The MP for Lichfield and Burntwood says he is hopeful that a nationwide lockdown will only be a short-term measure – but he warned that “selfish people” could see restrictions extended.

Michael Fabricant
Michael Fabricant

The Prime Minister outlined plans for return to widespread restrictions across England from Thursday (5th November) at a press conference last night.

The lockdown is scheduled to end on 3rd December, but Conservative MP Michael Fabricant said exiting the new restrictions would be dependent on people following the rules and curbing a rise in COVID-19 cases.

“Nobody wanted another lockdown and a few weeks ago Government scientists were advising the Government that it could be avoided if everyone stuck to the rules on a regional basis. 

“Sadly, they didn’t – though in Lichfield and Burntwood we did in the main. 

“Just two weeks ago, I was discussing with Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, whether Lichfield and Burntwood could remain exempt from rising above Tier 1 restrictions.

“But in the last 10 days infection rates have soared with the very real risk that COVID would rip through our communities and completely overwhelm hospitals resulting in them having to turn away patients. 

“The lockdown which begins on Thursday will help prevent that from happening. 

“If we all rigidly stick to the rules, the lockdown will end on 3rd December – if selfish people ignore them, and infection continues to rise, restrictions will have to continue.”

Michael Fabricant MP

Mr Fabricant added that suggestions an earlier, two-week national lockdown should have been pursued were “completely contrary to all the medical scientific advice both then and now”.

“It’s not all doom and gloom”

The new restrictions will see a number of businesses face a return to closed premises.

But the Lichfield and Burntwood MP said support would be at hand for those affected – and insisted there was long term hope that coronavirus could be beaten.

“It’s not all doom and gloom – the furlough scheme has been extended, with the state paying 80% of salaries.

“New drugs are available to treat infection that were not available last March, and the UK has invested in six different vaccines and has rights to others.

“The vaccine trials are going well.  It is not unreasonable to expect that a vaccine will start to be rolled out in the first quarter of 2021 – but it will be a huge programme. 

“Two inoculations will be required with a two week gap and tens of millions of people will require vaccination. 

“The logistics will be immense and the vaccine might not necessarily give total immunity. 

“If it doesn’t, it will certainly reduce the effects of a COVID infection and its ability to transmit person to person.  Like polio, COVID may always be with us, but vaccination will ensure the population remains safe.

“I am reasonably confident that by summer next year, we will be able to look back on this period as an extraordinary period of world tragedy, but one we got through together.”

Michael Fabricant MP

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

23 Comments
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M L
3 years ago

Michael it would have trouble overwhelming Lichfield hospitals we have not got a proper one

Denise
3 years ago

How can you trust a vaccine that will be less than a year in the testing?
I am a big believer in vaccine but only thoroughly tested ones.
I will wear a mask, I do keep my distance and I have not seen much loved relatives for a long time to go along with the rules but please don’t push this vaccine that you don’t know enough about yet.

The Scribbler
3 years ago

The evidence of our own eyes and ears suggests this is pure flim-flam yet again. Selfish and ignorant Government policies and strategies alone have got us into this mess.

I realise our MP will now block me for this comment…oh, wait, he can’t as this is not social media it is an excellent independent site he cannot touch. Perhaps that is the reason he won’t engage with constituents on here either.

Clare Sholl
3 years ago

Is Mr Fabricant now admitting that Dominic Cummings was selfish when he ignored the rules in order to visit Barnard Castle while he had the virus? Or is he just preparing the ground for blaming the rest of us for the inevitable consequences of ‘Eat Out to Catch Covid’?
The signs have been there for weeks that another national lockdown was needed. Boris Johnson may have mastered the art of figurative speech at Eton, but they failed to teach him the old adage that ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ or the wisdom of ‘nipping problems in the bud’. It’s more a case of ‘shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted’.

Aaron Wood
3 years ago

And yet, he’s been seen this weekend protesting HS2 without a mask on or socially distancing from other protestors. Practice what you preach

Barry Scott
3 years ago

Mr Fabricant, by sticking to the Government line and blaming the public for this situation you have lost your marbles completely.
Mr Fabricant I will never forget the way you have acted and spoken these last 6 months. You will never get my vote again.
I can only hope the party I support sees common sense and removes you from selection for any future election and the Conservative Party gets a candidate worthy of our respect and worthy of the values our party was built on.
We deserve far better than you as our MP and Boris Johnson as our Prime Minister.

Michel Souris
3 years ago

So Michael, are you partnering with Gove on an extended lockdown in the belief that he is the next PM following Boris’ imminent ousting? Torres are such intolerant fellows.
Anyway, you have not answered the question from many constituents – why did you vote against free school meals in the holidays for hungry children? I think you owe it to your electorate to explain instead of seeking photo opportunities in Alrewas and Fradley.

Lichvegas
3 years ago

A bit of positivity is always welcome, but it is simply untrue to say that the scientific advice was against an earlier lockdown. It is a matter of record that the SAGE committee advised the government back in September that a 2 week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown was needed right away to slow the spread. This arrogant, stupid and incompetent government ignored them, thinking that they knew better, and thousands of people will die needlessly as a result. Shameful.

Burntwood Bloke
3 years ago

What a condescending sausage he is. I have little or no respect for his advice given his track history of abusing constituents, voting against feeding children and generally letting the locals down at every opportunity.

