The World at One
BBC Radio 4

A former Downing Street aide is warning of the significance of this afternoon's expected rebellion.

Nikki Da Costa, who was director of legislative affairs at No 10 under Boris Johnson until she left in August 2021, says there are MPs that haven't gone against the grain before who will make a stand today.

"You are seeing a mix of cohorts and it's just shy of a quarter of the parliamentary party now," she says.

"And what that means is that... MPs are questioning particular policies, they're taking a more scrutinising approach [and] there's clearly been more concerns regarding whether they can trust what they're being told to vote for."

With many more votes coming in this Parliament, Da Costa says it "raises questions" over whether other policies will make it through, adding: "It's not going to be a one-off moment. It's part of a trend.”

PM's authority could take another hitpublished at 13:09 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2021

13:09 GMT 14 December 2021

Ben Wright
BBC political correspondent

Ministers have tried to soften the ranks of Tory rebels.

In the Commons on Monday, Health Secretary Sajid Javid pointed out the government's Plan B contains very limited restrictions compared to measures in force across Europe.

He also implored backbenchers to believe Covid certification to enter certain venues did not amount to a "Covid passport".

But in spite of these assurances - and the prime minister warning of a "tidal wave of infections" - the potential Conservative revolt could be the biggest of Boris Johnson's premiership.

While the government and Labour see the Plan B measures as necessary to protect public health, dozens of Conservatives view them as a step too far. An infringement on liberty. A slippery slope. A slide towards a future Plan C and further restrictions.

If 70 or more Tory MPs do ignore Conservative whips and either vote against or abstain, it could make No 10 very wary about introducing further measures in the new year.

For Johnson, relying on Labour votes to get his plan through Parliament would be galling and a sign of how grouchy backbench Conservative MPs are with their beleaguered leader.

His authority would take another hit.

Luckily for Boris Johnson, Labour is backing his plans, meaning they are likely to pass when MPs vote later - even with a big Tory rebellion.

The party’s leader, Sir Keir Starmer, said it was their "patriotic duty" to ensure the new rules went through.

And by approving the government's measures, he said Labour was "supporting the NHS and supporting our country”.

But the Liberal Democrats have said they will join Tory rebels in voting against vaccine passports.

Their leader, Sir Ed Davey, told the BBC that certificates “give a false sense of security”, as even those who are double jabbed and boosted can catch and pass on the virus.

The SNP are not expected to vote as it is an England-only plan, but Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to outline new guidelines on social contact this afternoon.

Image source, Reuters

While it may be a Conservative government in charge, it doesn’t mean all of Boris Johnson’s backbenchers are on board with his plan.

The BBC has counted more than 70 Tory MPs who say they will vote against some of the measures – mainly the introduction of Covid passports – as they question the need for further restrictions.

MP Marcus Fysh told the BBC it was "the thin end of an authoritarian wedge", while former cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom said one of her constituents was now "now less afraid of Covid than she is of intrusive and incoherent government regulations".

If these MPs stick to their guns and vote against the measures, it will lead to the biggest rebellion since the PM came to power.

And at a time when Johnson is already facing questions over Christmas parties and flat renovations, it will be another big blow to his authority.

Image source, EPA

Over the weekend, Boris Johnson announced a number of new rules to try and stave off a surge in cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the UK.

But the measures - which only apply to England – need to be approved by MPs before they come into force.

The plan includes:

• A new regulation, external making it compulsory to wear a face covering in most indoor settings, except for pubs and restaurants
• A measure allowing fully-vaccinated people who have been exposed to a positive Covid case to avoid self-isolation if they take daily lateral flow tests, and receive a negative result
• Making it compulsory for front-line NHS and social care staff to be fully vaccinated from April 2022

The Commons debate will take up much of the afternoon and MPs will vote on the measures from 18:30 GMT.

Image source, Reuters

Welcome to the BBC Politics live page for what is sure to be a feisty afternoon of exchanges at Westminster.

MPs are set to debate new coronavirus rules for England including the introduction of Covid passports to gain entry to some venues.

But this measure has upset large numbers on the Conservative backbenches and could see Prime Minister Boris Johnson facing the biggest rebellion of his premiership.

Stay with us for all the updates, news and analysis.