Tory rebellion amendment will not be voted on by MPs
An amendment by Tory MPs that could have provided Boris Johnson with an embarrassing defeat over the government’s power to implement Covid restrictions will not be voted on by MPs.
Sir Graham Brady’s amendment, which would have forced the government to consult parliament on all future coronavirus restrictions, was denied by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle this afternoon.
Hoyle said there was not enough time for parliament to debate any of today’s tabled amendments to the government’s bill, which seeks to extend emergency powers that allow Johnson to unilaterally implement Covid restrictions.
However, Hoyle also rebuked the government for not giving the House of Commons enough notice about coronavirus-related policy over the past six months.
“The way in which the government has exercised its powers to
make secondary legislation during this crisis has been totally
unsatisfactory,” he said.
“All too often, important statutory instruments have been published
a matter of hours before they come into force, and some
explanations why important measures have come into effect before
they can be laid before this House have been unconvincing and
shows a total disregard for the House.”
Brady’s amendment was believed to have the support of up to 80 Conservative MPs if it had been chosen by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
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This would have given it enough support to deliver Johnson an embarrassing parliamentary defeat if opposition parties voted for it – a prospect that was considered likely.
The Prime Minister is currently negotiating with Brady over the rebellion, with many speculating that the original legislation will be changed to appease the rebel Tory MPs and allow some parliamentary oversight on future decisions.
The Tory revolt is a sign of growing discontent among the party’s backbenches, which has been bubbling under for months now.
Many of the parliamentary party’s libertarian and right-wing MPs have been disgruntled at the government’s willingness to swiftly apply new coronavirus restrictions, the amount the Treasury has spent during the pandemic and speculation that Rishi Sunak is considering tax rises to pay for the Budget deficit.