Damian Green, the MP for Ashford, joined scores of rebellious Conservative backbenchers who spoke out against the new tougher tier system on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Green said he would be voting against the system and told the Commons: “I put to the Prime Minister last week the thoughts of a constituent who said that if the Government imposes stupid rules, people will stop obeying the sensible rules as well. This was sadly dismissed.
“Since then, the national debate has moved on to how big a scotch egg has to be to constitute a substantial meal. I rest my case.
“I’m afraid what we have before us today fails the test of maximising voluntary public support.
“To be specific, it certainly does in my constituency, where I’ve had the most angry emails over a weekend since the Dominic Cummings trip to Barnard Castle.”
Mr Green said he would be failing his constituents if he did not register a “strong protest” about the way the tiers have been applied, which many MPs feel is “arbitrary”.
He has been joined by a number of backbench Tories who have raised concerns about the system.
Former chief whip and chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of MPs Mark Harper said the Government needs to “start treating members of Parliament properly”.
He added: “I’m afraid – based on the fact that the Government I don’t think has provided the information necessary to the House today to take decisions which are by any normal measure draconian – I’m afraid I won’t be able to support them.”
Senior Conservative Sir Graham Brady said: “If Government is to take away fundamental liberties of the people whom we represent, they must demonstrate beyond question that they’re acting in a way that is both proportionate and absolutely necessary. Today, I believe the Government has failed to make that compelling case.”
Another former minister Andrea Leadsom confirmed she will not vote for the regulations, which will “inflict deliberate harm” on her constituency.
Similarly David Davis said the policy did not provide “maximum protection for minimum damage”.
