Boris Johnson ‘tries to defuse civil liberties row over emergency laws’

Boris Johnson is looking to defuse a civil liberties row over coronavirus emergency laws by dropping plans for the powers to last two years without a further Commons vote, it has been claimed. 

Sources say the Government is seriously considering a request from Labour for MPs to vote every six months on whether to renew the wartime-style legislation. 

But the move is unlikely to see off a Tory revolt over the Coronavirus Bill, with former Brexit Secretary David Davis saying yesterday it was ‘flawed and based on uncertain medicine and science’. 

MPs will on Monday debate the 329-page draft law which would hand the state draconian new powers, including police being able to quarantine infectious people refusing to co-operate for up to a month and fine them £1,000. 

The draft Bill – to be fast-tracked through the Commons – makes clear the sweeping powers would last up to two years without a further vote, sparking warnings that dozens of Tory MPs will rebel tomorrow and demand a shorter review period. 

But now sources say the Government is seriously considering agreeing to Labour demands for the legislation to be subject to a Commons vote every six months. 

A source stressed the new powers would only ever be used if absolutely necessary. 

But he added that Ministers wanted to maintain the spirit of consensus reached with the Opposition over fighting the virus and may now agree to Labour’s request. 

The emergency laws debate comes amid plans for the Army to draft in 20,000 personnel to help police the capital and ensure delivery of vital supplies if necessary. 

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to the Prime Minister last week to say that although people understood the need for temporary restrictions, the plans were so far-reaching that MPs should decide every six months whether to renew the legislation, until the law expires in two years’ time. 

But Mr Davis warned Labour’s ‘confused’ proposal could simply lead to the laws being regularly ‘rubber-stamped’ by MPs, and he insisted the legislation should instead expire after one year. 

That would allow for a proper review of the powers, not simply rolling over approval every six months. 

Mr Davis said: ‘Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt now and say the whole thing stops dead in 12 months. And if at nine months we decide we need another Bill, we take three months to do it properly on the basis of real knowledge and proper parliamentary scrutiny.’ 

He added that the current draft legislation ‘is bound to be flawed’ adding: ‘It’s based on uncertain medicine and science, very uncertain economics and uncertain knowledge of what will happen throughout society.’ 

Mr Davis also branded the police detention powers as ‘unnecessarily excessive’. 

Last week, senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat also raised concerns over the time-frame, saying: ‘Given that the Prime Minister expects this to be over in three months, the Government must explain why it’s asking for the powers to last ten times as long.’ 

No10 last night insisted it was still sticking to its two-year time-frame: ‘The measures in the Bill are temporary, proportionate to the threat we face, will only be used when strictly necessary, and will be in place as long as required to deal with the situation.’