British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces Tuesday, December 1 a rebellion of MPs from his own conservative camp, headwind against new restrictions planned in England against the new coronavirus.
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Alarmed at the impact of these measures on an already very weakened economy, several dozen elected conservatives, according to the media, threaten to vote, in the evening, against the new local warning system which will replace the confinement of one month to its expiration Wednesday.
Despite this rebellion, which undermines his authority, Boris Johnson seems assured of winning the vote in the House of Commons, the lower house of Parliament, where he will open the debates at midday.
The leader, who has a majority of 80 seats there, is expected to benefit from the abstention of the Labor Party, the main opposition party, which has refused for the first time since the start of the pandemic to support the government strategy.
Under the three-tiered local warning system, decided by the prevalence of the virus, nearly 99% of England's 56 million people will continue to live under strict restrictions, such as the closure of pubs and restaurants in the most affected regions, or the ban for different households to socialize in the interior over the vast majority of the territory.
Trying to appease disgruntled Conservative MPs, but without convincing them, the executive released an impact study on the new restrictions on Monday.
This recognizes that they will generate "
significant costs
" for the economy, but stresses that the consequences of a virus out of control would be "
much worse
" for public health.
"
We all know too well
" the impact of the pandemic on the economy, insisted Minister of State Michael Gove on the BBC, in the aftermath of the bankruptcy of the ready-to-wear group Arcadia, which employs 13,000 people .
“
But what would be the effects on the economy if the NHS (
public health service, NDRL
) were overwhelmed?
"
The novel coronavirus epidemic has killed nearly 58,500 people who tested positive in the United Kingdom, the most bereaved country in Europe with more than 1.6 million positive cases.
The UK government and the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each deciding their strategy in the face of the health crisis, have agreed to allow reunions with family and friends around Christmas.
A maximum of three foci can meet from December 23 to 27.
