I have just returned from voting in the Chamber of the House of Commons and wanted to explain to you all how I voted on these important issues.
Tonight, I voted in favour of what I believe to be reasonable and proportionate measures based on the information provided to MPs by the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer. The Omicron variant is doubling every two days in the UK and while it appears that the variant may be milder, at this point our scientists cannot say that Omicron is less severe.
It is important to stress that Plan B is not a lockdown. There are no business closures and no restrictions on social gatherings. Work from home is in guidance – there is no mandatory stay at home order.
In my view, these measures are not introducing 'vaccine passports' – a negative test is enough. Anyone will be able to attend mass events and nightclubs if they show proof of a negative lateral flow test, regardless of vaccination status.
It is also key that these measures will automatically expire after six weeks, they are not in place indefinitely.
The booster programme is critical to addressing the threat from Omicron. The good news is that our scientists are confident a third dose gives a high level of protection and I would urge everyone to get their jab as soon as possible.
This has been an incredibly difficult vote and I know many will disagree with my decision but I believe this is the right action to take, as of the circumstances we face today.
