SOUTH Dorset MP Richard Drax said he is ‘saddened’ that MPs voted to extend the Coronavirus Act for a further six months - and said it was ‘incomprehensible and unacceptable’ that the government still wields so much power over people’s lives.

Mr Drax was among 76 MPs that voted against the extension to the legislation, which gives the Government unprecedented powers to enforce restrictions on citizens.

He has long been an outspoken opponent to the powers, which he claims are destroying livelihoods, wrecking the economy, ripping away vital life experiences for young people and leaving tens of thousands of patients untreated for other illnesses.

Despite mounting opposition to the legislation - which was created in response to the pandemic in March 2020 - the extension was passed in Parliament on Wednesday evening with 408 MPs voting in favour.

The legislation allows the Government to introduce restrictions such as lockdowns and regional tier systems, as well as supportive measures such as the furlough scheme, grants and income support.

Following the vote, Mr Drax said: “I am very saddened that so few MPs voted against this extension. In my view, we have reached a crossroads.

“We have been living under these Orwellian and draconian rules for over a year now. We were led to believe that when we had a vaccine, when the data indicated that the situation was improving, when the NHS could cope, that our lives could return.

“We are now at that point.

“All of these things are happening, yet still the government is not prepared to give us our freedoms back, or rule out extending even further the powers to lock us up again.

“We are a freedom-loving, democratic country. What is happening is not the UK.

“Government should not wish to – or have the authority to – impose restrictions on our daily lives.

“The excuse to extend the Coronavirus legislation that was given was the risk of new variants. But we know there have already been numerous variants and there will continue to be, just as there are different variants with flu. We adapt flu vaccines each year to deal with that, and we will do the same with Covid, because it is here with us for the rest of our lives.

“We cannot use variants in the virus as an excuse to continue this. How much longer does the Government need to have this incredible power over our lives?

“I am in no way detracting from the impact of this virus, and all of my sympathy is with the families and friends of those who have died from it.

“But we are in a much different position now to where we were a year ago; we have a vaccine that protects the most vulnerable, yet still 99% of the country who won’t be affected are still having their lives restricted.

“It is incomprehensible and unacceptable.”

Mr Drax said he also ‘completely opposed’ the possibility of ‘domestic vaccine passports', which could restrict what people do within the UK.

“This is supposed to be a Conservative government that doesn’t believe in state control. The state has a role to play, of course, but not to this extent,” he said.

“The state is currently telling us how to live our lives, and if we don’t do as we are told we will be punished.

“We are told that on June 21 we are free. I will continue to work with my colleagues to hold the Prime Minister to this.”