Tory backbenchers plan rebellion against Boris Johnson’s plans for emergency laws to fight coronavirus
- Boris Johnson is trying to get emergency powers legislation through parliament
- Tory rebels are unhappy that these powers could last as long as two years
- David Davis MP plans to table an amendment limiting those powers to one year
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Tory backbenchers will stage a rebellion next week against the Prime Minister’s plans to introduce emergency laws to help fight coronavirus.
The Prime Minister’s proposals could be in place for more than two years but David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, will table an amendment calling for the legislation to expire after one.
The government hoped to find a cross-party agreement so that it could pass through the House of Commons early next week without a formal vote, reported The Times.
David Davis is one of the Tory MPs planning to rebel against the Prime Ministers emergency powers and will table an amendment calling for the legislation to expire after one year not two
But Mr Davis has decided to table an amendment with senior Labour MPs who are also worried about the amount of power the laws will give the government
The legislation allows police to detain and quarantine anyone who has coronavirus for up to a month.
Concerns have been raised by the Police Federation, which represents rank and file police officers, that patients suffering from an illness could be treated like criminals.
Mr Davis told The Times: ‘There is nobody who can scrutinise a 300-pageb ill in one day.
‘The government itself will have made mistakes, it’s a fact of life. We need an absolute, brick-wall stop on this legislation at 12 months.’
Labour MP Christ Bryant said he would try to amend the bill in order to force parliament to vote on the legislation every 90 days.
