Boris Johnson delivers a message to the country and his rebellious backbenchers

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At the end of a very long ‘crime week’ that wasn’t exactly a roaring success for the government, Boris Johnson told the nation: “Get boosted now.” With Omicron cases increasing by 65% between Saturday and Sunday, reaching over 3,000, the UK Covid alert level has moved up from three to four. “No-one should be in any doubt: there is a tidal wave of Omicron coming,” the Prime Minister warned. Confirming that there are now patients with the new variant in hospital in the UK, he added: “Do not make the mistake of thinking Omicron can’t hurt you”. The public health communication was delivered as a pre-recorded statement. While avoiding the questions that come with a press conference, this allowed Johnson to deliver a succinct message both to the country and to Conservative MPs.

As Isabel Hardman has explained over at The Guardian, the vultures are circling: Johnson’s time isn’t up yet, but his backbenchers – even loyalists – feel alienated. The House of Commons vote on Covid restrictions tomorrow will go some way to quantifying the bad mood in Tory ranks. Pressure group ‘Conservative Way Forward’ is being relaunched by Steve Baker, as the man who caused so much trouble for Theresa May says his government is “creating a miserable dystopia”. The existing ‘Covid Recovery Group’ of Tory MPs predicts resignations from the frontbench and at least 60 Conservatives are set to rebel.

Keir Starmer confirmed on Sunday that Labour will vote in favour of the restrictions, ensuring they are approved despite the sizeable Tory rebellion. “We’re not going to be tempted into playing party politics here – we’ll act in the public interest,” he told the BBC. As ever, Labour is opting not to ask the government for other public health measures – such as an increase in sick pay – in return for saving the Prime Minister’s bacon, fearing that the opposition party could be accused of ‘playing politics’ with Covid. As multiple polls are showing large Labour leads at the moment, the risk of such a move does not appear worth it to the leadership.

The Tory concern over new Covid rules is understandable, to some extent. Many who have diligently complied with lockdowns without carrying around a pint of milk are wondering when the cycle of restrictions will end. What seems to be missing from the conversation is any discussion of the longer-term measures needed. Perhaps some rules should not come in and out but simply stay in place for the foreseeable future, such as face coverings in some settings. Crucially, we are hearing little about ventilation in buildings, expanding NHS capacity and global vaccinations. All of us would benefit from more clarity on the long view.

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