Major backbench rebellion & resignations anticipated ahead of Plan B vote

More than 71 Conservative MPs are expected to vote against the government’s Plan B Coronavirus restrictions tomorrow, in what is set to be the largest rebellion since Boris Johnson entered Downing Street.

The Spectator magazine has published a live count of MPs who have confirmed that they will vote against the plans or those who have suggested they may do so.

Labour will whip its MPs to approve the government’s plans, and none of its MPs have vowed to vote down the plans as of yet. 

It has also been reported by the Telegraph newspaper that a number of parliamentary private secretaries could resign over the matter, including two of Communities Secretary Michael Gove’s aides, Danny Kruger and Angela Richardson, who have so far not indicated whether they will vote for the government’s plans .

Plan B guidelines mandate the certification of vaccination or medical exemption at nightclubs, indoor settings with 500 plus attendees, outdoor settings with over 4,000 plus attendees, and any other venue with over 10,000 attendees.

From today, working from home is encouraged but not required.

Face coverings are now required by law in most indoor public places and on public transport, including taxis.

Tomorrow’s Commons vote will likely include a motion on these new facemask rules, and on whether daily negative test results ought to permit people who have come into contact with a positive case avoid self-isolation.

A third vote will consider vaccine passports.

Yesterday evening the prime minister launched a national appeal calling for people to get jabbed, as the UK Chief Medical Officers increased the UK Covid Alert Level from Level 3 to Level 4 due to a rapid increase in cases of the Omicron variant.

Data suggests Omicron is highly transmissible and will become the dominant variant by mid-December, with cases currently doubling every 2 to 3 days.