Senior Tory Suggests PM And Scientists Kept MPs In Dark Over Covid Strain
A senior Tory MP has suggested Boris Johnson and scientific advisers deliberately withheld information about the more virulent new Covid variant in order to avoid parliament being given a vote on new Christmas restrictions.
Sir Desmond Swayne was one of several Conservative backbenchers demanding an urgent recall of the Commons to discuss and approve the raft of new emergency regulations over the festive period.
Parliament broke up for its Christmas recess on Thursday, the day before the PM hosted a cabinet subcommittee meeting that discussed the extent of the new coronavirus mutation that has a much higher transmission rate and has led to rocketing cases in London and the south-east.
MPs have been told to be on standby for any urgent breakthrough in the Brexit trade talks, with a recall of parliament possible between now and December 31, the deadline for the UK leaving its “transition period” under EU rules.
But the new Covid regulations which came into force at midnight on Saturday night do not need Commons approval as they are part of emergency laws used by health secretary Matt Hancock to police the pandemic.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Swayne said the new variant had been known about for weeks and suggested the timing of the announcements was designed to keep MPs out of the process.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps disputed the claim, saying the government “literally” couldn’t have acted any faster.
“They’ve been looking at it since September and how convenient when Parliament went into recess on Thursday suddenly they were then able to produce this revelation,” said Swayne.
“Let’s see the evidence then, let’s have Parliament back and show us and convince us. Come clean.
“I want Parliament to be recalled so we can scrutinise properly in a democracy decisions that are being made which affect our economy radically and our liberty.
“The recall of Parliament requires a request by the government to the Speaker. Why would the...