A Conservative MP says he was sacked from his government role for defying party whips and voting against CCP virus restrictions.
Andrew Rosindell, MP for Romford, was one of 42 Conservative MPs who last week voted against the stricter curbs that include the 10 p.m. curfew on pubs.
Rosindell said that the decision to remove him from his position as trade envoy was “bizarre.”
“Yes, we must fight the virus and all threats to the health of our nation, taking every precaution,” he said in an Oct. 21 statement.
“Closing down whole sections of our economy, putting companies out of business, creating mass unemployment, and taking away the freedom that British people cherish, is not the answer and it won’t work. Freedom with responsibility is what I thought Conservatives stood for!”
A No. 10 spokesperson told the Epoch Times via email, “The Prime Minister thanks Mr Rosindell for his services at Trade Envoy to Tanzania. A new appointment will be announced in due course.”
The rebellion by backbench Conservatives last week was largely symbolic, as the Labour Party whips had called on their members to abstain.
Other Conservative politicians have expressed concern about the government’s recent measures to tackle the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as novel coronavirus.
He said, “It puzzles me how Boris Johnson can allow such a counterproductive and bizarre decision to remove me from office, simply for voting to keep our UK economy open for business.”
Rosindell supported Johnson in his leadership bid and is an ardent Brexit supporter.
His constituency, the town of Romford in Greater London, is currently subject to Tier 2 lockdown measures.
Conservative MP Chis Green last week resigned as a ministerial aide in protest of the government’s pandemic lockdown policies, saying that the “attempted cure is worse than the disease.”
Green said that the measures covering his constituency of Bolton had failed to control the spread of the CCP virus.
“We are creating many other health problems that are leading to pain, suffering, and death,” Green wrote in his Oct. 13 resignation letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
He had served as a parliamentary private secretary to the leader of the House of Lords—a junior governmental role. His resignation came the day after Johnson announced a new nationwide tiered system for managing the pandemic.
Since the introduction of the system, supposed to standardize local lockdown measures, the central government has found itself increasingly wrestling with local politicians who are opposed to being put into higher tiers, or who want to haggle for more money.
After 10 days of negotiations failed to produce an accord with local leaders, the government yesterday announced that Greater Manchester would be put into Tier 3 measures from Friday.
This article has been updated to include comments from Downing Street.
Focus News: Conservative MP Says He Was Sacked for Voting Against CCP Virus Curbs