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The husband of the head of the NHS Test and Trace scheme has joined a growing number of Conservative MPs in expressing anger at the assignment of new coronavirus restrictions.
John Penrose, the Weston-super-Mare MP, attacked the “illogical” decision to place his electorate at Level 3, the toughest level of restrictions, when England’s national lockdown ends next week.
In a joint statement with North Somerset MP Liam Fox, his parliamentary neighbor, Penrose said the decision to put both areas at Level 3, even though the nearby areas are at Level 2, “is neither correct nor fair “.
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Conservative MPs said: “On our own, North Somerset might well qualify for Level 2, but we have been placed at Level 3 because we are regarded as ‘a natural commute area’ alongside Bristol and South Gloucestershire .
“The fact that Bath and Northeast Somerset are on Level 2, even though it is part of the same ‘nature journey to work area,’ makes the decision even more illogical.”
Penrose is married to Baroness Harding, director of the much-criticized NHS Test and Trace program.
He was not alone among Conservative MPs who were critical of the tiering for their constituencies, and many had publicly expressed concern.
The announcement of tiered assignments on Thursday saw 99% of the population of England They said they will live under the two most difficult levels starting next Wednesday.
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Amid pressure from conservative supporters, the government promised to publish an impact assessment of the new three-tier system of local restrictions before lawmakers vote on it next week.
But some Conservative MPs have already said they will rebel against the government’s plan in the House of Commons.
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 Conservative Deputies Committee, said he will vote against the measures next week.
“I have serious reservations on so many different levels,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World At One.
“I think the policies have been too authoritarian.”
East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton also warned he would rebel if the “clinical and economic data and evaluations” that led to the decision to put his constituency on Tier 2 “were not convincing.”
Former Minister Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, said he was “perplexed” why the south coast city had been placed on Level 2.
“With only 160 cases per 100k, I am puzzled to find ourselves at this level, which will cause further difficulties for our hospitality industry.
“I will NOT support the government’s motion to present this next week.”
Steve Baker, leader of the COVID Recovery Group of conservative MPs who are skeptical of the lockdown measures, said: “Authoritarianism at work today is really appalling.
“But is it necessary and proportionate to the threat of this disease?”
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Former Cabinet Ministers Greg Clark and Damian Green were among seven Tory MPs who expressed disappointment at the placement of all of Kent at Level 3.
“Kent is a very large county with different areas within it, which is reflected in the large differences in the incidence of COVID,” the group of MPs wrote in a letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
“These restrictions, in addition to dealing a major blow to local businesses in our communities, run the risk of undermining public support for the measures if they are deemed not to be justified by the incidence of COVID.”
