Senior Tory warns of backbench revolt if Johnson does not soon drop Covid restrictions
A senior Tory MP has warned Boris Johnson that there will be a major backbench revolt against him if the current Covid restrictions are not dropped by the end of the month.
Mark Harper, who is the chair of the lockdown sceptic Tory Covid Recovery Group, said Johnson should drop mandatory face masks in indoor public settings and vaccine passports for large events by 26 January when they need to be renewed by parliament.
He told the Financial Times that Johnson would face his largest ever Tory rebellion if he tries to renew the curbs, after more than 100 Conservative MPs refused to vote with him to bring them in last month.
“The problem is he sort of wants to agree with us, then he says he wants to keep restrictions in reserve or won’t rule them out,” Harper said.
“That’s becoming an unsustainable position.”