More than 40 Tory backbenchers back rebel bid to force vote on future lockdown measures

Dozens of Conservative backbenchers have backed a bid by rebels to force Boris Johnson to put all future lockdown measures to a vote of MPs.

In all, 42 Tory MPs backed an amendment tabled by the 1922 Committee chairman, Sir Graham Brady to require a new Parliament vote "as soon as reasonably practicable" on new powers.

The scale of the rebellion – almost certain to grow over the next few days – means the rebels are presently just one MP short of overhauling the Government's working majority of 85, taking into account Sinn Fein MPs who do not vote, the Speaker and the deputy Speaker.

The MPs are hoping that the amendment will be voted on next Wednesday when the Government, by law, has to ask Parliament to approve its powers every six months.

It requires ministers to give Parliament a vote on any coronavirus powers (watch Boris Johnson announce the most recent restrictions in the video below) that affect all of England or the UK "as far as is practicable".

However, it is by no means certain that the amendment will be chosen by Sir Lindsay because the vote on Wednesday is on a statutory motion, leaving the rebels hoping that it will be adopted by the Government.

The Government could announce a climbdown in order to avoid a rebellion when ministers take part in a full day's debate on Covid-19 on Monday.

The Tory MPs supporting the measure include 1922 officers Sir Graham, Sir Charles Walker, Bob Blackman, Pauline Latham, Karl McCartney, Dame Cheryl Gillan and Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown.

Former ministers who have signed it include David Davis, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Sir John Redwood, Damian Green, Tim Loughton and David Jones, as well as Sir Bernard Jenkin and Sir Bob Neill.

Crucially, John Cryer, the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, and Harriet Harman, a former acting Labour leader, as well as senior MPs from the Democratic Unionist Party have signed the amendment.

Sir Graham told The Telegraph: "I am delighted the amendment has been tabled with such strong support from both sides of the House of Commons. I hope this will help to persuade Mr Speaker that this issue of such importance to the House of Commons that the amendment should be accepted on Wednesday."

Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister who helped organise the amendment, said: "This shows just how necessary it is for the Government to offer a compromise to deliver Parliament votes before we have future infringement of people's liberty."

Mr Davis said: "The smart sense is for the Government to give Brady and all of us what we are after. It is a very unwise Conservative government that lets rebellion led by any chairman of the 1922 Committee go the distance."

A Number 10 spokesman said: "We understand MPs and their constituents will be concerned about coronavirus – that is why we continue to work closely with MPs to ensure they are able to hold the Government to account."

The amendment was tabled hours after Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, delivered his £5 billion plan to support coronavirus-hit companies through the winter (you can see the plan summarised in the video below).

Conservative MPs lined up to praise Mr Sunak for his announcement, with Mel Stride, the chairman of the Treasury select committee, welcoming the "targeted" support, while former Cabinet minister Stephen Crabb said the Chancellor had "moved with speed and determination to protect jobs and family incomes".

However, there was concern about the absence of Mr Johnson, who was visiting police recruits in Northamptonshire.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The PM and the chancellor have been working closely on the response to the pandemic and ensuring that we have a strong plan for jobs and for growth and that we build back better."

However one senior Tory said Mr Johnson's decision to skip Mr Sunak's statement demonstrated a lack of joined-up thinking in Downing Street. The senior Tory said the Prime Minister was "AWOL" and that this was a "Government with no strategy... a Government of third-rate hangers on and sycophants."

There is general unease on the backbenches but the party is too split to force a change through a "coup".

"Every faction is hoping he quits after he gets Brexit done... but it would require a left-right pincer movement to take him out and each side hates the other too much," the senior Tory said.

The 42 Tory MP rebels supporting the Brady amendment are: Sir Graham Brady, David Davis, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Charles Walker, Sir John Redwood, Bob Blackman, William Wragg, Chris Loder, Craig Mackinlay, Huw Merriman, Sir Edward Leigh, Richard Fuller, Sir Christopher Chope, David Jones, Karl McCartney, Henry Smith, Damian Green, Dame Cheryl Gillan, Pauline Latham, Bob Seely, Harriett Baldwin, Tom Hunt, Esther McVey, Laurence Robertson, Julian Sturdy, Philip Davies, Daniel Kawczynski, James Gray, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Steve Baker, Philip Hollobone, Dehenna Davison, Tim Loughton, Paul Bristow, Sir Roger Gale, Sir Bob Neill, Peter Bone, Richard Drax, Sir Robert Syms, James Daly, Tom Tugendhat and Sir Bernard Jenkin.