The lockdown in England is over and today shoppers took advantage of their new freedom to queue up at Primark before sunrise for the wild Wednesday pre-Christmas bargains and people were giddy with excitement, back in the pub for the first time in four weeks to return.
Fitness fanatics also hit the gym at midnight, others had their haircuts at 1 a.m. or went to the golf course at daybreak, while commuters went back to the office for the first time since November 5, when Boris Johnson’s controversial tiering system was last approved in the House of Commons Night.
As of midnight, 99 percent of England has been rated Tier 2 or Tier 3 – which means they are excluded from any contact with other households indoors except during the Christmas season. Only Cornwall, the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly are in Tier 1.
But despite the restrictions on 55 million people, many look forward to returning from breakfast to the pub or later meeting friends for a beer while they have a “hearty meal”.
People meandered around the block outside Primark on Birmingham Bullring this morning while Karen, a mental health nurse, queued outside Manchester’s Primark after 5am and said she wanted to get some bargains and actually see what she bought .
Pictures of the tube showed that some train cars were full during morning rush hour – but while there were traffic jams on busier routes, congestion in London is at the level of a week and around 50 percent lower than last year’s TomTom traffic data.
Debenhams started a fire sale of its shares today as administrators began liquidating the department store after 242 years of trading. Shoppers looking to get up to 70 percent off items waited in online queues to shop on the site and went to stores this morning.
Today is dubbed “Wild Wednesday” as stores can stay open all night for £ 900 million a day economic hit caused by Boris Johnson’s controversial tier system. Stores like Primark will be open 24/7 starting this morning.
The 34-year-old gym boss Andreas Michli was attacked by supporters when he opened his doors at midnight. The owner was fined £ 67,000 and brought to justice by Haringey Council last month after taking a three-day break with more than 30 police officers at the Zone Gym in Wood Green, north London.
When Boris Johnson suffered his largest Tory riot to date over plains, he also made an appearance today:
- Pfizer’s vaccine is regulatory cleared for use in the UK and could be rolled out nationwide NEXT WEEK after the government orders 40 million doses.
- Debenhams expects all 124 stores to close by early January – after a massive inventory sale after the bailout contract collapsed after Arcadia’s administration.
- Pubs are reopening – confusion persists as to what constitutes an “essential meal” required for an alcoholic drink;
- The government announced another 603 Covid deaths on Tuesday, bringing the UK to 59,051. There have been another 13,430 laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK as cases continue to decline.
Young shoppers try to force their way into JD Sports on Oxford Street as lockdown in England ended after four weeks and stores opened
Debenhams (pictured in Harrow) started a fire sale of its shares today as administrators began liquidating the department store after 242 years of trading
Two young women leave Lakeside, Essex laden with bags as England blows into the shops today
Footlocker in central London has been busy too, with people lining up for discounted trainers on the first real day of Christmas shopping
Security was required when shoppers arrived on Oxford Street in Primark at 7 a.m. when people were rushing to pick up a bargain
Primark stock is being rolled into the Oxford Street store by staff this morning as retailers hope for a Christmas shopping
Barbers Emma Rolfe and Toby Sewell of The Town Barber in Falmouth, Cornwall, work with two clients before dawn
The gym members are returning to the David Lloyd Health Club in Leicester as the shops reopened with restrictions today
Social distancing was not possible on the Jubilee Line into central London this morning as the capital emerged from the lockdown
Sophia Sammee is among the many thousands of people who returned to the gym for their fitness correction this morning when lockdown restrictions ended
Paul Crossman (who left a York-based licensee and pub activist) toasted the end of the lockdown as millions can go out and drink with a “hearty meal.”
Long queues on the A40 in Perrivale, West London as the second national lockdown ends this morning and is replaced by steps
There were traffic jams today, but traffic jams in London are at the level of a week according to TomTom traffic data and have decreased by around 50 percent compared to the previous year
The people of England quickly enjoyed greater freedoms after the end of the national lockdown and were replaced by a tiered system of restrictions.
And it seems that many hit the stores.
Helen Dickinson, General Manager of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Thousands of retailers look forward to welcoming their customers again.
‘Safety remains the number one priority for retailers who have spent hundreds of millions doing business Covid-safe.
“With billions of sales lost during lockdown, stores want to provide a safe and enjoyable shopping experience to bring customers back.
“Christmas is just around the corner so everyone has a reason to visit their local stores.
