The government will be forced to rely on Labour support to pass new tiered coronavirus restrictions in England with about 70 MPs believed to be considering rebelling when the measures are put to parliament next week.
The Guardian understands that Labour support for the new system is not yet guaranteed, with widespread frustration among senior party figures that ultimatums put on the government to fix contact tracing and better support for those self-isolating has had little effect.
Tory MPs from across the country have been privately lobbying for the tiered system to be applied on a much smaller geographical basis where Covid cases are highest, including in London, which is still reporting a rise in cases.
“There will be a lot of Conservatives who will rebel for the first time this time round,” one former minister said. “It only takes 40 for the government’s majority to fall and we had 38 at the last vote.”
One long-serving Conservative backbencher said the government appeared set on restrictions at a county level. “So even if you’re 40 miles away from an area of high infection, you’re treated the same way, even if there’s no point of contact and not much exchange of people. If they gave way on this, it might suggest a bit of common sense in the approach,” the MP said.
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