UK coronavirus live: nearly 500 further deaths in 24 hours; MPs pass English lockdown rules by 516 votes to 38 | Politics

Theresa May, the former prime minister, abstained in the lockdown vote, it’s emerged.

This technically makes Theresa May a rebel, because abstaining when you are meant to vote in favour amounts to defying the whip, although it’s a soft form of rebellion, and less provocative than voting against.

The coronavirus dashboard also shows the number of tests being carried out over the last seven days is down 8% from the previous seven days.

Although today’s UK coronavirus figures show a near record high (see 4.15pm), the week-by-week comparison shows that the figures for the last seven days are only 2.4% up on the total for the previous week.

But hospital admissions are up 22% week on week, and deaths are up 36% week on week.

In England the number of patients in hospital with coronavirus has passed 10,000 for the first time since early May. There were 10,377 Covid patients in hospital yesterday.

And in England there were 952 hospital patients on ventilation yesterday. On Tuesday last week the number was 742.

From my colleague Josh Halliday

The division list for the lockdown vote is now on the CommonsVotes app.

Of the 38 MPs who voted against, 32 were Tories, four were DUP MPs and one was an independent (Julian Lewis, who was elected as a Tory, but who lost the whip because he defied No 10 and got himself elected as chair of the intelligence and security committee instead of Chris Grayling, who was the Downing Street candidate).

The 32 Tories who voted against were:

Adam Afriyie

Peter Bone

Sir Graham Brady

Steve Brine

Sir Christopher Chope

Philip Davies

Jonathan Djanogly

Jackie Doyle-Price

Richard Drax

Sir Iain Duncan Smith

Marcus Fysh

Chris Green

James Grundy

Mark Harper

Gordon Henderson

David Jones

Tim Loughton

Craig Mackinlay

Stephen McPartland

Esther McVey

Huw Merriman

Anne Marie Morris

Sir Mike Penning

John Redwood

Andrew Rosindell

Henry Smith

Sir Desmond Swayne

Robert Syms

Derek Thomas

Sir Charles Walker

Craig Whittaker

William Wragg

There were also two Tory tellers for the noes, Steve Baker and Philip Hollobone.

And the four DUP MPs who voted against were:

Paul Girvan

Carla Lockhart

Ian Paisley

Sammy Wilson

UPDATE: There were 38 MPs voting against the government, according to the result announced in the chamber, but the CommonsVotes app only names 37 of them. I’m trying to find out who the other one was, or whether there was a counting mistake.

These are from ITV’s Robert Peston.

Here are some more quotes from the debate from Conservative MPs who said they would be voting against the government.

From Huw Merriman

When looking at the evidence of the regional lockdown, I just do not believe that we have given it significant time to properly tell us whether it is working or not.

I’ve been asked have I met anybody who has lost a loved one through Covid, and the answer to that is, tragically, yes I have – and my heart goes out to them.

But I have also the funeral of a friend in the last year who took his life having lost his job. I have met people who have not attended hospital appointments and now have terminal illnesses and wish to goodness they had.

From Conservative former minister Tim Loughton

National lockdown is a big step, the science for it is questionable, the business case against it is overwhelming.

Why are we doing it at this stage before seeing the effects of regional lockdown?

So, for me, the case is not proven, the measures proposed are not proportionate, and I cannot vote for them.

From Craig Mackinlay

I’m being asked to spend £50bn extra today, or perhaps even more. There is no data as to what this means on other health issues, there is no assessment for what this means for families not able to see grandchildren or to see off loved ones in their final days.

I’m here to make a decision. I will not be abstaining, I’m paid to have a view and tonight I will be voting against this, I’m sorry.

The lockdown regulations have passed by 516 votes to 38 – a majority of 478.

Most, but not all, of those 38 MPs voting against are likely to be Conservatives. We will get the full division list later.

The government has updated its coronavirus dashboard, and today’s numbers are striking.

• The UK has recorded 492 further deaths. That is up from 397 yesterday, and it’s a 59% increase on the total from a week ago today (310). It is also the highest daily death toll since 19 May, when 500 deaths were recorded.

• The UK has recorded 25,177 further cases. That is the second highest figure on record, beaten only by the total for 21 October (26,688).

The two tellers for the noes are the Conservative MPs Steve Baker and Philip Hollobone.

The two tellers for the ayes are Tom Pursglove and Leo Docherty, who are both government whips.

Back in the Commons Hancock ends his speech saying he has “increasing confidence” every day that science will supply a way through.

MPs are now voting on the regulations.

Hancock says many MPs asked about worship.

Ministers are talking to faith leaders to try to reach an agreement on this, he says.

• Hancock hints ministers could relax the lockdown ban on communal worship.

Hancock says Theresa May (and others) have asked about the impact of lockdown on the economy.

He says the government knows the impact will be serious.

Many MPs raised mental health. Hancock says he has discussed this issue with the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The government will do all it can to keep normal NHS services open, he says.

Steve Brine (Con) asks what can be done to ensure people are better at self-isolating when they need to.

Hancock says the proportion of people self-isolating when asked is going up. The support available to them is increasing. And test and trace is getting more resources, he says.

He says he does not accept it is having no impact. It is, he says.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is winding up the debate.

He acknowledges the seriousness of what they are voting for. But they must drive the virus down, he says.

Mass testing is being rolled out, he says.

And a vaccine will be rolled out as soon as it is safe, he says.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, is winding up the Commons debate now for Labour.

He says more time should have been set aside for such an important debate.

Labour is backing the measures, he says.

But, if private prayer is allowed in churches, then congregational prayer should be allowed too, he says.

He says testing should be used to ensure people can visit relatives in care homes. For many of them, this will be their last Christmas, he says.

And he says the government must avoid having a “hokey cokey of lockdowns”, as the Cabinet Office minister Penny Mordaunt suggested might be necessary yesterday.