“Every purchase we make is helping a retailer, protecting a job and supporting a local community.”
Some of the toughest fitness fanatics even hit the weights for a midnight workout when a London gym owner opened its doors at midnight.
All non-essential stores are allowed to open starting today, paving the way for a festive shopping spree that is likely to drive people back to the country’s battered main streets.
A fire sale at Debenhams is expected to fuel the shopping bonanza as bargain hunters are lured in by price cuts of up to 70 percent ahead of the company’s imminent liquidation after the collapse of bailout talks.
A forerunner of today’s likely rush for generous discounts – as the chain reopened its soon-to-run 124 stores – was spotted last night when more than a million people flooded the store’s website.
The sudden surge in activity when England lifted blanket restrictions is known as “Wild Wednesday” – but the vast majority of the public will still live under draconian laws.
Boris Johnson overcame the biggest Tory rebellion of his term last night for his new tier system to slacken the Commons by 291 to 78, with Labor MPs abstaining.
This heralds the government’s previous strategy of dividing the country into three “alert levels” – but this time with tougher measures and with 99 percent of the country facing the two top levels.
The pubs curfew has been extended to 11 p.m., but they are grappling with the new regulations. In tier 2 they can only serve alcohol with a “substantial meal” and in tier 3 they are restricted to take away.
But despite the pandemic that is still looming in everyday life, many Britons cheered when the Freedom Shower went into effect today.
Early morning swimmers during sunrise at Charlton Lido in south east London this morning as people took a step towards much-needed normalcy
People queuing outside T.K.Maxx in Birmingham where they can get up to 60 percent off items inside
People queued around the block to get to their local Primark, which was open for the next 24 hours
Commuters cross London Bridge this morning as more offices open after four weeks of only essential travel
Buyers line up outside Primark in Birmingham as England’s lockdown ended and people went shopping on Wild Wednesday
Insider shoppers made bargains with Primark’s stores that were open 24 hours to reclaim cash
Queues outside Primark on Northumberland Street in Newcastle city center this morning, an hour before business opens
Wetherspoons Pub in Southampton is preparing tables for the first day of trading after the lockdown
Some of the toughest fitness fanatics even hit the weights for a midnight workout when a London gym owner, Andreas Michli (pictured), who had previously been fined for breaking the lock, opened his doors at midnight
Hundreds of thousands of shoppers have flooded the Debenhams website for generous discounts as the department store tries to clear its inventory before it finally closes
The Tube was busier than usual at London Bridge Station this morning when people returned to the office
People wearing face masks walk past a sign on Market Street in Manchester that is on Tier 3 but wants to reach Tier 2
Debenhams on Oxford Street in London last night. The 242 year old brand entered management and the stores will soon be closed
Boris Johnson overcame the biggest Tory rebellion of his term last night for his new tier system to slacken the Commons by 291 to 78, with Labor MPs abstaining
34-year-old gym boss Andreas Michli was attacked by supporters tonight when he opened his doors at midnight.
The owner was fined £ 67,000 and brought to justice by Haringey Council last month after taking a three-day break at the Zone Gym in Wood Green, north London, with more than 30 police officers.
But he was back in business last night, greeting around 60 people through his doors – and boasting that the prime minister had been influenced by his protest.
As the crowd lined up to get back on the treadmills, Mr Michli told MailOnline, “I have no doubt that we managed to change the Prime Minister’s mind about opening gyms.
He saw what was going on and listened. But the war continues and now it’s not just about gyms anymore. I feel like I’m fighting for all kinds of companies.
“So many business owners are suffering, so it’s great to see here tonight the excitement and excitement that we are reopening.”
One of the first to stand at the door was personal trainer Sophia Sammee (35) from Friern Barnet, North London, who said: “You can see happiness on people’s faces tonight.
“Everyone is buzzing that the lockdown is over.” This gym was my home and I really wanted to be here by midnight. Andreas was brave to be open and I was proud to support him. ‘
Lawyer trainee Dennis Adjei-Sarpong, 26, said, “There are so many smiles here tonight that this place is open again. People just want to get lost in their workouts and fitness again. I can’t wait to hit the weights myself. It’s a great moment. ‘
Mr Michli amassed a fortune in solid criminal charges only to tear them up on his Instagram channel and invite members back to his gym – just so the judges can shut him down.
Despite breaking the law during the lockdown, he said he was inundated with messages of support from well-wishers across the country.
