Shaping up for a rebellion? UK parliament to debate coronavirus curfew

 

A man sells face masks, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on a street in Manchester, Britain October 7, 2020. REUTERS/Molly Darlington

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's parliament will debate and vote on Tuesday on a 10 p.m. curfew on pubs, bars and restaurants in England, a measure the government says is necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19, but which critics say is harming the hospitality industry.

 

The curfew was introduced across England last month, and has swiftly become a focus for anger in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party, with many saying there is no evidence for a measure that could end up forcing local pubs and restaurants out of business.

 

Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the House of Commons lower house of parliament, said the debate would come on Tuesday, setting the scene for a possible showdown between government and so-called rebels in the governing party.

 

"The government took the decision to move the debate to the floor of the house in recognition of the level of demand for the debate, so we are being responsive to what is being asked for and ensuring proper scrutiny," Rees-Mogg told parliament.

 

Johnson has been criticised for his response to the coronavirus crisis, which is spiking again across much of the country and especially in northern England. He has said September's restrictions were necessary to slow the spread.

 

But the main opposition Labour Party and some members of his party say those measures have done little to curb the increase in cases, calling on the government to provide parliament with the scientific and medical thinking behind them.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-08

 

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What we need to vote on is whether government can vote on allowing us to use our freedoms or not. 

I'm more and more convinced this whole debacle is about removing the last remains of "freedoms"

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

calling on the government to provide parliament with the scientific and medical thinking behind them.

 

That should have been done a long time ago ...

16 hours ago, johng said:

I'm more and more convinced this whole debacle is about removing the last remains of "freedoms"

 

Politicians and bureaucrats all over the place do seem to have jumped on this as an excuse to remove freedoms.

 

Interesting that a number of British citizens freedoms were removed at the start of WW1 - you know, state of war, emergency, necessary for the war effort etc etc. Not all were restored, and not for some time. Then of course WW11 came along and another round.

 

This also comes at a time when the IT age makes information on our politicians, their performance, behaviors and characters more transparent the ever before.

 

Every cloud has a silver lining for politicians!

 

Not a conspiracy theorists but, quaintly, I expect politicians to be accountable and not hide, change subvert or otherwise impinge on citizens constitutional and legal rights.

 

 

Edited October 9, 20205 yr by Baerboxer

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Politicians and bureaucrats all over the place do seem to have jumped on this as an excuse to remove freedoms.

 

Interesting that a number of British citizens freedoms were removed at the start of WW1 - you know, state of war, emergency, necessary for the war effort etc etc. Not all were restored, and not for some time. Then of course WW11 came along and another round.

 

This also comes at a time when the IT age makes information on our politicians, their performance, behaviors and characters more transparent the ever before.

 

Every cloud has a silver lining for politicians!

 

Not a conspiracy theorists but, quaintly, I expect politicians to be accountable and not hide, change subvert or otherwise impinge on citizens constitutional and legal rights.

 

 

yes indeed, Peter Hitchens has some very interesting things to say about this startiing in the first world war, like you say. He sees himself as a true conservative and the tories historically as being way to intervening in British society. One of the few things I agree with him on.

Edited October 9, 20205 yr by tyga

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The government took the decision to move the debate to the floor of the house in recognition of the level of demand for the debate, so we are being responsive to what is being asked for and ensuring proper scrutiny," Rees-Mogg told parliament.

Rubbish, you are too scared to make the call as a cabinet and are trying to shift the responsibility onto others.

Edited October 9, 20205 yr by Bluespunk