MP votes against extension of ‘draconian’ Coronavirus Act

Tonight, South Lakes MP Tim Farron voted against Government plans to extend the Coronavirus Act until October.

Speaking during the debate on the Coronavirus Act in the House of Commons, Tim said: "My great concern is that the Government's default, knee-jerk attempt to seek these draconian powers for a lengthier period is beginning to fit into a pattern. We saw the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in this place just a week or so ago, under which the Government are seeking powers to incarcerate people for up to 10 years if they protest against the Government.

"We are also seeing reports of the Government wanting to force carers to be vaccinated, when they have done so by choice already. That shows a complete lack of respect and tenderness towards people who have put their lives on the line for this past 12 months and longer to support others in their deepest moment of need. Of course we now have pub landlords being asked to be, in effect, border guards in their own pubs and to check a vaccine passport.

"All this seems to indicate that we have a Conservative party in government that loves talking about liberty until it has to do something about it in practice, and when it comes to dealing with these issues in practice, its instincts are authoritarian.

"As always, if you care about liberty, you need your Liberals-and so the Liberals are guaranteed to be voting against this draconian set of powers on the table today."