FURIOUS Tories could quit as members of the Government over new “deeply unpopular” Covid restrictions, it has been revealed.
At least six parliamentary private secretaries have declared war on the Prime Minister’s tough new measures aimed at combating the omicron variant.
In a Whatsapp message sent to Conservative MPs today, the Government set out plans for a number of votes next week on “Plan B” restrictions, The Telegraph reports.
The votes are due to take place just hours before the introduction of vaccine passports on Wednesday morning at 6am.
It is believed that there will be at least three different votes on different measures to lessen the backlash caused by a potential rebellion.
The individual votes will be based on face masks, mandatory vaccines for NHS workers and vaccine passports.
The Telegraph reports that between 60 and 80 Tory MPs are planning to vote against the already unpopular measures.
This includes the six MPs who are gearing up to reveal when it comes to a crunch vote.
Mark Harper, the chairman of The Covid Recovery Group, said that the Government had not set out any evidence to support the introduction of “Plan B” measures.
“The Government has also not set out an exit strategy from these restrictions,” he said.
“Given that Covid and variants will be here forever, it is not sustainable to have seasonal on/off restrictions forever.”
Under “Plan B” all but essential workers will be asked to work remotely as they did between March 2020 and last July’s Freedom Day.
Vaccine passports – which the Government has been planning to introduce – will also be launched for large venues like football matches and nightclubs.
At the moment the definition of fully vaccinated is two jabs rather than three, and a negative lateral flow test will also count.
Mandatory face masks – the third prong of the Government’s Plan B – are already in force for shops and public transport after coming in on November 30 to stem the rising tide of Omicron.
This has been extended to all “crowded and enclosed settings” which includes large capacity venues.
Yesterday senior Tory Ben Bradley described the Covid certificates as “ineffective and discriminatory”, while colleague Simon Jupp agreed they were “divisive”.
Red Waller Dehenna Davison fumed: “I have long opposed vaccine passports, and so will vote against their introduction next week.
“To me, the evidence we have been presented with does not justify further restrictions on liberties. ‘Just in case’ simply doesn’t cut it.”
