Conservative whips ‘bullied new intake like mad’ to get Covid restrictions through parliament
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Just a few hours ahead of Wednesday’s Commons vote to approve lockdown 2.0, a dozen sceptical Conservative MPs gathered in parliament’s grand committee room 14. Minds had not yet been made up.
Little more than a year ago, Tory MPs filed into the same room to cast their ballots in the leadership race that propelled Boris Johnson to Downing Street. Now, his party was being asked to support ordering the public to “stay at home” for a second time and many were deeply uncomfortable.
