MPs slammed after taking part in 'opposition day' debate on health staff testing

Mansfield MP Ben Bradley and Ashfield MP Lee Anderson said they were taking part in an "opposition day debate" which does not decide any future action or legislation.

An opposition day proposal was made by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer alongside Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Jon Ashworth and Liz Kendall calling for greater protective measures in the health system.

In a Tweet Dr Allin-Khan said: “(We) brought a motion to Parliament calling on the Government to introduce weekly testing of NHS and care staff.

“331 Conservative MPs voted against it, even though they spent many Thursdays clapping for carers.”

Ben Bradley took to his Facebook page to say reports on social media, and in the press, such as the London Economic which names the 331 MPs was marking them as “nasty Tories,” was “incredibly frustrating” and “profoundly rubbish.”

He said: "We didn’t vote against testing, it is simply not a true analysis. These are ‘opposition days’ which are entirely meaningless in terms of any actual action.

"They are a debate, with a subject put forward by the opposition, but the opposition does not decide on any action so – to be clear – we have voted against nothing.

"No actions were on the table. If the opposition had passed their motion, nothing would have changed. It’s just a debate."

Mr Bradley added: "The Government amended the motion to remove the part about testing, because it’s already well known and evidenced that we are prioritising NHS and social care staff for testing. That is already happening.

“Labour asked for weekly testing, but from my regular conversations with local NHS and care providers, nobody has asked for weekly testing at all. Testing is rightly used for people with symptoms, in line with the NHS’s own advice.

"My Conservative colleagues and I did vote to support this entirely uncontroversial statement: That this House expresses thanks to the heroic work of frontline NHS staff who have saved lives throughout the Covid-19 pandemic...”

Lee Anderson said: "There was no vote against testing at all and to suggest so is total nonsense.

"We now lead the world in testing and every single person in the UK who needs a test can have one. I have spoken to dozens of health workers along with NHS employees and not one of them has asked for a weekly test. They know if they need one they can have one straight away.

"This is another example of distraction politics from the Labour Party who are once again trying to score cheap political points whilst we are concentrating on the health of the nation.

"Finally any Labour MP who is suggesting that we voted against testing should go for a different type of test on themselves. They are clearly delusional."

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