Boris Johnson faces parliamentary protests (Photo: WPA Pool/Team via Getty Images)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a major uprising from Conservative lawmakers in Tuesday’s vote on new restrictions in a bid to curb the spread of the new micron variant of the coronavirus.
The measures, which include orders for people to work from home, wear masks in public and display vaccination cards to access certain facilities, are believed to have been approved by Parliament, but Johnson will rely on the votes of the opposition Labor Party.
It’s another setback for a prime minister already under pressure from alleged parties in his Downing Street office last year when such meetings, his costly apartment renovation and a chaotic retreat from Afghanistan were banned.
Many lawmakers say the restrictions are strict, and many question the certification of a vaccination certificate, called a Covid passport, for entry to certain venues, such as nightclubs.
Others will seize the vote as an opportunity to vent their anger at Johnson for believing the man who helped the Conservatives win a large majority in the 2019 election is ending the party’s victories with his own stumbles.
Despite the grumbling of discontent, Tory sources say there is not enough Johnson to disavow him now, and no potential rival has enough support to replace him.
“Boris on a bad day is better than any other player on a good day,” said one veteran fan.
Parliamentarians should begin back-to-back voting on measures in shifts at 6:30 p.m. local time.
The government says action is needed to curb the spread of micron, which already accounts for more than 40% of infections in London and is believed to be the dominant strain in the British capital.
One person died after contracting the surrogate and 10 were hospitalized with microns across England.
Ministers are mobilizing to try to persuade conservative rebels, saying that people who haven’t received two vaccines can submit negative screening tests for indoor entries with more than 500 attendees, but many are not convinced.
“It is completely wrong to expect people to provide what is essentially a health ID so they can access services that should be available to everyone,” said Conservative MP and former minister David Jones.
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