Boris survives first Covid vote as MPs approve new mask rules by 441 to 41

Boris Johnson tonight survived a first Plan B vote as MPs approved new mask rules - but still faces an uprising over Covid passes.

The Commons signed off the tighter rules on face coverings by 441 to 41, with seemingly relatively few Tories seeming to have defied the whip. The House also 'nodded through' changes to replace isolation rules with daily testing.  

But the biggest challenges are yet to come, after Mr Johnson made a desperate last-ditch plea to Tory Covid rebels tonight insisting he has 'no choice' about imposing curbs to combat the Omicron variant.

The PM stressed he wants to keep the country 'as free as possible' with 'sensible and balanced' measures as he spoke to the Conservative 1922 just before a series of dramatic votes in the Commons.

But he dodged calls from backbenchers to guarantee they will get another say if the government has to move to Plan C, which could mean more draconian limits, such as reimposing social distancing.   

The final appeal came after Sajid Javid was berated in the chamber as he argued action is needed to avoid 'unsustainable' pressure on the NHS, stressing that scientists believe infections with the Omicron strain are doubling every two or three days.

Tory MPs queued up to grill him, demanding to know why the government is not heeding evidence from South Africa that the disease might be milder.

In one of the punchiest interventions, backbencher Bob Seely complained that some modelling of the virus's trajectory had been 'hysterical, substantially inflated, consistently overconfident, lurid and severely flawed'.

And former minister Desmond Swayne accused the premier of creating a 'ministry of fear' with 'extraordinary extrapolations' from limited data. 

The PM has been personally contacting wavering MPs after scores vowed to defy the government whip when new regulations rubber-stamping Covid passes for nightclubs and major events, mandatory vaccination for health staff, and mask at put to a vote tonight. 

But the scale of the rebellion means the embattled PM will almost certainly have to rely on Labour to get the measures through - despite in theory having an 80-strong Commons majority. Several ministerial aides have been threatening to quit but appear to have been won over, with Danny Kruger saying he had received 'assurances' there will never be compulsory vaccination.

Tories are also gearing up for an even bigger battle amid claims ministers are preparing to go further by shutting hospitality within weeks if the Omicron strain continues to run rampant. 

In a grim signal to the country, Mr Johnson held Cabinet 'virtually' this morning and told ministers that a 'huge spike' of infections is coming.

On another day of Covid chaos:  

Whitehall officials have drawn up proposals to limit the number of people allowed in pubs and restaurants, according to The Sun. There are also contingency plans to bring back furlough and support for businesses if tougher restrictions are needed. 

However, the options are causing alarm inside the PM's top team as well, with Jacob Rees-Mogg insisting on his regular podcast that the country must 'learn to live' with coronavirus.     

Covid passes are the main focus of Tory rebels in Westminster today, with anger that they are 'illogical' and an infringement of civil liberties. Mr Javid said yesterday that in future booster jabs will be needed to be 'fully vaccinated' for the purposes of the passes. 

There is also broad opposition to mandatory vaccination for NHS and care staff, and unhappiness at the economic impact of a return of the working from home guidance on town and city centre businesses at a crucial time of the year if people again stay away from their offices. 

The Plan B measures are not in danger of failing because Sir Keir Starmer has ordered Labour MPs to support them.

But the Commons mutiny could wipe out Mr Johnson's majority and eclipse his biggest revolt yet, when 54 Tories voted against the tier system last December. Some rebels believe it could be bigger than the 80-strong revolt that forced David Cameron to promise the EU referendum. 

Mr Javid told MPs: 'Omicron is a grave threat. We acted early to slow its spread, strengthening our testing regime and placing 11 countries on the travel red list.

'But despite those swift steps the data over the past few days has shown more cause concern. I'd like to reinforce with the House today, to all honourable members why Omicron represents such a risk to the progress that we've all made so far together.'

Several Tories intervened to ask for guarantees of another vote if the government wants to go further.  

