Boris Johnson ‘facing the Tory revolt’ over plans to impose tough restrictions on 99% of the English population

UK PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson is facing furious backlash from Conservative MPs over his plans to impose tough restrictions on 99% of England after December 2.

More than 55 million people will be placed on Level 2 and Level 3 measures when the second national shutdown ends next week, which means that indoor-home mixing will be effectively prohibited in the vast majority of the country.

Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which make up just over 1% of England’s population, face the lightest Covid-19 Level 1 restrictions.

Large swaths of the Midlands, the Northeast, and the Northwest are at the most restrictive Level 3, accounting for 41.5% of the population, or 23.3 million people.

Most authorities, including London, will be at Level 2, which will cover 57.3% of the country, or 32 million people.

Only eight of the 119 areas that will enter Level 3 have reported a recent increase in cases.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative Parliamentarians, said Johnson’s decision would make it “more difficult” to push the measures through Parliament.

The Daily Mail reports that as many as 70 government MPs are prepared to rebel against the proposals in a vote on the regulations next week.

Brady told BBC Two’s Newsnight: “By forcing much of the country to enforce those really tough restrictions, especially in places where infection rates have dropped to much lower levels, I think the government has done a lot of work. more difficult”.

At Level 1, the ‘rule of six’ applies indoors and outdoors, but at Level 2 there will be a ban on households mixing indoors, and pubs and restaurants will only be able to sell alcohol with a ‘meal substantial”.

Level 3 measures mean a ban on homes from mixing, except in limited circumstances, such as in parks.

In these areas, bars and restaurants will be limited to take-out or home delivery services and people will be warned to avoid traveling outside of their area. Stores and schools will remain open at all levels.

Some MPs were angered after seeing their areas rose two notches compared to their state before the November close.

The government has promised to publish an impact assessment of the measures before deputies vote on them on December 1, following complaints that the economic damage and health implications of the restrictions were not being properly considered.

The prime minister, who will visit a scientific laboratory in Wiltshire on Friday, told a Downing Street press conference that “your level is not your destiny” and cited the planned extension of mass community testing, as seen in Liverpool, as a possible “escape” From the harshest measures.

A review of the levels is scheduled for December 16, but the Times reported that the government does not expect to make any changes until the new year.