Following widespread questioning of the new tier system, the Prime Minister has written to MPs asking for their support in a vote next Tuesday, that is looking more and more in the balance.
Hospitality businesses across England will doubtless be anxious to see how the vote goes, as many have voiced their vociferous opposition to it.
The PM’s letter highlights a ‘sunset’ expiry date of 3 February 2021, in an effort to sweeten MPs and avert an embarrassing defeat in the Commons.
The existing national lockdown ends on Wednesday, with all too many Tory MPs unhappy with stringent tiers that replace it.
The Commons will see MPs vote on the new system on Tuesday, with Labour still undecided on its stance. Lisa Nandy earlier today on The Andrew Marr Show questioned the data behind the new tier allocations, but seemed reticent to vote against. Labour has backed the Government to date on every vote related to Covid safety measures, Nandy’s tone indicates a status quo, but much can change in a few days.
The PM’s letter to MPs also stated that rules could be eased in December, and that MPs could again vote on them remaining in January, and ending in February. Both ideas being vague and subject to ongoing data enabling movement.
Today’s Mail on Sunday quotes the PM saying he believes Easter would mark a “real chance to return to something like life as normal”. A rather ambiguous statement and one that introduces a new date of 4 April into numerous considerations, and benchmarks for expectations.
It looks as the PM will have a busy schedule in the run up to the all important vote, as its outcome looks anything but safe, even with a majority of 80.
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Hospitality & Catering News: Tuesday’s Tory Tier Rebellion – 29 November 2020 – Tuesday’s Tory Tier Rebellion.
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