Johnson confronted by business backlash over new Covid rules

Boris Johnson was on Monday accused by business leaders of presiding over a “lockdown by stealth”, as the prime minister prepared for a massive rebellion by scores of Tory MPs over new Covid-19 restrictions.

Johnson is under pressure to consider a new package of government aid for sectors including hospitality, retail and travel, as England retreated behind closed doors with the Omicron strain of coronavirus spreading across the country.

Sajid Javid, health secretary, said the variant now represented over 20 per cent of cases in England and that he expected it to become the dominant strain of the virus in London by Wednesday.

He said the Health Security Agency estimated that the current number of daily infections from Omicron was “around 200,000”, confirming the exponential growth of the new Covid strain.

On Monday people were asked to start working from home where possible and city centres were much quieter than usual. Traffic at City of London Underground stations was down 30 per cent.

Tony Danker, head of the CBI employers’ federation said the impact was being felt by business. “Those sectors hardest hit must be closely monitored as further targeted support may yet be needed,” he said.

Johnson has talked of a “tidal wave” of infections and an “emergency” and Danker said he feared some in government were using language that was having unintended consequences for the economy.

He said: “We are concerned that the rhetoric from some in government risks instilling a lockdown mentality when in actual fact the proposed measures are far short of that.”

Tim Martin, boss of JD Wetherspoon, warned that “the country appears to be heading for a lockdown by stealth”, in a stock market update on the hit to his pubs’ profits.

The Treasury said it was providing enough business support, including a recovery loan scheme, VAT relief, protection and a grant scheme, but it was keeping the situation under review.

“Our £400bn Covid-19 support package will continue to help businesses into spring next year,” a Treasury spokesman said. “We will continue to respond proportionately to the changing path of the virus, as we have done since the start of the pandemic.”

Tory unrest over the Covid restrictions is intense, with some MPs claiming that at least 10 letters of no confidence in the prime minister have been submitted to Graham Brady, chair of the backbench 1922 committee. A total of 54 — 15 per cent of Conservative MPs — is needed to trigger a leadership contest.

Scores of Conservative MPs are expected to vote against Johnson’s Covid “Plan B”, which includes guidance on working from home, more mask-wearing and — controversially — Covid certification to gain entry to certain venues.

Javid confirmed that people would need a lateral flow test or proof of double vaccination to get into nightclubs or large events, but said the rules would shortly change: the Covid pass will soon require a person to have had a booster jab.

In another move that could partially allay Tory concerns about allegedly excessive Covid restrictions, ministers are on Tuesday expected to remove most — or all — of the 11 African countries on the UK’s “red list” for travel.

Javid has argued that there is no longer a case for maintaining tough restrictions — including quarantine in a state-approved hotel — now that community transmission is widespread in England.

But Johnson is braced for the biggest Tory rebellion of his premiership on Tuesday, with scores of MPs expected to protest about the so-called “Covid passport” regime.

Over 70 Tory MPs have spoken out against the rules, while up to 10 junior government members — parliamentary private secretaries — are on “resignation watch”.

One former minister said some Tory MPs were turning to dissent because they thought “Boris would not be around for much longer”. Others are furious over the prime minister’s stumbling leadership.

Other MPs said they wanted to record a protest to make sure Johnson did not introduce mandatory vaccinations — a policy the prime minister flirted with last week, before it was rejected by Javid.

Meanwhile Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said in a televised address that his party would support the government’s Plan B measures. He said his party was “patriotic” and would always “put the national interest first”.