Boris Johnson faces “certain” defeat to stop him imposing Covid-19 restrictions behind the backs of MPs if Opposition parties join with Tory rebels, one has warned.
Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats are expected to back up to 50 Conservatives, in a showdown vote on Wednesday that would give the Commons prior approval.
Steve Baker, a leading rebel, said: “This is a very modest proposal that MPs should vote on law before it comes into effect and takes away people’s liberties.”
And, asked if he had the numbers to defeat the government – with Opposition support – he replied: “I’m certain at the moment.”
Moments later, on Sky News, Labour said they were poised to back the amendment, giving the prime minister a fresh headache and making a climbdown likely.
“I think that the likelihood is that we would back it,” said Jo Stevens, the party’s culture spokeswoman.
If all the Opposition parties support the rebel amendment, its backers would need 43 Tories to defeat the government. At the last count, they have 46.
Mr Baker said they did not “really want a rebellion”, preferring to work with the government to reach agreement without embarrassing ministers.
“Let’s have policies that enjoy our consent, he said, adding: “I back Boris Johnson, I want him to succeed.”
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The threat comes as a new poll showed Labour has overtaken the Tories for the first time since Keir Starmer became leader in April, with a three-point lead.
The prime minister gained the power to introduce restrictions “by diktat” under emergency laws introduced in March, amid cross-party agreement that fast action was essential.
That legislation must be renewed, or rejected, after six months – on Wednesday – although there is some doubt whether amendments will be accepted.
Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, said Mr Baker’s talk of “liberty at risk” was “slightly overblown” and insisted MPs were consulted – albeit retrospectively.
And he confirmed a vote on the introduction of the ‘Rule of 6’ would be rushed forward to this week to try to calm the revolt, although that falls far short of their demands.
Mr Baker told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “MPs should be sharing in the dreadful burden of decision in these circumstances and not just retrospectively being asked to approve what the government has done.”
He expressed confidence that he thought it would be selected by Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, describing the rash of coronavirus rules as “draconian”.
“How do people think that liberty dies?” the former Brexit minister asked.
“It dies like this, with government exercising draconian powers, without parliamentary scrutiny in advance, undermining the rule of law by having a shifting blanket of rules that no-one can understand.”
