SOME of Dorset's Conservative MPs decided against supporting Prime Minister Boris Johnson's coronavirus tier restrictions – although there was enough support for the measures to become law from tomorrow.

The whole of Dorset will enter Tier 2 restrictions following the month-long second national lockdown in England.

The Government's winter plan was backed by MPs in the House of Commons tonight with 291 votes in favour compared to 78 votes against. The Labour Party largely abstained in the vote on the instructions of the leader of the Opposition Sir Kier Starmer.

While Conservative Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns, North Dorset MP Simon Hoare and Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Michael Tomlinson supported the Government, their county colleagues either voted against or abstained.

Christchurch MP Sir Christopher Chope, South Dorset MP Richard Drax and West Dorset MP Chris Loder were part of a group of 53 Tories who rebelled and voted against. Sir Robert Syms, who represents the Poole constituency, was also against but took the roll of teller (counter) for the vote.

Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said on Monday that Dorset MPs were seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the decision to place the county into Tier 2, which bans different households from mixing indoors.

Mr Ellwood, who abstained in the tier legislation vote, told the Daily Echo this meeting had not taken place before the House of Commons division division took place.

He said: "I'm pleased about the Government's concessions offered to the hospitality industry but given my continued grave concerns with the tiering criteria, especially the failure to fully utilise the Nightingales to alleviate pressure on our hospitals, and the lack of scrutiny Parliament has been granted, I could not support the motion."

During this afternoon's debate in the House of Commons, Mr Ellwood said 2,000 medical military personnel were ready and able to be drafted in to staff Nightingale hospitals and suggested there should be a rethink on the five-day easing of restrictions over Christmas.

Meanwhile, Mr Burns told the Daily Echo: "I expressed my severe reservations about these measures last week.

"I was pleased the Government listened and said there will be a review of the tiers by December 16 and they will expire in February.

"Having thought carefully, I didn't think it was right to undermine the Government at this time.

"We have come so far and with a vaccine in sight we can see an end to this dreadful period.

"Rather than pontificating, I will be working to get Bournemouth out of Tier 2 quickly."

Mr Tomlinson said: "Votes on Covid and these restrictions are never easy and this evening was no different. I don’t want to see restrictions in place for a moment longer than necessary and we now have - rightly in my view - voted to come out of national lockdown a day early in order to go into a more localised tiered system.

"In Dorset we are in Tier 2. That means that pubs, shops, gyms, churches will all now be open. We will be able to play sport again.

"We also voted to ensure that we can see our loved ones over Christmas.

"But above all I know that everyone right across Dorset will want to do the right thing to ensure that we keep transmission of the virus down and ensure that we can keep our economy as open as possible."

Mr Drax said: "I looked at the ‘evidence’ presented by the government to justify this course of action, and it was simply re-hashed statistics that failed to answer the question of the economic impact – and the utter devastation associated with that – these policies are causing.

“People are not being treated in hospital, people are losing their jobs and their livelihoods. We are causing utter devastation to millions of lives. We asked for proper analysis of this and didn’t get it.

“It is an appalling loss of life for anyone who suffers with this horrible illness, but we are doing untold damage to millions more lives, and it should now be up to the people whether they want to go on supporting a policy that is doing so much damage.

“I would really encourage everyone to make their voices heard and write to their MPs to tell them how they really feel, and whether they believe it is time for a re-think. That is the way to influence this. We need to listen to the people.”