures suggest that while 77 per cent support the lockdown, 50 per cent are doing their own thing anyway so it’s going to be difficult to persuade people to follow measures if they don’t make common sense.

“Changes to the rule of six may well be needed.”

Another MP added: “It seems ridiculous to include children in the rule of six who are exempt from wearing masks because the transmission rate is so low among their age group. The Government promised that the lockdown was intended to save the traditional family Christmas. They do need to deliver on that promise.”

Yesterday, a Downing Street spokesman insisted the current restrictions would come to an end on Dec 2 because they “expire in law”.

“We are committed to setting out next week what the replacement regime will be,” they added. “That will be a return to the localised approach and we are actively working on those plans at the moment.”