‘Record number of Tory MPS’ to revolt over new Covid rules
Leading lockdown sceptic says maximum number of MPS must vote against Prime Minister’s Plan B
‘There’s a large amount of disquiet on the back benches – and among people who haven’t previously been unhappy’
BORIS JOHNSON has been warned he faces the biggest rebellion of his premiership over new Covid rules, as Tory MPS insist there is “no justification for these restrictions upon liberty”.
Almost 30 backbenchers heaped criticism on the latest raft of Plan B restrictions by last night and indicated their intention to join a revolt when the measures are put to a vote next Tuesday. Their numbers are expected to grow in coming days.
Anger was not confined to the back benches, with predictions rife that ministers may quit in protest at the new rules as the backlash grows.
Wider questions about the Prime Minister’s leadership have begun to arise during a week of turmoil for No 10.
Two Tory MPS representing red wall seats openly told a meeting of colleagues in recent days that they were thinking about sending letters of no confidence in Mr Johnson to Sir Graham Brady, the 1922 committee chairman, it is understood.
Mr Johnson announced this week that the mask mandate would be extended from today, people would be urged to work from home if possible from Monday, and mandatory Covid passports would be introduced at large venues from next Wednesday.
Ahead of the tense vote to pass the rules next week, Downing Street sought to try and dampen the Tory rebellion by announcing yesterday that they would be reviewed on Jan 5 and will automatically expire on Jan 26.
It came after John Redwood, a former Cabinet minister, served notice on Twitter that he expected “a record number of Conservative MPS to vote against these latest restrictions”, adding: “Many more this time round do not think a good case has been made.”
The biggest backbench revolt that Mr Johnson has suffered since his arrival in Downing Street was last December, when 54 Tory MPS voted against the tiered system of coronavirus restrictions, branding them “stupid rules”.
However, the prospect of a bigger rebellion looms as arch-rebels have been joined this week by Conservative MPS who have previously supported the Government’s Covid policy.
Mark Harper, chairman of the Covid Recovery Group (CRG) of Tory lockdown sceptics, said: “Quite clearly there’s a large amount of disquiet on the back benches – and among people who haven’t previously been unhappy.”
There was “definitely an increase” in the number of Conservative MPS concerned about the issue, he added.
It is understood that the membership of the CRG has grown in the past 24 hours, as Conservative MPS have asked to be added to its Whatsapp group.
Mr Harper, a former chief whip, also raised fears that the Government’s credibility on restrictions had been undermined by allegations of No10 staffers attending a rule-breaching party on Dec 18 last year, which is now being investigated by the Cabinet Seclines retary. Mr Harper asked the Commons why should Britons “listen to the Prime Minister’s instructions to follow the rules when people inside Number 10 Downing Street don’t do so?”
Steve Baker, deputy chairman of the CRG, exhorted his colleagues to rebel, declaring it “vital that the maximum number of Conservative MPS vote against Plan B, whatever our useless Opposition do”.
Labour has already indicated it will support the new rules, meaning they are likely to pass despite heavy resistance among Conservatives.
The fallout within the Conservative Party over the matter has become personal. William Wragg, Tory chairman of the public sdministration and constitutional affairs committee, tweeted at Nadine Dorries, the Culture Secretary in the early hours of yesterday.
“Ah, the haranguing you gave me in the tearoom the other day, it all makes sense now, you were rehearsing your
‘It would not surprise me if we started to see some of the payroll peeling off, particularly on the vaccine passports’
for Cabinet,” he said, followed by a hand clap symbol.
His intervention came after he had shouted “resign!” at Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, in the Commons, as he was unveiling the restrictions.
A major rebellion next Tuesday has also been forecast by the Tory MP Greg Smith, who warned: “There will be a lot of Conservative backbenchers in the ‘no’ lobby and it would not surprise me if we started to see some of the payroll peeling off, particularly on the vaccine passports.”
He raised the prospect of mass resignations among the ranks of junior ministers and parliamentary aides.
“There have been a lot of very strong speeches, very strong questions from people who have PPS [parliamentary private secretary] roles, who have junior minister roles, around the vaccine passport issue,” Mr Smith told the Institute for Economic Affairs’ Live with Littlewood Youtube programme.
Mr Johnson announced a plan for all nightclubs and unseated indoor venues with a capacity of 500 people or more to require a Covid passport from Wednesday. It means people need proof of two vaccine doses or a negative test.
Simon Jupp, a Tory MP, called Covid passports “divisive and discriminatory”.
The Prime Minister justified rolling out new restrictions by citing evidence that omicron cases are doubling every two to three days, with scientific estimates suggesting there could be one million cases by the end of the month.