Boris Johnson defends England tier system and warns UK Government 'cannot relax'

Boris Johnson has warned the nation “cannot relax” as he defended the new tier system in England.

The Prime Minister claimed the prospect of a vaccine did not mean measures could be eased as he sought to win over furious backbenchers for the latest restrictions.

Opening a debate in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Johnson insisted the plans were a necessary evil.

He said: “We have to be realistic and we have to accept that this vaccine is not here yet, no vaccine is here yet.

“And whilst all the signs are promising and almost every scientist I have talked to agrees that the breakthrough will surely come, we do not yet have one that has gained regulatory approval.

“And we can’t be completely sure when the moment will arrive. And until then, we cannot afford to relax, especially during the cold months of winter.”

His calls for support comes with many of his own MPs expected to rebel against the plans tonight, citing concerns over the real impact of them.

The Tory rebels are said to be sceptical of the tier system and more concerned with adapting to living as normal as possible during the pandemic.

In a clear change of tone to try and win over support, the PM insisted this was “not another lockdown”.

He said: “The tiers that I’m proposing would mean that from tomorrow everyone in England, including those in tier three, will be free to leave their homes for any reason.

“And when they do they will find the shops open for Christmas, the hairdressers open, the nail bars open, gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools open.

“With the spread of the epidemic varying across the country, there remains a compelling case for regional tiers in England and indeed a compelling necessity for regional tiers.

“And what we can’t do is to lift all the restrictions at once or move too quickly in such a way that the virus would begin to spread rapidly again.

“And that would be the surest way of endangering our NHS and forcing us into a new-year lockdown with all the costs that that would impose.”

In a further bid to quell the rebellion, the PM insisted the measures were not "open-ended".

He explained: “We’ll review the allocation of tiers every 14 days starting on December 16.”

Former Tory minister Andrea Leadsom refused to support the regulations, saying they will “inflict deliberate harm” on her constituency.

She said: “I reluctantly supported that lockdown, but made clear to my whips that I would not vote for any extension unless it was made clear to me why such an extension would be a lesser of all evils.

“But I’m afraid the document provided by the Government yesterday does little to address my concerns and therefore doesn’t allow me to reassure my constituents."

Tory MP Sir Graham Brady added: “If Government is to take away fundamental liberties of the people whom we represent, they must demonstrate beyond question that they’re acting in a way that is both proportionate and absolutely necessary.

“The benefit of the doubt that this House has extended to the Government in March and since is harder to take for granted in December.”

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