- Nearly 100 Conservative MPs voted against plans for Covid vaccine certificates for some large venues in England – marking the largest rebellion of Boris Johnson’s premiership. The number of rebels far exceeds Johnson’s parliamentary majority of 79 – and the 56 MPs needed to trigger a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
- In a separate vote, 63 Tories voted against mandatory vaccinations for NHS and social care staff in England. Labour supported the measure but Keir Starmer suffered his own rebellion, with 22 Labour MPs voting against.
- MPs also backed compulsory face coverings in more indoor public places including museums and galleries, as well as allowing fully vaccinated people who come into contact with a Covid case to take daily lateral flow tests for seven days, rather than self-isolating
- Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a senior member of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee, said a leadership challenge in the New Year is “on the cards” unless the PM unites the party by delivering a “major change in the way he does things”.
- Labour leader Keir Starmer said the rebellions were “a very significant blow to the already damaged authority of the prime minister” but stopped short of explicitly calling for him to resign
MPs back all ‘plan B’ measures amid large Tory rebellion on Covid passes and mandatory vaccines – as it happened
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