Revolt looms for Boris over tiers system

Tory fury at ‘whitewash’ dossier

A MAJOR Commons revolt is expected over Boris Johnson’s Covid tier curbs today after a government dossier on the economic impact was branded a whitewash.

Ministers had hoped a 48-page document setting out the case for a system of tiered restrictions in England would head off a Tory mutiny over the plans.

But critics last night said the dossier was little more than a ‘cut and paste job’, containing no new information on the impact on the economy or other health conditions.

Former Tory chief whip Mark Harper, chairman of the 70- strong anti- l ockdown Covid Recovery Group of MPs, last night said the Government’s case for tough new restrictions was ‘collapsing’, adding: ‘The wheels are coming off the Government’s arguments.’

Government sources conceded dozens of Tory MPs are likely to rebel tonight when the Commons votes on the new system of restrictions. Sources predicted the revolt would be larger than the 34 against the second lockdown.

But the measures, due to come into force when the latest lockdown ends tomorrow, are likely to pass after Sir Keir Starmer said Labour MPs would be asked to abstain.

Labour has previously backed all lockdown measures but Sir Keir said he was ‘concerned the Government has failed to use this latest lockdown to put a credible health and economic plan in place’.

Many MPs had hoped the plan would set out the economic and health impact of the tiers plan for their area.

But the final document was based on information already in the public domain.

The entire section on the economic impact was drawn from an analysis published by the Office for Budget Responsibility last week.

Mel Stride, Tory chairman of the Commons Treasury committee, said: ‘It’s frustrating there is little here that sets out how the different tiers might impact on the specific sectors and regions.’

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, has confirmed he will vote against the Government’s plans.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith accused ministers of a ‘cut and paste job’.

Mr Johnson l ast night appealed to MPs to back him, saying it would be wrong to ‘take our foot off the throat of the beast’ now.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that ‘ lots of people think they are in the wrong tier’, but said the allocations would be reviewed regularly, with the f i rst coming on December 16.

‘The tiering system is tough, but it’s designed to be tough and to keep it under control,’ he added.

The document warned that hospitals would ‘ r apidly become overwhelmed’ if the virus was allowed to run out of control after the lockdown.

It added: ‘The Government’s view is the severe loss of life and other health impacts of allowing the NHS to be overwhelmed would be intolerable for our society.’