Tory MP Chris Green resigns from government claiming Boris Johnson’s attempted Covid-19 cure is ‘worse than the disease’ and is forcing businesses to the wall
A Consevative MP from Greater Manchester has resigned from the government in opposition to Boris Johnson‘s Covid-19 approach.
Chris Green, who is the MP for Bolton West and Atherton was the parliamentary private secretary for the leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Evans.
It is the second time Mr Green has resigned from government having earlier quit in 2018 over Brexit.
A PPS does not receive any additional pay above their parliamentary salary.
Writing to the PM, Mr Green claimed the ‘attempted cure is worse than the disease’.
He wrote: ‘There is a healthy debate on how we can eliminate this coronavirus or how we can live with it and this is being led by many distinguished academics, epidemiologists and other specialists.
‘I believe that there are better alternatives to the Government’s approach, so I therefore tender my resignation.’
Mr Johnson has announced a three tier Covid monitoring system but has so far rejected calls to implement a short ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown across England to provide some respite against the virus.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he would support the government if they were to announce a two to three-week national lockdown over the half term to improve test and trace and prevent a ‘sleepwalk into a long and bleak winter’.
He told a televised press conference that Mr Johnson was ‘no longer following the scientific advice’ by proposing ‘far less stringent restrictions’ than suggested by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
Sir Keir said: ‘There’s no longer time to give the Prime Minister the benefit of the doubt. The Government’s plan simply isn’t working. Another course is needed.’
He said schools must stay open but that all pubs, bars and restaurants should be closed during the circuit-breaker, while firms are compensated so ‘no business loses out’ in order to ‘break the cycle’ of infection.
‘If we don’t, we could sleepwalk into a long and bleak winter. That choice is now for the Prime Minister to make. I urge him to do so,’ Sir Keir said.
The call came after documents published on Monday evening showed Sage delivered a series of more drastic recommendations than the new three-tier system Mr Johnson has proposed.
In the documents from September 21, the scientists also criticised the Government’s £12 billion test and trace system as only having a ‘marginal impact’ on Covid-19 transmission.
Sir Keir said the national lockdown would ‘reverse’ rising infection rates and allow ministers to ‘rectify’ some of their mistakes by handing over test and trace to local authorities.
But he acknowledged it would ‘require significant sacrifices’ including curbs on household mixing and a ban on all but essential work and travel.
Amid increasing unrest on the Tory backbenches, Sir Keir said Labour would support the Government in voting for the measure to stop him needing to ‘balance the needs of your party against the national interest’.
Senior Tory Sir Bernard Jenkin said the local advice in his Harwich and North Essex constituency was that a ‘short, sharp, shock’ would be the best way of tackling the pandemic.
The chairman of the Commons’ powerful Liaison Committee told Times Radio: ‘If we nipped it hard now, we would be well back to manageable levels before Christmas. If we leave it for another five or six weeks, then… the tail of the bell curve goes well into January.’
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the three-tiered system of local lockdowns was needed to prevent more severe restrictions and spiralling deaths as he opened the Commons debate.
‘And in addition, then, harder economic measures would inevitably be needed to get it under control and needed for longer,’ he said.