“I’m not paying the fine, and if the Haringey Council wants the money, they’ll have to take me to court because I’m not giving a cent. I feel like the public is swaying behind me and it’s an amazing feeling.
Mr. Michli told MailOnline: “I am sure that we have succeeded in changing the Prime Minister’s mind about opening gyms.”
The UK recorded an additional 13,430 coronavirus infections and 603 deaths in the past 24 hours as England ended shutdown
“We were expecting a big crowd at twelve because so many people on social media said they wanted to be here when the doors open.
“We had a lot of love and support from all over the country who supported us. Since we’re a 24-hour gym, it made sense to open at midnight. ‘
Mr Michli has 1,200 members, but the social distancing rules mean he will be limited to 85 members in his gym at a time.
‘We will be following government guidelines on how many people can be on the premises at one time. And we will enforce social distancing. Even so, it’s a big step back to normal life. ‘
On Wild Wednesday, there will also be a flash of shops on the main drag as people try to buy gifts weeks before Christmas.
It’s powered by a bargain bonanza from Debenhams, which brought down the prices of handbags, shoes, boots, watches, and dresses.
The chain has become the youngest casualty on Main Street and will be liquidated in the New Year after the failure of rescue talks with JD Sport, putting a limit under 242 years of trade and putting 12,000 jobs at risk.
There was a 20 minute wait late Tuesday night “due to exceptional demand” with over 300,000 trying to get to the site at one point and the total number of buyers exceeding a million.
A bloody year for retailers amid the pandemic peaked this week when both Debenhams and Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia group collapsed.
Arcadia, which owns Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Burton, has taken over management and put 13,000 jobs at risk.
Meanwhile, people on social media today are celebrating the end of lockdowns and the beginning of Tier 2 restrictions in some areas that allow pubs to reopen.
A Twitter user, Jo Mac, said, “And we’re no longer banned! Wohoooo !!! Who would want to come to the pub with me to have a beer and a good meal? «
Another said: ‘Woohoo !! The blocking has ended. We are free to have a beer in the pub.
“With a Scottish egg, of course. Do we have to sit at a table and eat it with a knife and fork, or can we stand at the bar? ‘
Another said, “Lockdown is over, you can catch me in the pub with my friends tonight unless you’re in tier 2 or 3.”
Now you CAN hug your grandma: Minister REVERSE forbid hugging elderly loved ones in nursing homes at Christmas when they are doing rapid coronavirus tests
Nursing home residents can finally hug their families again, the ministers said last night.
A national introduction of rapid tests means that relatives who are free of Covid can be visited again for the first time since March.
Each nursing home resident can name two relatives they see twice a week, regardless of their coronavirus level.
More than a million test kits have already been sent to almost 400 large nursing homes and the first visits can take place today.
The announcement is a huge win for the Daily Mail’s family reunification campaign through Christmas.
“This is a landmark time for visits,” said Vic Rayner of the National Care Forum.
“It is being adopted by nursing home residents, their loved ones and providers nationwide.”
Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health last night say visits should be made at all levels – unless there is a coronavirus outbreak in the nursing home.
Most of the country’s 410,000 dependents were only allowed to see relatives through prison-style screens and windows. Other homes have put blanket bans in place, leading some elderly people to give up their lives.
Pflegeheimbesuche wurden das ganze Jahr über streng reguliert, um das Risiko zu verringern, dass Menschen Covid-19 in den Häusern verbreiten, in denen die Bewohner extrem anfällig für die Krankheit sind (Bild: Eine Frau besucht ihren Stiefvater in einem Haus in Falmouth, Cornwall letzte Woche)
In einer tiefgreifenden Änderung der Politik erklärte Matt Hancock jedoch, dass allen Bewohnern bis Weihnachten Besuche in Innenräumen von Angesicht zu Angesicht gestattet sein werden. Der Gesundheitsminister sagte: „Ich weiß, wie schwierig es für Menschen in Pflegeheimen und ihre Familien war, so lange getrennt zu sein. Die Trennung war schmerzhaft, hat aber Bewohner und Mitarbeiter vor diesem tödlichen Virus geschützt.
“Ich freue mich sehr, dass wir jetzt in der Lage sind, Familien wieder zusammenzuführen und den Menschen einen sichereren Kontakt zu ihren Lieben bis Weihnachten zu ermöglichen.”
