The majority of Tory members are opposed to reintroducing restrictions, even if the pandemic gets worse

The ‘Plan B’ Covid-19 restrictions introduced by the government in early December to combat the rise of Omicron cases triggered a backbencher revolt, with nearly 100 Tory MPs voting against Covid passports for entry to large venues.

A new YouGov/Sky News survey reveals that the majority of Conservative Party members are also opposed to the reintroduction of restrictions, except further mask-wearing requirements.

The most unpopular restriction with Conservative members is closing schools and nurseries, with 84% of members opposed, followed by closing non-essential shops (79%) and closing pubs and restaurants (77%).

More than two-thirds (69%) of Tory members are opposed to a national lockdown, even if the coronavirus outbreak gets worse, and two-thirds (66%) oppose banning people from mixing households indoors.

Most members (63%) also oppose reintroducing the tier-based system of restrictions which was in place last year, while 59% oppose requiring pubs and restaurants to open outdoors only and 55% oppose bringing the ‘rule of six’ back in.

However, three in five Conservative members (60%) would support introducing a requirement for people in pubs and restaurants to wear masks if the pandemic worsened, with 39% opposed.

How do Tory members feel about vaccine passports?

The legal requirement to have a vaccine passport for large venues, like nightclubs and sports arenas, was the main sticking point for the rebellious backbenchers in December last year.

However, the majority (61%) of Conservative party members say they would support introducing a more comprehensive vaccine passport system, where all services and venues could only serve those who have been vaccinated – not just large venues.

How well has Boris Johnson’s government handled the coronavirus pandemic?

The vast majority (82%) of Conservative party members think the prime minister has handled the outbreak well, with just 17% saying he’s handled it badly. In our survey of the wider public on 17 December, 34% of Britons said the government was handling Covid-19 well, with the majority (59%) saying they were handling it badly.

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Around two-thirds (65%) think Boris Johnson has struck the right balance between advice from scientists and advice about the damage that restrictions do, with 30% saying he has not.

The prime minister has recently been urged by the anti-lockdown Tory Covid Recovery Group to end all restrictions by the end of January or face further rebellion from Conservative MPs.

But when it comes to restrictions, around half (52%) of Tory members think the government has got the balance right, with 30% saying they have introduced too many restrictions and limitations on people’s freedoms, and 16% saying they have not been firm enough or introduced strong enough rules.

See full results here