Coronavirus latest news: New lockdown from midnight in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon announces

Some more detail here from Lucy Fisher around the news that the House of Commons will be recalled on Wednesday, enabling MPs to debate and pass legislation enshrining stricter new lockdown measures.

Downing Street’s decision to allow Parliament to have a say on the next series of measures to contain the virus comes after Boris Johnson warned there was “no question” that tougher action was needed.

It is expected he may announce a full-scale national lockdown for England, after Nicola Sturgeon announced earlier that Scotland will be plunged lockdown for the rest of January.

It is understood the House will return for a single day on Wednesday before returning for the new parliamentary term next Monday.

The Christmas recess was extended by a week, a decision said to have been informed by the Speaker’s desire to protect the parliamentary authorities from the spread of coronavirus.

Conservative MPs have clamoured for the right to debate and vote on tougher coronavirus restrictions.

Steve Brine, the former Health Minister, raised questions today about how much tougher the Government could go beyond the current tiers system.

“What else can we take away from you?  If you live in a Tier 4 area, you can’t do anything and can’t go anywhere. What is there left to take away?” He told the Telegraph: “We need parliament sitting to ask these questions.”

Others have been calling for stricter restrictions to prevent Covid spiralling out of control: