Politics latest news: Tories to challenge Government on police powers ahead of lockdown vote

Gareth Davies
·7 min read

A vote on extending coronavirus laws for a further six months will take place in the Commons this afternoon amid talks between the UK and EU aiming to resolve a dispute over vaccine supplies.

On Thursday, MPs will be asked to approve the regulations for the route out of lockdown and keep some of the emergency powers in the Coronavirus Act in place until September.

The legislation for restrictions over the coming months, as the Government sets out its road map for coming out of lockdown, will see some restrictions remain in place in England until at least June 21.

The vote on Thursday is likely to comfortably pass, with Labour not expected to oppose the measures.

But Conservative MP Steve Baker, deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of Tory lockdown sceptics, said the vote was a "rare opportunity" for MPs to "say no to a new way of life in a checkpoint society" and up to 60 Tory MPs may oppose.

Mr Baker is expected to put down an amendment this morning seeking the suspension of a section of the legislation which permits police officers to take action against "potentially infectious" people.

The amendment would remove Schedule 21 of the Act, which allows officers to force people to be tested or restrict their movement. It becomes an offence if they do not comply.

​​Follow the latest updates below.

08:53 AM

Mark Harper: Vaccination passports raise 'significant moral questions'

Covid Recovery Group chairman Mark Harper said the vaccination programme should signal a return to normality rather than lead to people being required to show proof of vaccination to access hospitality venues.

Speaking to Sky News about vaccine passports, he said: "I actually agree with the Prime Minister - that is the Prime Minister of February when he said that he didn't think there was a case for expecting people to show papers to go to the pub and said there were very significant problems with ethical, moral questions about this issue.

"I've heard some heads of pub chains this morning set out some of those significant problems.

"The key way we are going to deal with this issue is by vaccinating people, and we've already almost finished vaccinating, with their first doses, the top nine groups who are most vulnerable, who account for 99 per cent of those who died of Covid and over 80 per cent of the hospitalisations.

"That's how we get out of this."

08:49 AM

What is today's big rebellion all about?

Steve Baker, the co-chair of the Covid Recovery Group - Victoria Jones/PA
Steve Baker, the co-chair of the Covid Recovery Group - Victoria Jones/PA

MPs will today vote on the extension of powers in the Coronavirus Act, which would continue emergency powers to police lockdown, rules around statutory sick pay and other emergency legal changes until October.

Many MPs are sceptical of continuing some of the more draconian provisions in the Act, especially the police's powers to force people to go and receive a coronavirus test if they have reasonable grounds to think they are potentially infectious.

Schedule 21 of the Bill also has the power to restrict a person's movement or their contact with other people, and it can be an offence if they do not comply.

Steve Baker, a Tory MP, will today table an amendment to remove those powers from the bill. He calls them "redundant to say the very least" and points out that they have a "100 per cent unlawful prosecution record".

08:35 AM

Miliband: Don't leave vaccine passports to discretion of landlords

Labour shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said ministers should not leave the use of vaccine passports to the "discretion" of pub landlords if they thought it was the right move for public health.

Put to him on ITV's Good Morning Britain that scientists might recommend the rollout of vaccine passports to encourage people to take up the offer of a jab, Mr Miliband said: "Maybe. I don't think that's really the thing that is going to persuade people to get the vaccine.

"I think we've done brilliantly in this country at rolling out the vaccine and people taking up the vaccine and the key thing is a campaign of persuasion for people to take up the vaccine. That is the biggest priority.

"Now, if the Government has got evidence that this is necessary for people to go to hospitality venues, let's look at that evidence.

"That isn't quite what the Prime Minister said yesterday.

"And indeed if it was necessary, why would you be leaving it up to individual landlords? If this was really a public health measure, you wouldn't be saying, 'Well, it is going to be a landlord discretion' - you'd be saying, 'This is the Government's view, this is what's safe'.

"So there are many, many unanswered questions about this."

08:31 AM

Pub passports 'a fairly poorly though-out idea'

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame pub group, has said making vaccination a mandatory prerequisite to attend a pub is "a fairly poorly thought-out idea" which could lead to young staff having to deal with intimidation from customers.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm very concerned about the pressure we put on our young people - 50% of people (working) in pubs are under 25 - you're going to force them to make some very challenging judgments, because they're not qualified or trained as door staff, as they might be in the nightclub sector.

"So those people might therefore be subject to intimidation, if people think they are being unfairly discriminated against, and then there's the question about who's going to enforce this - are police going to do random checks?

"I don't think so, I don't think that's the society we want."

He added: "This is a fraught with difficulty I think, and it is, in my view, a fairly poorly thought-out idea at this stage."

08:30 AM

Boss of 300 pubs will not enforce 'discriminatory' jab passport rule

Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Shepherd Neame group, said he would not make having had a coronavirus vaccine a mandatory condition for people to enter one of his 300 pubs.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 Today programme, he said: "The whole essence of a pub is that they are diverse and inclusive environments, where everybody, and families in particular, are extremely welcome.

"I mean imagine a scene where a family is reconnecting for the first time after this crisis, where grandpa's forgotten his vaccination certificate, mum is pregnant, and the kids are too young to have had it yet - who's going to make the judgment on the door on that occasion?

"I also think there are some issues with discrimination.

"I think it's absolutely fine to exclude people where there is a situation of bad behaviour or drunkenness, and that's already enshrined in law, but if you're going to exclude people for what they are, or what they have not done, that's a wholly different issue which does touch on discrimination, civil liberties, and in this case data protection issues."

08:23 AM

Pub passports were outlined in PM's roadmap, minister suggests

As our front page story by our Political Editor Ben Riley-Smith revealed, landlords may ask punters for vaccine passports before they are allowed in for a drink.

But a Government minister suggested this was outlined as part of the Prime Minister's road map for lockdown easing.

Children's minister Vicky Ford, when asked why Boris Johnson appeared to U-turn on vaccine passports during his appearance before the Liaison Committee on Wednesday, told Sky News: "When we set out the road map way back in February to show us the way out of this lockdown, one of the things we said was that there would be reviews of different situations and there was always in that road map a review of the certifications (of having received a vaccine) and use of testing.

"And that review - which looks at how you would use vaccines, how you would use testing to keep settings safe when we go to that widest reopening - that is due before the fourth stage of the lockdown, so it has always been very clear we would be looking at all the different measures in order to take that really widest step."

08:18 AM

Today's front page

Here is your Daily Telegraph on Thursday, Mar 25.

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