Die Schnelltests werden im Laufe des Monats an alle 16.000 Pflegeheime des Landes geliefert. Bei der Ankunft erhalten die Besucher einen seitlichen Flusstest, der innerhalb von 30 Minuten hochpräzise Ergebnisse liefert.
Ein negatives Ergebnis bedeutet, dass sie drinnen erlaubt sind und Hände halten oder ihre Angehörigen umarmen können, solange sie PSA tragen.
In den letzten drei Wochen hat die Weihnachtskampagne der Mail auf die katastrophalen Auswirkungen von Besuchsverboten auf die geistige und körperliche Gesundheit der Bewohner aufmerksam gemacht.
Zehntausende von schutzbedürftigen und älteren Menschen wurden gezwungen, allein zu sterben, beraubt von einer letzten liebevollen Umarmung ihrer Familien.
Caroline Abrahams von der Wohltätigkeitsorganisation Age UK sagte: „Die Kampagne der Daily Mail hat ein Thema hervorgehoben, das Hunderttausenden älteren Menschen und ihren Familien alles bedeutet, und es ist klar, dass es viele Herzen und Köpfe erfolgreich bewegt hat.
„Es ist wirklich eine gute Nachricht, dass die Regierung ihre Position beim Besuch erheblich geändert hat, und wir hoffen aufrichtig, dass ihre neuen Leitlinien sowie die zusätzliche praktische Unterstützung, die sie Pflegeheimen anbieten, dazu führen werden, dass viele Familien nach einer schrecklichen Zeit wieder mit ihren Angehörigen zusammengeführt werden lange Zeit.’
Die Rechte der Kampagnengruppe für Einwohner sagten gestern Abend: “Es gibt keine Entschuldigung mehr, Familien ausgesperrt zu halten.”
Das Gesundheitsministerium sagte, es würde zusätzliche 46 Millionen PSA-Artikel wie Gesichtsmasken und Roben ausgeben, um Pflegeheime für Besucher zu pflegen. Sie sagten, Familien sollten den Kontakt minimieren, um das Übertragungsrisiko zu verringern.
Fiona Carragher, eine Direktorin der Alzheimer-Gesellschaft, sagte: „Umarmungen, ein Lächeln aus einem vertrauten Gesicht, Händchenhalten, wieder Freude – das ist enorm wichtig, ebenso wie die Grundversorgung, die Familienbetreuer Menschen mit Demenz bieten. Menschen buchstäblich am Leben erhalten und an die Welt gebunden.
‘Wir danken der Daily Mail ganz herzlich für die Verstärkung dieses absolut tragischen Themas. In einem so erschütternden Jahr war diese Nachricht von einem freudigeren Weihnachtsfest noch nie so nötig. ‘
Martin Green von Care England, der die Leistungserbringer vertritt, warnte davor, dass die Haushalte immer noch einer „enormen administrativen und logistischen Belastung“ ausgesetzt seien, um Besuche vor Weihnachten zu ermöglichen. Er kritisierte die Regierung dafür, dass sie keine zusätzliche Personalausstattung vorsah.
Die meisten der 410.000 Pflegebedürftigen des Landes durften Verwandte nur durch Bildschirme und Fenster im Gefängnisstil sehen. Andere Häuser haben pauschale Verbote verhängt. Im Bild Dave Stallard in seinem Pflegeheim in West Sussex, der von seiner Frau Irene besucht wird
Er fügte hinzu: „Es scheint kein Verständnis dafür zu geben, dass dies eine enorme administrative und logistische Belastung für die Leistungserbringer darstellt.
“Es gibt all diese zusätzliche Arbeit, die den Menschen auferlegt wird, und irgendwie denken sie, dass es eine bodenlose Grube an Ressourcen gibt, um mit all diesen Dingen fertig zu werden.”
Mike Padgham, Vorsitzender der Independent Care Group, sagte, Pflegeheime stünden vor einer „Mammutaufgabe“, Familienbesuche vor Weihnachten zu ermöglichen, und viele Verwandte würden wahrscheinlich verlieren.
Er sagte: „Wie wir alle nach Vereinbarung dazu bringen, ihre Lieben vor Weihnachten zu sehen, ist eine große Herausforderung für uns. Wir möchten, dass der Besuch stattfindet, das steht außer Frage.
“Aber ich wünschte, die Regierung hätte gesagt, wir werden unser Bestes tun, um dies so schnell wie möglich zu tun”, anstatt vor Weihnachten, weil ich logistisch gesehen nicht weiß, wie wir alle in der Zeit, die wir vor Weihnachten haben, sicher durchbringen können.
