Johnson faces Tory rebellion unless he gives a clear roadmap out of lockdown
BORIS Johnson is facing a major rebellion in March if he has not started easing lockdown restrictions and does not have a plan in place to end them altogether.
The Prime Minister will ask MPS to agree to a six-month renewal of the Government’s emergency powers to be able to impose restrictions at will to tackle the pandemic.
But already senior MPS in his own party have warned that significant numbers could vote against unless there are moves to end lockdown and revitalise the economy.
Former cabinet minister Esther Mcvey, founder of the powerful Blue Collar Conservatism Movement, said: “It is absolutely essential that once the most vulnerable groups have been vaccinated the Government starts easing the lockdowns.
“These restrictions are doing huge damage to people’s livelihoods and mental health in particular.
“The Government must start to stand up to those siren voices who want lockdowns and restrictions to become a near permanent feature of our lives.
“If the Government doesn’t start making rapid headway in doing that it will be the duty of Parliament to remove these swingeing powers from them.”
She also raised concerns over the way seemingly exaggerated estimates are being used to push public policy. She argued the concerns are highlighted in a written answer on prisoner deaths.
At the start of the pandemic the Government was pushed to have a mass early release of prisoners because thousands would be killed by Covid.
Ministers resisted the calls and a written answer revealed 47 died.
Ms Mcvey said: “There is no better example of the scaremongering to drive government policy they wanted to see from the so-called experts than the predictions on prisoner deaths.
“I appreciate these estimates aren’t an exact science, but the difference between a prediction of 2,700 to the reality of 47 is embarrassing, and shows why the Government must not hand over total policy control to the scientists who are clearly not infallible with their predictions.”
Covid Recovery Group chairman Mark Harper has said ministers “must come forward now with a plan for lifting restrictions”. He highlighted the damage being done to children with schools closed as well as the economy and the risk of other non-covid unnecessary deaths being increased by lockdown.
Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne accused the Government of “mission creep”, saying: “It seems to me that Boris has been completely taken over.
“He’s completely given over to these people and as a consequence there’s a complete lack of any sense of urgency on the need to lift restrictions.”
‘It seems to me Boris has been taken over’