Tory MPS to boycott party conference if vaccine passports required for entry

‘I won’t be attending if we have to have a vaccine passport’

A GROWING number of Conservative MPS are threatening to boycott this year’s party conference if they are forced to have vaccine passports as a condition of entry.

The lockdown-sceptic Tories are incensed at suggestions that only people who are double jabbed with a Covid vaccine will be allowed into the gathering in Manchester in October.

The news came as Cabinet ministers said there had been a big increase in over-18s coming forward for their jabs after Boris Johnson threatened to make them a condition of entry at nightclubs.

That came as Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, said that ministers could “mandate the double vaccination requirement for nightclubs, crowded unstructured indoor settings, large unstructured outdoor settings and, of course, the very large events such as business, music hall, and spectator sports events”.

Tories on the party’s libertarian wing were concerned by the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday that he

would change the law to require proof of two vaccine doses for entry to nightclubs and “other venues where large crowds gather” by the end of September, just before the conference starts.

The Daily Telegraph disclosed yesterday there were fears party chiefs could make proof of a jab a condition of entry at the event which runs from Oct 3-6.

The report prompted some Tory MPS to say they would refuse to attend, including Sir Charles Walker, a former member of the party’s board, Mark Jenkinson, Chris Green and Peter Bone.

Mr Bone told the Guido Fawkes website: “I can confirm that I won’t be attending party conference if we have to have a vaccine passport to attend.”

Mr Green added: “I would love to go to party conference because it is in Manchester, down the road from my constituency and a great chance to champion levelling up, but I will not be attending in person or online.”

Amanda Milling, the Tory party chairman, confirmed that MPS had been in touch to express concerns about the need for vaccine passports. A spokesman said: “The party will be following government guidance.”

At least 42 Conservative MPS have already signed a petition opposed to Covid certification being used for “general services, businesses or jobs”.

Cabinet ministers are hoping that vaccine passports might not be necessary because of a sharp increase in young people coming forward to be vaccinated in the wake of Mr Johnson’s announcement.

Internal government figures show that twice as many over-18s came forward after Mr Johnson warned that he might have to bring in proof of jabs.

The hope is that if the proportion of over-18s with the jab increases from around 60 to 80 per cent the need for the vaccine passports can be avoided.

The Cabinet minister said: “If we got to 80 per cent, there is no need to do it.”

A second source in the Department of Health confirmed that there had been a “surge” in young people trying to get a jab. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Zahawi emphasised the need for more young people to get jabbed this summer, before such changes may be made.

“There are still many people who are unprotected, including 34 per cent of people aged 18 to 29, who have not had either jab,” he said.

“At the end of September, we plan to make full vaccination a condition of entry to those high-risk settings where large crowds gather and interact.

“People will need to show that they are fully vaccinated. And proof of a negative test will no longer be sufficient.”