Wellingborough MP puts PM on the spot over ditching local Covid-19 plans in favour of national lockdown

Why no Tier Four in areas where there is significant infection, asks Peter Bone
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Boris Johnson told concerned Wellingborough MP Peter Bone he plans to return to a tiered lockdown system once Covid-19 is under control.

Mr Bone was among the MPs quizzing Mr Johnson following his statement to Parliament on Wednesday detailing reasons behind ordering the country back into lockdown from Thursday.

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He said: "I have been very supportive of the Prime Minister’s policy of having local and regional lockdowns, depending on the severity of the disease in a particular area.

"And there is some good news today: I understand that five per cent fewer Covid cases were reported today than seven days ago.

"Can the Prime Minister explain why the new lockdown measures will not be Tier Four and only apply to areas where there is significant infection, keeping the other areas in the lower tiers, allowing businesses to continue to trade and families to continue to mix?"

Mr Johnson replied: "The reality is that at the moment the virus is doubling across the country.

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"We have to take the measures that we have outlined to get the increase down, and we will then be reopening in the way that he describes and recommends, going back into a tiered system, reflecting what is happening locally and regionally."

Peter Bone quizzed the PM in the Commons over his lockdown plan on MondayPeter Bone quizzed the PM in the Commons over his lockdown plan on Monday
Peter Bone quizzed the PM in the Commons over his lockdown plan on Monday

The PM announced a four-week lockdown on Saturday night telling people to stay at home except to go shopping, education, work, exercise or medical reasons.

Non-essential shops will close while pubs and restaurants will only be allowed to open for takeaway business.

Mr Johnson told the House: "Current projections mean that it will start to run out of hospital capacity in a matter of weeks.

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"Modelling presented by our scientists suggests that, without action, we could see up to twice as many deaths over the winter as we saw in the first wave.

"Faced with these latest figures, there is no alternative but to take further action at a national level.

"If we allow our health system to be overwhelmed—exactly as the data now suggests—that would not only be a disaster for thousands of covid patients, because their survival rates would fall, but we would also reach a point where the NHS was no longer there for everyone.

"The sick would be turned away because there was no room in our hospitals. That sacred principle of care for ​anyone who needs it, whoever they are and whenever they need it, could be broken for the first time in our lives.

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"Doctors and nurses could be forced to choose which patients to treat, who would live and who would die."

A number of Conservative MPs are threatening to oppose the PM in a vote over the lockdown on Wednesday.

Mr Bone revealed yesterday his concerns that the 'down side' of a second lockdown were not being stated.

He said: "I'm very aware we might be doing more damage than good by having a national lockdown.

"I've not seen any impact assessment of the down side.

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"We're hearing all the problems with the disease and seeing charts showing how bad the disease is. Where are the charts showing how many people are committing suicide? How many are suffering from really serious depression from this? How many operations are being cancelled? How many businesses are being destroyed?

"If you say to me: you're taking the liberty and freedom of British people away, stopping people seeing loved ones — perhaps in hospital, perhaps dying — you're destroying businesses... that is a very serious decision to take.