Tory MP Resigns From UK Govt Over ‘Extreme’ Coronavirus Measures

Conservative MP Chris Green has resigned from government, claiming that Prime minister Boris johnson’s “extreme” coronavirus lockdown measures are causing “pain, suffering and death.”

Green sent his resignation letter to Johnson on Tuesday evening, following the PM’s announcment of a new, three-tiered system of local coronavirus lockdowns.

The Bolton lockdown has clearly not worked, and I believe that the cure is worse than the disease, so I have stepped down from my role as Parliamentary Private Secretary. pic.twitter.com/HdEm4hw8Rh

— Chris Green (@CGreenUK) October 13, 2020

“The Greater Manchester ‘local lockdown’ and more extreme economic lockdown have both failed to control the number of positive tests within the Borough of Bolton,” Green wrote.

The Tory MP went on to highlight the fall-off in GP referrals for other illnesses during the lockdown, and the closure of pubs, restaurants and other “family owned businesses” in his constituency.

Writing to the PM, Mr Green said he believed the ‘attempted cure is worse than the disease’. 

He wrote: ‘There is a healthy debate on how we can eliminate this coronavirus or how we can live with it and this is being led by many distinguished academics, epidemiologists and other specialists.

“I now believe that the attempted cure is worse than the disease,” he continued, concluding “I believe that there are better alternatives to the government’s approach, so I therefore tender my resignation.’”

Bolton, like the rest of Greater Manchester, is currently under Tier 2 of Johnson’s three-level lockdown system. All gatherings are limited to six people, while pubs and hospitality businesses must close at 10pm, and the mixing of different social ‘bubbles’ in these venues is forbidden.