Sunday shows round-up: Steve Baker says liberty ‘dies like this’ over Coronavirus Act

Steve Baker – Liberty ‘dies like this’ with ‘draconian powers’ unchecked

The government has come under fire from its own side this morning as it prepares to renew the Coronavirus Act six months after it was first put into effect. Graham Brady, the chair of the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers, is spearheading an amendment to the act which would ensure that Parliament could vote on the emergency measures that ministers wish to take. Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, gave his reasons for supporting this amendment:

SB: I doubt really anyone understands what [the] law is… We’re in an environment where you really can’t know whether you’re a criminal or not with this much law… Liberty…dies like this, with government exercising draconian powers without parliamentary scrutiny in advance.