British Prime Minister Johnson faces a rebellion in Parliament over coronavirus measures

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Measures will be approved by Labor votes, another blow to the PMA under pressure, anger deep, not yet enough to challenge the leadership

LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a major rebellion among Conservative Party lawmakers on Tuesday in a parliamentary vote on new restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Omicron.

Parliament is expected to approve the measures, including ordering people to work from home, wear masks in public and use COVID-19 permits to enter some places, but with Johnson relying on the opposition Labor Party to vote.

It is another blow to a prime minister already under pressure from reported parties in his Downing Street office last year when such gatherings were banned, his expensive apartment renovation and the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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Several lawmakers say the restrictions are strict, with many questioning the introduction of vaccination certificates, called COVID passports, to enter some places, such as nightclubs.

Others are using the votes 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 is squandering the party’s successes through his own gaffes and gaffes.

But despite the grumbling of discontent, Conservative Party insiders say there is not enough of an uprising against Johnson to dislodge him just yet, with no potential challenger garnered enough support to replace him.

“Boris on a bad day is better than any other wishful on a good day,” said one veteran conservative.

“huge thorn”

Ahead of the series of votes on the measures, due to begin around 1830 GMT, Johnson warned his cabinet of senior ministers of a “significant spike” in Omicron cases heading towards Britain and that measures were needed to protect the people.

“The Prime Minister said a significant uptick in Omicron is coming and the measures we aim to deliver as part of Plan B have been balanced and proportionate, helping to reduce transmission as we ramp up the boost programme,” the prime minister’s spokesperson said.

Britain has recorded nearly 4,500 cases of Omicron, with 10 people hospitalized. One person died after being infected with the variant.

Ministers are moving to try to win over the conservative rebels, saying that people who were not double-stabbed could instead provide evidence of a negative lateral flow test for access to the interiors of more than 500 people.

But many are not convinced, with Andrew Bridgen, one of them, saying some lawmakers are determined to “draw a line in the sand regarding any erosion of civil liberties.”

The former Conservative minister, David Johnson, called the move to introduce COVID cards “absolutely wrong”.

“People should definitely be encouraged to get the vaccine,” he told Reuters. “But in the end people have to take responsibility for their own health.”

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(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper and Kylie McClellan) Editing by Raisa Kasulowski and William McClean

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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