Boris Johnson’s plans to introduce domestic vaccine passports have received a boost after it was claimed Sir Keir Starmer could perform a U-turn and back the policy.
Sir Keir said last week that the Prime Minister’s proposals for ‘Covid Status Certification’ were a ‘complete mess’ and ‘we do not support the Government’s plans in their current form’.
Some 40 Tory MPs are opposed to the policy and ministers were concerned the Conservative rebels could combine with Labour and the SNP to reject the PM’s initiative if and when it is put to a vote in the House of Commons.
But shadow cabinet figures now concede that the Government’s proposals are not as draconian as they feared, according to The Times. Meanwhile, Labour former home secretary Lord Blunkett has backed the proposals as he argued that asking for proof of jab or negative test in certain circumstances would be ‘perfectly in line’ with current age verification requirements.
The Government has said the passports will consist of a mix of vaccination, testing and immunity data. The inclusion of rapid testing data and suggestions that the documents will only be deployed in limited settings means shadow cabinet members now reportedly believe the scheme is ‘much more open’ than they had thought.
Read More: Is Keir Starmer set to U-turn and back PM’s vaccine passports plans