Former chief whip Mark Harper said: 'Is he able now at the despatch box to commit that if the Government were to take further measures to deal with Omicron during the recess, that the Government would recall the House of Commons so that we're able to have all of the evidence and participate in taking those decisions on behalf of the constituents we represent?'

Mr Javid replied: 'I am not able to give that commitment alone, it wouldn't be a decision for me and my department alone, but it is something that I know the Government would consider together seriously.'

Alec Shelbrooke, Conservative MP for Elmet and Rothwell, asked: 'When will we know whether Omicron gives severe or mild disease? Therefore, if it is mild, how quickly will the decision be made that this would be of an advantage to get rid of Delta and get a herd immunity which doesn't create strong disease?'

Fellow Tory Andrew Bridgen highlighted comments from the head of the South African Medical Association suggesting Omicron is a 'mild form of Covid-19' and will have 'huge benefits for herd immunity and protection'.

But Mr Javid said: 'Even if the hospital stay (of Omicron patients) is half of what it (other Covid variants) is at the moment, at the rate that this thing is growing, and if it continues to grow at that rate, that benefit could be cancelled out in two days.' 

Isle of Wight MP Mr Seely gave an excoriating assessment of the quality of information being issued by the government.

'Will he accept that many academics have doubted the previous forecasts, describing them as hysterical, substantially inflated, consistently overconfident, lurid and severely flawed?' he said.

'We have had a problem with inaccurate forecasts. Will he accept that point?'

Mr Javid said: 'Yes, yes I absolutely accept that point. And with previous variants of Covid we have seen forecasts and estimates whether it's from academics or think tanks and others that have been completely off the mark.'

However, he went on: 'Just because forecasts in the past… have been wrong it doesn't mean to say every estimate or forecast is always wrong.'

In an excoriating outburst, Sir Desmond accused Mr Johnson of creating a 'ministry of fear'.

He said between '200 and 350 people will die of flu' on a 'typical winter's day', asking: 'Do we hide behind our mask? Do we lurk at home working from home? Do we demand that people provide their bona fides before going to a venue? Do we require people to be vaccinated as a condition of keeping their jobs?'

He asked MPs if they took seriously some of the 'extraordinary extrapolations' given to them, noting: 'The fact that these are things that might take place and we have to balance that against the known cost and damage to enterprise, economy and society, and in the end it comes down to a matter of opinion, a matter of our prejudices.'

He asked which 'Stalinist minds' had thought up the name behind the UK Health Protection Agency, adding: 'Get them out there twisting the fear button and by and large you will get the reaction you want – people will crave more enforcement and more fearsome measures to protect them from this great danger that is out there.'

Sir Desmond said: 'The Government, having administered this ministry of fear, is absolutely complicit with its officials and organisations that have designed it and delivered it.

'They have abandoned in doing that any principle of social democracy, of liberal democracy, absolutely beyond anything we've endured in recent living memory in the history of this pandemic.

'And as a consequence, having abandoned what might have been their ideology, they are rudderless and as a consequence of that so much more at risk of the opinions and predictions of the advisers to which they are in hock.'

Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans said he could not support Covid passes, telling the Commons: 'I worry about the slippery slope. What businesses, what society interactions or what infections may become in scope in future months or future years?'

Conservative former cabinet minister Greg Clark said there appeared to be a 'lack of clarity' over the purpose of Covid passes. 

The PM's spokesman said the decision to hold Cabinet remotely had been taken 'in light of the increasing number of cases and our advice to work from home when possible'. 

Pressed on why Cabinet was virtual but MPs would have to vote in person tonight, the spokesman said: 'I think my understanding is the Speaker, working with the Leader, on measures in place for voting, I don't have the full detail but I believe they might be expanding the time allowed for votes.'

Asked whether people should still be going ahead with Christmas parties, the spokesman said: 'Our position on that hasn't changed. 

'As I have said the Prime Minister believes we have a proportionate and balanced approach and given what we know about this variant and the protective measures we already have in place we do not want to close hospitality.

'That is not a proposal in Plan B. But we will continue to encourage

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