Tory MP says he wants to keep Boris Johnson 'honest'

Tory MP Simon Fell - Credit: Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament

A Tory MP who signed a letter to Boris Johnson over Covid-19 measures in the north of England said he wants to “keep the prime minister honest” and delivering on his promises.

Simon Fell, the MP for Barrow and Furness, was one of 55 Conservative MPs calling for a roadmap for Northern constituencies out of lockdown.

Speaking to LBC Radio, he explained: “This is about creating a roadmap and we know about this review process, but if we look across the North in particular, we’ve seen places that have been stuck in this position for a long time. What we need to see is what steps we need and they might have to be tailored to start getting them out of there.

Fell insisted that the group of signatories were “very supportive of Boris” and recognise that he “won the North because he tapped into something”.

And he said that the purpose of the letter is about “keeping the prime minister and Number 10 honest” and delivering on promises.

Referencing the voters in his constituency, he explained: “The clear message from my voters to me was they leant me their vote.

“It’s about showing we understand the North, and we understand communities like mine have felt left behind – not just for four years but for 40 years.

“We need to start levelling up and what that means is putting the infrastructure in there so that our communities can stand on their own two feet and thrive.”