England goes into a second national lockdown on Thursday after health chiefs warned the country would be unable to cope with a surge in coronavirus cases unless a raft of new restrictions was imposed. But insiders said the mood among Tory MPs was “seriously bad”, with even those who support the fresh lockdown unhappy such draconian measures have had to be introduced to control the pandemic. And many are turning their anger against the Prime Minister over his handling of the crisis.
One MP described Mr Johnson’s delayed address to the nation, to The Times’ Matt Chorley, as “Shambolic. Rudderless ramblings” and reported “constituents getting in touch furious or in tears”.
Another said: “Grim, grim, grim. I think it could be his Suez.”
Others complained it was “all a bit late and cobbled too” with Cabinet ministers not knowing furlough was being extended or the “Stay At Home” order was being repeated until they saw it Mr Johnson’s televised statement.
One senior Tory MP said colleagues were furious that newspapers had learned of the lockdown before an announcement was made in the Commons.
He said: “A number of colleagues are fed up about the announcement finding its way into the media before it was announced in Parliament.
“But the main response is concern about the prospect of a new national lockdown.”
Another minister said: “The science seems sound. The communication in the lead up to this was shocking.
“What’s the point in having a tight, intimate decision making group when it leaks like a sieve?”
In his Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson warned unless action was taken deaths would reach “several thousand a day” with a “peak of mortality” worse than the country saw during the lockdown in April.
Pubs, bars, restaurants and non-essential retail across the nation will close from Thursday, and people will be told to stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave, but schools, colleges and nurseries will remain open.
People will be allowed outside to exercise and socialise in public spaces outside with their household or one other person, but not indoors or in private gardens, and will be able to travel to work if they cannot work from home.
Furlough payments at 80 percent will be extended for the duration of the restrictions as high streets once again shut up shop.
MPs will vote on the new measures before they are introduced at 12.01am on Thursday, and when they lapse on December 2, the current tier system will be reintroduced.
The hope is that COVID-19 cases will drop low enough to keep on top of outbreaks at a regional level.
Mr Johnson said “no responsible Prime Minister can ignore” the rising rates of COVID-19 infections as he announced the lockdown.
He said “we need to be humble in the face of nature” and warned the virus was spreading even faster than the worst-case scenario envisaged by scientists.
Pressure has been mounting on the Prime Minister for several weeks, although he is understood to have been persuaded by new data on NHS capacity and figures released on Friday from the Office for National
Statistics (ONS) suggesting 580,000 people a week are now contracting the virus.
Rates of coronavirus have been increasing in all parts of England and among all age groups and Government, scientific advisers have said only a national lockdown could get on top of the epidemic.
Pressure has been mounting on the Prime Minister for several weeks, although he is understood to have been persuaded by new data on NHS capacity and figures released on Friday from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggesting 580,000 people a week are now contracting the virus.
Rates of coronavirus have been increasing in all parts of England and among all age groups and Government, scientific advisers have said only a national lockdown could get on top of the epidemic.
