December 1, 2020 8.57 pm This story is over 39 months old

All but one Lincolnshire MPs vote for new COVID tiers lockdown

PM promises “there is an end in sight”
Lincoln MP Karl McCartney quizzed Prime Minister Boris Johnson about football fans being allowed back in stadiums at PMQs. | Photo: BBC

All Greater Lincolnshire MPs, except Lincoln MP Karl McCartney, voted in favour of the government’s latest three-tier lockdown.

Some 291 MPs voted in favour of the new system and 78 voted against the proposals, marking the Prime Minister’s biggest rebellion so far.

In Greater Lincolnshire, which is set to be in tier 3 — the highest restrictions — 10 MPs voted in favour, and Karl McCartney, MP for Lincoln, voted against, by proxy.

Here’s how each MP voted:

  • Karl McCartney, Lincoln – No (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Victoria Atkins, Louth and Horncastle – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Gareth Davies, Grantham and Stamford – Aye
  • Sir John Hayes, South Holland and the Deepings – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Caroline Johnson, Sleaford and North Hykeham – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Sir Edward Leigh, Gainsborough – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Matt Warman, Boston and Skegness – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Lia Nici, Greater Grimsby – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Andrew Percy, Brigg and Goole – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Martin Vickers, Cleethorpes – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew)
  • Holly Mumby-Croft, Scunthorpe – Aye (Proxy vote cast by Stuart Andrew) 

Data: GOV UK / Table: The Lincolnite

During a seven-hour debate in the House of Commons, Sir Edward Leigh, MP for Gainsborough asked the Prime Minister, if he “will look at this personally in the case of Lincolnshire and [if] they will do their level best to get us out of tier 3 by Christmas”.

Martin Vickers, MP for Cleethorpes highlighted that in Greater Lincolnshire, “hospitals are not necessarily in the same constituency or council area as the infection rate” and that people in one district go to hospitals that are in other districts to their own.

He added: “We do need more support particularly for costal areas.”

However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed: “This is not another lockdown nor is this the renewal of existing measures in England,” but “we cannot afford to relax”.

He added that everyone “will be free to leave their homes for any reason” once the tier system is enforced.

The PM said he appreciated “people’s feelings of injustice” but “there is an end in sight”.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock added “we can see that this virus is coming under control” but added “we’ve got to beat it together.”

Later in the afternoon, while the debate was ongoing, Edward Leigh added that: “The Health Secretary has written to me today guaranteeing that Lincolnshire’s tier status will be reviewed in two weeks’ time — and that areas within the county will be assessed individually rather than just Lincolnshire as a whole.”

Tier 3 begins from tomorrow – here’s what tier 3 means for Greater Lincolnshire.