Conservative Party rebelled against Covid, biting deals for Boris Johnson

Nearly 100 Conservative MPs voted on Tuesday against new coronavirus restrictions in England, dealing another embarrassing blow to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson over measures he said were needed to curb the spread of the new alternative to Omicron.

After a day of frantic failed lobbying, Johnson received the biggest rebellion against his government yet by his party over some measures that included ordering people to wear masks in public and use Covid-19 cards for some places.

These measures were passed thanks in large part to the main opposition Labor Party. But the rebellion is pressing Johnson, who has already been criticized for scandals such as reported parties in his Downing Street office last year – when Britain was in lockdown due to the coronavirus – and an expensive renovation of his apartment.

Several lawmakers say some of the restrictions are too severe, with many questioning the entry of a vaccination certificate or proof of a negative Covid-19 test to enter some venues, such as nightclubs. About 98 conservatives opposed the permits, and the number of rebels was much larger than expected.

Others used the vote as an opportunity to vent their anger at Johnson, believing that the man who helped the Conservatives win a large majority in the 2019 election squander the party’s successes through gaffes and gaffes.

But despite the outcry, Tory insiders say there is not enough of a strong wave against Johnson to dislodge him now, although they hope the vote will be a «wake-up call» for the prime minister to reset his agenda.

«He must now be in danger,» Conservative MP Jeffrey Clifton-Brown told Sky News. «And he has to realize that because if he doesn’t realize it, he will be in much greater danger… I still support him. But he has to change.»

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Britain reported 59,610 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, the highest number since early January and the fifth highest recorded since the outbreak of the epidemic in March last year.

More than 5,300 cases of Omicron have been recorded, with 10 people hospitalized. A person died after being infected with the variant that is destined to become the dominant strain in the capital, London.

Ahead of the vote, the government launched a campaign to keep lawmakers in check, with Johnson warning his ministers that a «significant spike» in Omicron cases was coming Britain’s way, and that measures were needed to protect the people.

Ministers tried to win over conservative revolutionaries, suggesting that people who did not receive two vaccines could instead provide evidence of negative lateral flow testing for access to the interiors of more than 500 people.

Health Minister Sajid Javid told lawmakers he firmly believed in «individual freedom» but that «the responsible decision to be made is … to move to Plan B in England».

But their arguments fell on deaf ears. In addition to the 98 Conservatives who voted against the pass, 40 voted against expanding the requirement to wear masks.

«I am sure the prime minister will understand the strength of sentiment within the party about the limitations of liberties,» former Conservative minister David Jones told Reuters. He himself is a liberal and there is no doubt that he will listen to the message of his party.”