One Tory MP told MailOnline the PM must bring forward the arbitrary dates in order to ‚maintain public confidence that we are getting our freedom as soon as possible‘. Steve Baker, of the Covid Recovery Group, called on No10 to ask SAGE to see whether the relaxation of restrictions could be safely brought forward.
Archiv: Covid Recovery Group (Tories)
Boris Johnson is urged to lift Covid lockdown a month early as MPs warn we risk ‚squandering the advantages‘ of vaccines rollout by delaying moves to reopen economy
Britain risks ‘squandering the advantages of our vaccination programme’ by moving too slowly to lift the lockdown, Conservative MPs warned yesterday.
Amid signs of a gathering rebellion, a string of MPs said they were ready to vote against the Government this week when it seeks to extend Covid laws to the end of September.
Tory rebels accuse Boris Johnson of following ‚dates, not data‘ on lockdown easing as they argue ‚increasingly positive‘ vaccination numbers mean ‚we should be able to get back to normal more quickly‘
Mark Harper, the chairman of the Covid Recovery Group, said ‚reasonable people‘ will now be questioning why Mr Johnson does not speed up the easing of restrictions.
Meanwhile, the CRG‘s Steve Baker echoed a similar sentiment as he said ‚the time has come for this dark chapter in our history to come to an end‘ amid fears of extending the Government‘s draconian Covid powers.
‚We over-promised again‘: Matt Hancock faces Tory backlash as he FINALLY admits that India IS behind jabs delay with four million AstraZeneca doses held back by Delhi in ‚act of vaccine nationalism‘ – dealing serious blow to UK‘s rollout
– Matt Hancock under fire for raising hopes of huge ramp up in vaccines only for supplies setback to emerge
– Serum Institute of India has been told it must hand jabs to its own citizens before exporting vaccine stocks
– One batch of five million doses of the AstraZeneca jab bound for the UK has been delayed by a month
. Confusingly Boris Johnson insisted Indian government has not blocked any exports, as he prepares to visit
Tories demand ‚irreversible‘ lockdown easing and slam Boris for moving too slowly as he prepares to unveil ‚roadmap‘ with ALL schools to return on March 8 and Rule of Six back by April – but shops, salons and pubs face waiting MONTHS
The PM is set to reveal his ‚roadmap‘ in a statement to the Commons this afternoon once it is rubber-stamped by Cabinet, after scientists seemingly won the battle for a slow approach regardless of the surging vaccination drive.
UK Covid: ‚we want this lockdown to be the last,‘ says Boris Johnson, as he calls for ‚optimism and patience‘ – as it happened
The level of coronavirus infections is still high and the number of hospitalisations higher than they were during the first peak, Chris Whitty said.
Boris Johnson is desperate to avoid a rebellion by Tory MPs – hence talk of ‘irreversible’ lockdown easing
However, the PM cannot ignore 63 of his own MPs. He knows how strongly they feel about lockdown easing. Some 53 Tories voted against his tiered system in December. He will probably want to renew some of the current restrictions when they expire on 31 March.
Coronavirus: Plan to exit lockdown ‚cautious but irreversible‘, says Boris Johnson
It comes as a group of Tory MPs call for a commitment to a „free life“ and ending of lockdown measures before May.
Senior backbencher Steve Baker said he wants the prime minister to „let us reclaim our lives, once and for all“.
Boris Johnson press conference: PM to address nation from No10 with major vaccine update
The Prime Minister is expected to hold a televised Downing Street coronavirus briefing at 5pm.
School return date must be ‚signed in blood‘, Boris Johnson told
Rob Halfon, the Tory chairman of the Education Select Committee, told The Telegraph: „We just need to make sure March 8 is signed in blood, not just a line in the sand.“ Mark Harper, the chairman of the Covid Recovery Group, said: „It‘s crucial we don‘t backslide on this.“
Furious Tory MPs say Covid vaccine roll-out is pointless unless UK goes back to normal life soon after SAGE doomsters push back on easing lockdown within weeks and warn we could be wearing masks FOREVER
The Prime Minister has promised to get children back in classrooms by March 8 as part of his ‚route map‘ out of lockdown, which he plans to reveal on Monday, February 22.
Tories savage Matt Hancock over ‚never-ending lockdown‘ as UK‘s Covid second wave continues to shrink: Cases and deaths drop 27% with 12,364 infections and 1,052 victims – but Health Secretary warns border restrictions may still be in place until AUTUMN
But hopes the world-beating vaccine roll-out will mean lockdown curbs can be significantly eased any time soon were shot down today by Mr Hancock, who unveiled the latest suite of border curbs and warned they could last until the Autumn when booster vaccines will be available.
UK Covid cases fall by a THIRD in a week and deaths down almost 20% piling pressure on Boris to show way out of lockdown
Mark Harper — chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of lockdown sceptics, with 70 Tory MPs — said: “Back-of-the-envelope calculations I did based on two million doses a week mean you could get the top nine priority groups, first doses, and the top four groups, second doses, all done by the end of May.
“So it seems to me by the time you get to the end of May, no later than that, you should be in a position to get rid of restrictions completely.
What are the CRG, ERG and NRG? The difference between backbench Tory groups putting pressure on Boris Johnson
The NRG was launched by Tory MPs representing constituencies in Wales, northern regions and the Scottish borders – largely the parts of the country the current Government had promised to support when it was elected.
It has been calling for the Government to set out a specific northern economic recovery plan to help these regions in the wake of economically-damaging lockdowns.
Pressure grows on Boris Johnson to agree plan to start easing lockdown restrictions by March 8
„We locked down the country and shut down our schools on the basis of a forecast, so why can‘t we open it up on the basis of one too? It is not sustainable to leave the public and British businesses languishing any longer,“ Mr Baker told The Telegraph.
Boris on the brink as Tories turn on PM over lockdown end date – rebellion ready to erupt
Last week Steve Baker, the deputy chair of the Tory backbench Covid Recovery Group (CRG), wrote to MPs calling on them to write to the Government chief whip and make clear an exit strategy was needed.
He told them „inevitably the Prime Minister’s leadership will be on the table“ unless Mr Johnson outlined the return to freedom.
Tory rebels demand Boris Johnson publish a ‚clear road map‘ to begin easing the national lockdown from March 8 and warn there ‚cannot be any more excuses‘
– Tory MPs have urged Boris Johnson to publish draft lockdown exit plan this week
– They said that the gradual easing of draconian curbs must start from March 8
– The Covid Recovery Group warned the PM ‚there cannot be any more excuses‘