Tag Archives: coronavirus act

Ed Davey: We will not support the extension of the Coronavirus Act

By Mary Reid | Thu 25th March 2021 - 12:13 pm

Yesterday Ed Davey attracted quite a lot of media coverage when he asked this question during Prime Minister’s Questions:

The Prime Minister talks about “restoring freedoms”, yet his actions do not match his words. #PMQs pic.twitter.com/A7kFlTv9qo

— Ed Davey MP (@EdwardJDavey) March 24, 2021

He explained his reasoning in more detail in an article in The Independent titled Why the Liberal Democrats won’t vote to renew the Coronavirus Act.

He writes:

When Boris Johnson asks MPs to renew the Coronavirus Act on Thursday, he is asking us to give his government a blank cheque to reduce everyone’s rights and freedoms for another six months. No MP should vote for that.

It’s important to remember what this vote is not about. It’s not about lockdown, or quarantine, or the requirement to wear face-coverings – all of which the Liberal Democrats have consistently supported as necessary to contain the spread of the virus and keep people safe.

Despite its name, the Coronavirus Act doesn’t actually include the most important Covid laws. Even though the Act originally passed through the House of Commons on the same day the prime minister announced the first national lockdown – a year ago yesterday – the lockdown itself was implemented through completely separate legislation, under the 1984 Public Health Act.

So what does the Act cover?

Posted in News | Also tagged ed davey | 18 Comments

Munira Wilson gets another PMQ – and calls for removal of “draconian” Coronavirus law

By Caron Lindsay | Sat 3rd October 2020 - 1:46 pm

Some MPs never get to ask the Prime Minister a question at the most hotly contested parliamentary event of any week.

Munira Wilson has been an MP for just 9 months, and has had two opportunities in the path month to ask a question at PMQs.

This week she asked him to work cross-party to get a consensus on the laws and powers around Coronavirus, calling the current measures “draconian.”

"Will the Prime Minister finally commit to working cross-party to replace these draconian laws to ensure the we both protect our most vulnerable and safeguard our liberties?"@munirawilson on how the Coronavirus Act waters down the right to care for many across the UK. #PMQs pic.twitter.com/fTnbxcMaCk

— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) September 30, 2020

His response was as dismissive as you would expect:

We are making sure that everybody in our society gets all the protections they need. I am aware of the easements in the Care Act 2014 that the hon. Lady refers to. It was necessary to put them in temporarily, and we now need to make sure we give everybody the protection that they need. That is what this Government will do.

And here’s a reminder of Munira’s debut at PMQs last month when she took Boris Johnson to task over his government legislating to break international law.