„Meine große Angst ist, dass Häuser dafür verantwortlich gemacht werden könnten, dass sie es nicht getan haben. Es ist nicht unsere Schuld. We want this to happen but we haven’t got the tests yet and there is a lot to get through.
‘It seems like the Government has placed us in the firing line if it goes wrong.’
Boris Johnson’s post-lockdown tiers come into force despite biggest-ever Tory rebellion against him – as 55 of his backbenchers vote against his plans putting prospect of future lockdowns in jeopardy
By James Tapsfield, political editor for MailOnline
Boris Johnson got his brutal post-lockdown tiers approved by the Commons last night thanks to Sir Keir Starmer’s tacit support after suffering the biggest Tory revolt of this Parliament as more than 50 Tories defied the whip.
The new three-tier system was signed off by a margin of 291 to 78 and came into force at midnight after Labour opted to abstain, despite complaining the regime was not tough enough and there was not enough support for hospitality firms which have been crippled by government shutdowns.
While the headline 213 majority was healthy, the rebellion of 55 Tories – including Julian Lewis, who is suspended – made the uprising the biggest of this Parliament yet, after 44 previously went against the pubs curfew.
Another 17 appear to have abstained, though it is not clear how many were given permission to stay away. Sir Keir also suffered his own revolt, with 15 defying the whip, alongside Jeremy Corbyn and eight DUP politicians.
Though the Labour move guaranteed No10 victory, it left Mr Johnson exposed to the anger of his own benches. Had all the opposition parties voted against the Government, the PM would have easily been defeated.
The rebellion may have permanently dashed the possibility of using blanket shutdowns to suppress the virus in the future, and is likely to have set off alarm bells in No10 as the premier’s authority continues to wane.
But Dominic Raab attempted to brush aside suggestions that the Government was worried about the scale of the revolt despite Mr Johnson personally begging dozens of Tories to fall into line as they went through the Noe lobby.
The Foreign Secretary instead took aim at Labour for abstaining from the crunch vote, saying tonight: ‘We listened to MPs on all sides of the House, we passed this vote with a majority of over 200.
Mr Johnson faced a series of hostile interventions from his own benches over the draconian restrictions, including from 1922 committee chair Sir Graham Brady (pictured)
‘The most striking thing about these numbers is that the leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer abstained on the biggest issue facing this country today as we go through this pandemic and he’s got nothing to say about it, no leadership, he doesn’t know what he thinks or what the country should do.’
The day was spent desperately trying to peel off opponents, with the premier hinting that many low-infection areas could by brought out of the toughest tiers at the next review on December 16.
He also offered a ‘one-off’ payment of £1,000 to ‘wet’ pubs – that do not serve food – this month as recognition of ‘how hard they’ve been hit by this virus’. In a last-gasp Zoom call with mutinous Tories before the division, Mr Johnson warned they must not be like children in the back of a car saying ‘are we nearly there yet?’
Winding up the debate, Health Secretary Matt Hancock choked back tears as he referred to the death of his step grandfather from Covid in Liverpool last month, and warned the government could not ease off the restrictions too much. ‘We’ve got to beat this, we’ve got to beat it together,’ he pleaded.
Earlier, MPs lined up in the House to slam the Government plans despite the PM urging them to back his ‘compelling’ case for his new post-lockdown tiers.Former health minister Jackie Doyle-Price summed up the feeling for many by storming: ‘These decisions are being taken really on the back of a fag packet but are destroying whole swathes of the hospitality industry.’
The strength of feeling among critical backbenchers even led typically backbenchers to defy the PM, with former cabinet minister Jeremy Wright voting against the Government ‘for the first time in 10 years’. There had been talk of up to 100 Conservatives ready to rebel – but this afternoon the numbers were whittled down to an extent.
A government spokesman said: ‘We welcome tonight’s vote which endorses our Winter Plan, brings an end to the national restrictions and returns England to a tiered system.
‘This will help to safeguard the gains made during the past month and keep the virus under control. We will continue to work with MPs who have expressed concerns in recent days.’
Mark Harper, chair of the Covid Recovery Group of lockdown-sceptic Tories, urged the government to ‘take on board’ the criticism. ‘We very much regret that in a moment of national crisis so many of us felt forced to vote against the measures that the government was proposing,’ the former chief whip said.
