When Boris Johnson addressed MPs this evening on a Zoom call ahead of the Commons vote on his new tier system, his message to would-be rebels was simple: the unity of the Tory party is important so don’t give Labour the satisfaction of seeing a disunited Conservative party.
Pointing to the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to vaccines, he urged MPs to keep their eye on the prize – and used a car analogy to make his point. He likened the past few months of Covid restrictions to a six hour car journey, with everyone asking ‘when do we get there?’ But you do eventually get there, he said, so patience is needed.
However, this message appears to have fallen short when it comes to convincing his party to back him. This evening Johnson has faced his biggest Tory rebellion since winning a majority of 80 last December.
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