Inside Politics: PM faces biggest revolt yet as scores of mutinous Tories to vote against Covid laws

Against a backdrop of surging omicron infections and multiple reports of lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street last Christmas, Boris Johnson could later today face the biggest rebellion of his premiership so far as he tries to get new Covid laws through the Commons. With his authority already badly damaged, the prime minister will, embarrassingly, be forced to rely on Labour votes to pass Plan B restrictions as scores of his own mutinous MPs – several of them reportedly junior members of the government – prepare to vote against in their droves, citing concerns about civil liberties, with many Tories particularly angry about vaccine passes. Meanwhile, hours-long queues formed at vaccine centres yesterday as Britons answered the call to get boosted in the race to beat omicron, with experts estimating that infections of the more transmissible strain were at a staggering 200,000. Elsewhere, the PM insists that he broke no rules during a Christmas quiz last year and Dominic Rabb, the justice secretary, is planning a shake up of the Human Rights Act to make it easier for the UK to deport asylum seekers.

Chief political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for:

Cabinet meeting this morning. Hope at least one minister turns up wearing tinsel or antlers. Dominic Raab, justice secretary, answers questions in the Commons from 11.30, followed by debate and big Conservative rebellion on new coronavirus restrictions. Greg Clark’s science and technology committee will try to ensure an informed debate by interviewing Kate Bingham, vaccine hero, and Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, beforehand.

Coming up:

– Justice secretary Dominic Raab on BBC Radio 4 Today at 8.10am

– Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell on LBC at 8.20am

REBEL COUNT LATEST: According to The Spectator magazine, which has been keeping a running tab on the number of Tory MPs planning to vote against the government, there are 70 rebels on what it is describing as its “roll of honour” list. The vote later will be split into three parts, with MPs expected to get a specific vote on vaccine passes, or passports as they have been described as in the past, which will be required to enter larger venues such as nightclubs, as well as mask and self-isolation rules. Angry backbench Tories are accusing No 10 of “ruling by decree” and not properly thinking through policy, some of which has already been reinstated, with the voting later taking place retrospectively.

‘PATRIOTIC DUTY’: Despite all the opposition, Covid Plan B will become law because the Labour Party will provide Johnson with the votes he needs to see off the revolt. The opposition has turned down a huge opportunity to inflict yet more misery on the PM, saying it will pass the measures because public health comes before party politics. In his own address to the nation last night, Labour leader Keir Starmer said it is his “patriotic duty” to vote with the government. Elsewhere, Tory MP Marcus Fysh came under fire yesterday for likening Covid health passes to “Nazi Germany”. “We are not a ‘papers please’ society. This is not Nazi Germany,” said the Yeovil MP.

TIDAL WAVE BREAKING: Sajid Javid, the health secretary, told MPs in the Commons yesterday that every adult across England can expect to be offered a “chance to get boosted by the end of this month”, though he suggested not everyone would get a shot in December, in an apparent contradiction of what the PM said on Sunday. As hours-long queues formed outside some inoculation centres – and other vaccine-approved pharmacies did not offer walk-in jabs or have any plans to do so in the coming days, while booking systems were beset with technical glitches – NHS bosses warned that the target of vaccinating nearly 1 million people per day is unlikely to be met. The PM later called for an army of tens of thousands of volunteers to help the health service hit “warp speed” to deliver the jabs over the coming weeks, as the UK Health Security Agency estimated that a staggering 200,000 people in the country were infected with omicron yesterday. Live pandemic updates throughout the day here.

PARTY POLITICS: In a clip for broadcasters yesterday where he spoke about the extended booster programme, Johnson also addressed questions about a quiz he hosted in No 10 Downing Street last year during Covid restrictions. The PM said that “I certainly broke no rules”, which is not quite the same as all guidance was followed and that no rules were broken. Meanwhile, Downing Street staff have been told not to “destroy any relevant information” as an investigation into illegal Christmas parties allegedly held at No 10 begins. As part of the internal investigation being handled by cabinet secretary Simon Case, Martin Reynolds, the prime minister’s principal private secretary, has written to Downing Street staff telling them to cooperate with the inquiry, it was reported.

HRA OVERHAUL: A controversial overhaul of the Human Rights Act will make it easier to deport asylum seekers who claim the right to a family life to stay in the UK. Offenders are expected to lose the ability to mount the defence if they are convicted of any “imprisonable” crime or any “terror-related activity”, under the long-awaited shake-up. Dominic Raab, the justice secretary – who has described the current protections as “nonsense” – is determined to restrict the ability of judges to make decisions on a case-by-case basis. In a statement to the Commons, he will claim the new “Bill of Rights” will restore “common-sense” and cut the number of refugees attempting dangerous Channel crossings.

“I can tell you once again that I certainly broke no rules. All that is being looked into. Of course, all that must be properly got into and you will be hearing from the cabinet secretary about it all.”

PM insists he broke no rules during No 10 quiz.

“Govt must stop ruling by decree. PM isn’t ruling out more restrictions pre-Christmas…after the Commons goes into recess. Real people’s lives & livelihoods keep being affected by the stroke of a Minister’s pen. It’s time Govt stopped taking MPs & the public for granted.”

Mark Harper, Tory MP and former chief whip, is one of those planning to vote against new Covid laws.

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