Bexhill and Battle MP votes against national lockdown measures

Huw Merriman told MPs he had not been provided evidence to show the number of lives saved by the measures would outweigh the amount of people who would be adversely affected by them, who might experience mental health problems or lose their jobs.

On Wednesday (November 4), MPs voted to pass English lockdown regulations by 516 votes to 38.

Speaking in the Commons ahead of that vote, Mr Merriman said: “When looking at this issue, I look at the evidence and ask myself three questions. Can our local NHS cope? Have we assessed properly the impact of the regional lockdown? And which path will be the least destructive to the health and wellbeing of the constituents that sent me here to serve them?

“When it comes to the local NHS, the figures today show that we have 24 Covid inpatients being treated by East Sussex county hospitals. Not one of them is in a high dependency unit. The NHS system in East Sussex coped fantastically and has learnt lessons.

“When looking at the evidence of the regional lockdown, I just do not believe we have given it significant time to properly tell us whether it is working or not. We should have given more time to regional lockdowns before we shut down other parts of the country where Covid rates, as they are in East Sussex, were low.

“I have asked for evidence to show that the destruction and damage caused to people’s lives, their livelihoods will actually be worse off if we do not take these measures and this evidence has not been provided to me.

“I’m unable to support and I will vote against these measures this evening.”