Boris Johnson will defend his plans for a second national lockdown in the Commons today by warning MPs that there is “no alternative” but to impose four weeks of stringent restrictions across England to control cases.
It comes amid confusion over whether the measures could last longer than December 2, after Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove admitted that the curbs may need to be in place for longer.
The Prime Minister is set to use his statement to the Commons on Monday afternoon to warn coronavirus deaths over the winter could be twice as high during the first wave of the pandemic and that he will “seek to ease” restrictions and return to the tiered system on December 2.
MPs will debate and vote on the new measures on Wednesday, with several Conservatives likely to rebel against the Government. Tory ex-minister Sir Desmond Swayne has said it would take a “huge amount of persuasion for me to vote for this disastrous course of action”.
