Tory MPs threaten to boycott party conference over Covid vaccine passports
A pair of Tory MPs are threatening to boycott the party’s conference in September if Covid vaccine passports are required for entry, with more expected to follow.
Backbencher Mark Jenkinson was the first to take to Twitter this afternoon to protest any potential vaccine passport being used for the event, after Boris Johnson announced they would be mandatory for mass events from September.
“I’m booked for Conservative Party Conference, I’m double jabbed,” he said.
“I won’t be going to conference if we’re excluding people on the basis of vaccination their status.”
Senior Tory backbencher, and former minister, Steve Baker said that he would take a similar stance.
Responding to Jenkinson’s Tweet, Baker said: “With a heavy heart, and apologies to event organisers, likewise.”
Johnson said earlier this month that the government had ruled out mandatory vaccine passports and that they would instead only recommend them.
However, Johnson and vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi unexpectedly announced earlier this week that people would not be able to enter nightclubs or mass events without being double-jabbed.
Zahawi said today that “large unstructured outdoor events, such as business events and festivals, or very large structured events, such as business events, music and spectator sport events” would need to impelement vaccine passports.
When pushed on whether this would include party conferences, he would not answer.
Labour yesterday said they would oppose Covid certification being mandatory.