A YORK MP is calling on the Government to give Parliament a vote before any more coronavirus restrictions are imposed.

York Outer Tory MP Julian Sturdy MP has signed a cross-party amendment, tabled by senior Conservative backbencher Sir Graham Brady, which seeks to instruct the Government to give MPs greater oversight of new regulations to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

He said that in 2016, the British people voted to leave the EU because they wanted their laws to be made by the UK Parliament and this had not been achieved only for the Government to be allowed to legislate at will.

"The regulations that the Government have brought in to tackle Covid have impacted all parts of daily life and had profound effects on the economy and our long-term health and wellbeing," he said.

"Whilst I have supported many of these measures, I strongly believe that they can only be introduced with the explicit consent of elected representatives in Parliament.

"We have a situation at the moment where Parliament is granting the Government carte blanche powers, only to be bypassed in deciding how they are exercised. This cannot be allowed to continue for the next six months.

"Along with many colleagues across the House, I am calling on the Government to come back to Parliament every two months at the most for the renewal of these powers and to give Parliament a vote before any additional restrictions are introduced.

"This will serve to increase the transparency of decision making and give new regulations greater legitimacy in the eyes of the public."

A spokesman for Mr Sturdy said the amendment, supported by more than 40 Conservative MPs, would amend a motion the Government was tabling next week to extend its powers to bring in public health restrictions for a further six months.

He said it was hoped the amendment would receive the backing of opposition parties in the Commons and there were signs the Government would move to accept the amendment in order to avoid a defeat when the motion is debated on Wednesday.