The vote means most areas of England will now go into the new year in one of the toughest two tiers, with a ban on households mixing indoors and strict controls on the hospitality sector.
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been designated for the lightest Tier 1 restrictions.
As he wooed his restive party earlier, Mr Johnson insisted that the government will be ‘sensitive’ to local situations – hinting that areas with low infection rates will not be lumped together in future with other nearby hotspots.
He said the next review on December 16 will be conducted based on ‘as much granular detail as we can’. ‘We will try to be a sensitive as possible to local effort and local achievement,’ he said.
MP said whips were working hard during the day assuring Conservatives with constituencies in high tiers that they will be downgraded within weeks, while London Tories were pushing for a private commitment that the city will not be upgraded to Tier 3.
But Sir Keir warned Conservative MPs their hopes of being downgraded will be dashed, as Tier 2 will ‘struggle’ to hold infections down and Mr Johnson always ‘overpromises and under-delivers’. ‘That is not going to happen,’ he swiped.
The Prime Minister also tried to allay backbench fears for hospitality businesses by announcing that ‘wet’ pubs – which rely on drinks to make their living – will be entitled to £1,000 payments to help them get through this month.
Many Tories were left livid when ministers finally released an impact assessment of the measures, only to find it did not feature any new detail. Rebel ringleader Mark Harper said the ‘wheels were coming off’ the policy.
It is understood the government has another dashboard that includes more ‘granular’ information on 40 areas of the economy. Sources dismissed the idea it is ‘secret’, saying it only contains material already ‘publicly available’ – although they insisted it will not be published.
One angry MP told MailOnline: ‘The reason it won’t be published is because it supports our case not theirs.’
Laying out his case that there is a ‘compelling’ need for the new regional tiers, Mr Johnson stressed: ‘This is not another lockdown. Nor is this the renewal of existing measures in England.
‘The tiers that I’m proposing would mean that from tomorrow everyone in England, including those in Tier 3, will be free to leave their homes for any reason.
‘And when they do they will find the shops open for Christmas, the hairdressers open, the nail bars open, gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools open.’
Challenged by a series of MPs – including ex-Cabinet minister Greg Clark, who represents Tunbridge Wells – over the harsh treatment their areas were receiving, Mr Johnson said: ‘As we go forward… the Government will look at how we can reflect as closely as possible the reality of what is happening on the ground for local people, looking at the incidence of the disease, looking at the human geography and spread of the pandemic, and indeed the progress that areas are making in getting the virus down.
‘We will try to be as sensitive as possible to local effort and to local achievement in bringing the pandemic under control.’
He added: ‘We will look in granular detail at local incidents, look at the human geography of the pandemic and take account of exactly what is happening every two weeks, as I say.’
Mr Johnson also took aim at Labour for having ‘no credible plan’ to tackle coronavirus.
He said: ‘We’re trying to look after pubs, restaurants, businesses across this entire country and no-one feels the anguish of those businesses more than this Government.
‘I do think however it is extraordinary that in spite of the barrage of criticism that we have, we have no credible plan from the party opposite, indeed we have no view on the way ahead.
‘It’s a quite extraordinary thing that tonight, to the best of my knowledge, (Sir Keir) who said he’s always going to act in the national interest, has told his party to sit on its hands and to abstain in the vote tonight.’
But despite his pleas, Mr Johnson still faced a series of hostile interventions from his own benches over the draconian restrictions, which will leave 99 per cent of England under the toughest two levels from tomorrow.
Former Brexit minister Steve Baker, one of the rebel leaders, was among those opposing the Government.
Er sagte he was ‘going to have to vote no tonight to send a message’ to ministers, adding: ‘People like me have not just been looking for economic analysis, we’ve been looking for serious analysis of these harms and benefits from the Government’s policies in the context of coronavirus.’
He went on: ‘Here we stand at a profoundly dangerous moment, heading into infringements on our liberties around vaccination and testing which we would never normally tolerate and so therefore I find with huge reluctance, I’m going to have to vote no tonight to send a message to the Government.’
Sir Graham Brady, chair of the powerful Tory 1922 commitee, was among those who condemned the tiers plan.
He said the Trafford borough in his Altrincham and Sale constituency had been placed in Tier 3 ‘unfairly’. ‘I believe the government has not made that compelling case,’ he said. ‘The benefit of the doubt that this House has extended in March and since is harder.’
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