Further Covid response should put public health first and not Tory interests, Labour MP says

Labour frontbencher Pat McFadden said the Prime Minister was now "something of a prisoner" to the Tory backbenches after a sizeable revolt last week.

Almost 100 MPs – including two from the Black Country – rebelled and voted against implementing Plan B measures, which passed with Labour support.

Now, with reports of a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown being implemented after Christmas, Mr McFadden has called on Mr Johnson to put health first.

The Wolverhampton South East MP, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: "We have to see what the scientific advice is (over any more restrictions).

"Boris Johnson is now, after the vote last week, something of a prisoner of his own backbenchers. And what's important is any consideration of any more measures puts health first and not the internal management of the Conservative Party.

"Labour would look at the data and find out what's best for public health and what's best for the NHS. Boris Johnson, in my view, is not thinking of public health first – he's thinking 'what will the Tory backbenchers tolerate?' and that is not the way to take important health decisions."

Officials are said to be looking at implementing tougher measures on Boxing Day which could include a ban on meeting family and friends indoors - but no decisions have been taken, according to reports.

John Spellar, Labour MP for Warley, added: "Fundamentally, they have to work out where it's spreading because, for example, in the first lockdown we had it wasn't spreading through hospitality venues, it was spreading through workplaces.

"And we also have to be very concerned at stop-start measures that are putting businesses and jobs at risk. It's got to be proportionate and got to take into account the damage to society – and the damage to the economy and jobs."

A potential lockdown comes after scientific advisers to the Government said hospital admissions with the variant in the UK are "probably around one tenth" of the true number due to a lag in reporting.

The "situation update" from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on Thursday was published on Saturday and said that it is "almost certain that there are now hundreds of thousands of new Omicron infections per day" in England.