Sir Graham Brady warns of 'gross and obvious unfairness' under tier system

27 November 2020, 15:53 | Updated: 27 November 2020, 16:47

Conservative MP Sir Graham Brady has told LBC of his opposition to the Government's application of tiers as well as its wider handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Sixty-one per cent of the country's population will be living under tougher tiers than they were pre-lockdown.

Many MPs have voiced their rage after it emerged that 99 per cent of the country is to be placed in the top two tiers of restrictions from next week.

Roughly 29.5 million people are being moved up one level, while 4.6 million have been bumped up by two.

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Speaking to LBC's Iain Dale on Thursday evening, Sir Graham, who chairs the Conservative Party's influential 1922 Committee, said: "I will be entirely candid and say that I do have reservations about the wider approach that the Government has been taking.

"Fundamentally I take the view that the British tradition is that the people tell the Government what it's allowed to do, not the Government telling the people what we are allowed to do.

"I find it very difficult that the Government has used emergency powers over a period of many months now to tell people when they're allowed to see their children or their grandchildren or when people are allowed to see elderly relatives in care homes.

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"These are decisions that ought to be taken by individuals on good advice with the best help and support to achieve safe outcomes."

Speaking of the tier system more specifically, Sir Graham said: "I'm particularly angry that there has been such gross and obvious unfairness in the way the new tiers have been applied."

He argued the Government is being "obtuse" with its decision to "treat areas only on a country-by-country basis" under the system.