Dan Credali
3 years ago

So this is complete rubbish…”Fabricant added that suggestions an earlier, two-week national lockdown should have been pursued were “completely contrary to all the medical scientific advice both then and now”.
A simple web search will show you that the sage scientists were advising the government before the 17 th of September that a second national lockdown was required. He seems to be fabricating the ‘facts’ again.

https://www.ft.com/content/77a1e3b6-3864-4a24-88af-df19fd22f235

null
3 years ago

‘’Captain Narcissism gaslighting his constituents again by warning against behaviour he himself shows regularly’’

…would have made for a more accurate headline.

Chris
3 years ago

Selfish people like those who took part in Eat Out to Help Out leading to significant spikes in infections.
Selfish people like those who downloaded a Test and Trace app that has completely failed despite costing 12 billion quid and having an Excel backend and being overseen by serial failure and spouse of a Tory MP with zero qualifications for the job.
Selfish people who followed the rules in the first lockdown until they saw Cummings flout them as he wanted only for the cabinet to rally round him with a co-ordinated campaign of lies and truth bending.
The only selfish people in this whole sorry debacle are the Tory govenment have failed to act from the very start when PM Johnson disappeared for a few crucial weeks in order to sort out his divorce before announcing the latest woman he had got pregnant, and to finish off a book he had already had an advance on.
The Tory government who have given billions of pounds to their friends, families, and sponsors for almost zero return whilst claiming to hold the moral high ground at seeing children go hungry.
Michael Fabricant’s government are the cause of the deaths of thousands and the continued ill health of more yet he wants only to blame the people themselves and avoid all responsibility.
BOOOOOOOOOOO!

Kitty
3 years ago

Please can the local conservative association choose a different person to stand as MP next time.
This guy’s getting worse he’s a complete clown.

Jan
3 years ago

I’m going with Boris we have a lot of selfish people around you see them in groups but what ever Boris does is he can’t please

Ann Hughes
3 years ago

If the Tories hadn’t handed test, trace and isolate to their cronies and relied on tried and tested public health bodies we would be better off. And Sage along with Labour Party called for a lockdown weeks ago. Breathtaking arrogance to blame the people not the government.

CDC
3 years ago

His response to why did you vote against feeding children? … it was a labour idea !
So, by extension, why did we not have a fire break lockdown? … it was a labour idea ?
This MP wants to starve children and allow elderly and ill constituents to die of Covid, as long as it’s not him

Please can we have a different candidate next election? He has gone way beyond his best before date

Michel Souris
3 years ago

Poor Michael! He never gets the recognition for the work he does on constituents behalf. We are lucky to have such a hard-working and dedicated MP. Perhaps Boris could appoint him to the House of Lords in recognition of his contribution to satire in this country.

GFI
3 years ago

17th of September Michael the government was warned and did Zero .
Incompetent government from the top down.
You’ll pay at the next general election .

we need a new mp
3 years ago

selfish people! Incompetent dithering, crony led government is at the heart of this issue. This deflection is insulting. Yes there are some ignoring the rules but that is not the root cause

Who is to Blame
3 years ago

What a cop out to blame the people but it was always going to be that way. Politicians have always seen the people as canon fodder Kitchener lives on

Michael Souris
3 years ago

Today’s Lockdown vote in Parliament had Michael voting via a proxy, presumably he was too busy to attend to the work he is paid to do. What is interesting is the reason for using a proxy as displayed on the Parliamentary website – see below. Is there something that Michael should be telling us? Maybe explains his bizarre behaviour.

“Proxy vote on behalf of Michael Fabricant for this division cast by Stuart Andrew.

Proxy voting allows Members absent from the House due to childbirth or care of an infant/newly adopted child to have another Member vote on their behalf.”

Chris Wagstaffe
3 years ago

Michael, do you remember saying this? “MP feels “rather sorry” for top scientist caught breaking coronavirus lockdown rules”? This is the scientist who has revealed that the data HE compiled and presented in Parliament was not the most recent issue. It was used as it gave a worse vision of the future while the most recent data showed a downturn in the progress of CV19. To quote Professor Carl Heneghan: Government Covid scenarios are ‘out by significant amount’I understood that lying to Parliament is about as great a crime possible.
Can we also consider testament from Dr Mike Yeadon (former Former Chief Scientific Advisor with Pfizer) : Coronavirus pandemic is ‘fundamentally over ‘! Have you bothered to study the science at all or have you abandoned your electorate to their fate?
Recently, you issued a form letter about the Covert Surveillance bill in which you gave assurances that the act was limited by the Human Rights Act. Well, that safeguard is right out the window, 2 or more can be arrested for “lawful protest”, the population back in house arrest, the Armed Forces used to intimidate the population of Liverpool into testing, the likleyhood that the vaccine may be mandatory even though it is a novel RNA type which has NEVER been tested on a large scale and which Bill Gates is on record as saying “this will change your DNA/RNA)! The emergency powers even absolve both Government and the vaccine manufacturer from claims of harm if it all goes wrong.
To protect the public from it’s own Government, you couldn’t even be bothered to turn up and vote! Thank you very much.

Revs33
3 years ago

Please could we avoid heading off into conspiracy lala land about vaccines. Also the armed forces are not intimidating Merseyside. Next you be claiming Trump won the election…. 🤣 Saying that there are some important issues around civil liberties that lockdown has caused but leave off the distopian conspiracy stuff if you will.