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| - UK lawmakers on Tuesday voted through tough Covid restrictions to replace an England-wide lockdown despite a significant rebellion by members of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's own party. The vote by 291 votes to 78, delivering a government majority of 213, brings into effect three tiers of coronavirus restrictions across England, replacing a month-long stay-at-home order due to end at midnight (0000 GMT). However, a mutiny by 55 members of Johnson's own centre-right Conservative Party against the government is the most significant rebellion the prime minister has faced since he was voted into office in December 2019. In October, the government suffered what was then viewed as a significant blow to its authority when 42 Conservative MPs voted against the imposition of a 10pm curfew. A government spokesman welcomed the majority saying it "endorses our Winter Plan, brings an end to the national restrictions and returns England to a tiered system". However, government also acknowledged the discontent amongst lawmakers. "We will continue to work with MPs who have expressed concerns in recent days," the spokesman added. Ahead of the vote, Johnson said the onset of vaccines and mass testing would "allow us to reclaim our lives" but until then, "we cannot afford to relax, especially during the cold months of winter". "All we need to do now is to hold our nerve until these vaccines are indeed in our grasp and being injected into our arms," he told the House of Commons before the vote on the new tiers later Tuesday. Senior minister Michael Gove said "we are all too grimly aware" of the impact on struggling businesses, as the collapse of two retail groups threw the future of 25,000 jobs into doubt. But interviewed on BBC radio, he stressed: "What would the effect be on the economy if the NHS (National Health Service) was overwhelmed?" Isolated hotspots mean entire counties are due to enter Tier 3, despite their infection rates remaining below the English average. That has prompted outrage from dozens of Conservative MPs, who are threatening to vote against the plan. Johnson, however, said future changes would make the tiered restrictions more "granular" and that they will be subject to reviews every two weeks from mid-December. He also announced new cash support for pubs forced to close unless they can offer a "substantial meal", although government ministers have given differing interpretations of whether that includes snacks such as scotch eggs. Gove pointed to the experience of the devolved government in Wales, which he said is having to "slam the brakes on again" with fresh curbs on hospitality venues after a two-week lockdown last month. Britain has been Europe's worst-hit country during the pandemic, recording more than 58,000 deaths from some 1.6 million cases. The UK government, which sets health policy for England, late Monday released a wider assessment to accompany the parliamentary debate, after MPs demanded more clarity on the effects for the recession-hit economy of the latest restrictions. Angering the rebels, the dossier said it was impossible to state with confidence what would be the economic impact of lifting the controls. "However, the alternative of allowing Covid-19 to grow exponentially is much worse for public health," it said. Tory MP Mark Harper, one of the rebel ringleaders, said the government's assessment "seems to be collapsing under the glare of scrutiny". He said the government had repeatedly failed to detail the kind of projections outlined anew by Gove, showing mounting pressure on state-run hospitals. Labour, which demanded more help for businesses and for low-paid workers forced to self-isolate ordered its MPs to abstain from the vote. However, 16 of the centre-left opposition party's MPs also rebelled, voting against the restrictions. The House of Lords was expected to approve the plans later on Tuesday. jit/phz/bp/csp
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