Up to 100 Conservative MPs are concerned at England’s new coronavirus tiers, meaning the government may have to rely on Labour votes to get the system approved by parliament, the UK environment secretary, George Eustice, has said. Labour has not yet guaranteed its support for the system amid concerns in the party about the level of financial support available for the hard-hit hospitality industry. A Treasury source confirmed that the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, was planning a new package of support for pubs, bars and restaurant hit by the impact of restrictions on pre-Christmas trade but said details were still being “worked up”. Amid increasing Tory backbench disquiet about the post-lockdown tiers, in which virtually all regions in England would be put into the higher two levels this week, Eustice also said ministers could not rule out a third national lockdown. “I think it’s too early to say,” he told Sky News. “We can’t rule anything out, because this is a rapidly developing situation. The government has to respond to the epidemiological evidence that it will have at a given time.
“It’s always difficult to predict exactly what will happen. But we judge at moment that if we stick to the course with this tiered approach, at this stage, then this might get us through the winter.” Boris Johnson is trying to win over concerned Tories with promises of an economic analysis of the new tiers before Tuesday’s Commons vote, and an appeal to MPs to show unity, saying “the worst is nearly behind us”. Asked if the scale of Conservative dissent meant the government was expecting to have to rely on Labour votes to get the plan through the Commons, Eustice said: “I don’t know, and the chief whip will be, obviously, talking to those MPs who have got concerns. He said: “I’ve seen suggestions that there could up to 100 or so people who have got concerns. But the prime minister and other ministers will be working very hard to reassure them about the steps that we’re taking.” Pressed again on the need for Labour votes, Eustice conceded this was possible. He said: “Like all these things, it will depend on what other parties do, yes. It will depend on what the Labour party choose to do. I think at time like this, when you do have a national emergency, and we’re having to take emergency measures to try and save lives, it’s not the time really for any political party to play political games.” While the tiers were unveiled as a system that would last until the spring, Eustice said MPs would be offered a vote to renew them in late January. Some MPs are demanding this take place earlier.
Eustice said he understood MPs’ concerns: “There’s great frustration with the emergency measures that we’ve had to take to deal with this pandemic. We haven’t taken them lightly, we have had to take these to get the virus under control. “What we need to show to those MPs, and the country at large, is that we’ve got a clear route towards fixing this problem and turning a corner, and that will come through the deployment of the vaccine.”
In a letter on Sunday to the new Covid Research Group of Conservative MPs, which comprises many of those worried about the new tiers, Johnson promised the analysis would be published on Monday. “Disagreement on approach is natural, and I hope you recognise that the government is seeking as far as possible to listen to criticism and respond positively to constructive proposals,” the prime minister wrote. “There is every reason to hope and believe that the worst is nearly behind us, so now more than ever is the time to demonstrate unity and resolve. As we move from winter to spring, the prospects offered by vaccines and testing mean we can begin the process of recovery in earnest and focus our energies once again on improving the lives of the people we were elected to serve.”