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LONDON (Reuters) – Nearly 100 Conservative MEPs voted on Tuesday against new restrictions on the corona virus, a major blow to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s power and raising questions about his leadership.
After a day of frantic, failed campaigns, Johnson has faced the biggest upheaval to date in his party against the actions he claimed were necessary to control the spread of a new alternative to Omicron.
The new rules, which require the wearing of masks in public places and the use of COVID-19 permits in some places, were largely thanks to the main opposition Labor Party.
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But events in his Downing Street office last year – when the UK was shut down due to the Corona virus – and Johnson, who has already been criticized for scandals such as the costly renovation of his residence, are under pressure to rebel.
The rebels said the referendum was a warning shot at changing the way the government works or facing a leadership challenge.
About 99 conservatives opposed plans to allow COVID, more rebels than expected. The official number was 98 at first, but was later revised upwards.
Among those who voted against the government was MP Louis French, who was not elected Conservative MP until earlier this month, while former Prime Minister Theresa May was one of 17 people who did not vote, according to media reports.
Many governors say some of the new measures are too cruel, and many question the introduction of a vaccination certificate or evidence of a negative COVID-19 test in some places, such as nightclubs.
Others voted as an opportunity to vent their anger on Johnson, believing that the man who helped the Conservatives gain a large majority in the 2019 election is wasting the party’s victory through mistakes and mistakes.
But despite the outrage, Tory locals say there is not a strong enough wave against Johnson to remove him now, although they hope the vote will be a “warning” to the prime minister to reset his agenda.
“He must be in danger now,” Conservative MP Jeffrey Clifton-Brown told Sky News. “He needs to realize this, because if he does not do so, he’s in great danger … I still support him. But it needs to change.”
“Big pin”
The UK recorded 59,610 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, the highest number since the beginning of January and the fifth highest since the outbreak last March. read more
More than 5,300 Omicron cases have been reported, of which 10 have been hospitalized. one person He is dead After hiring an alternative talent to become the dominant race in the capital London.
In the run-up to the vote, the government launched a campaign to keep lawmakers in check, and Johnson warned his ministers that a “big leap” in Omicron affairs was imminent in the UK and that resources were needed to protect the people.
Ministers sought to persuade conservative revolutionaries by suggesting that those who did not receive two vaccines may present evidence of negative lateral flow tests to access the interiors of more than 500 individuals.
Health Minister Sajid Javed told lawmakers that he firmly believes in “individual freedom” but that “switching to Plan B in the UK is a responsible decision”.
But their arguments fell on deaf ears. Of the 99 conservatives who voted against the pass, 40 voted against extending the obligation to wear a mask.
“I firmly believe that the Prime Minister understands the strength of the sentiment within the party regarding the restrictions on freedom,” former Conservative Minister David Jones told Reuters. He is a liberal and I have no doubt he will listen to the message of his party.
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Extra coverage by Elizabeth Piper and Kylie McClellan. Additional coverage by Michael Holden. Editing: William McLean, Mark Heinrich and Jonathan Odyssey
Our criteria: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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