A backbench MP has said he will back Plan B Covid restrictions but has described the government's response to an alleged No 10 Downing Street party as 'tardy' and 'inadequate.'

Peter Aldous, Conservative MP for Waveney, recently said that prime minister Boris Johnson should 'hold his hands up' over the alleged party.

Sharing his anger over the saga, Mr Aldous said on Friday: "It is most unfortunate and to be greatly regretted that some people working at the heart of government did not adhere to the rules and regulations that were in place this time last year.

"The public are quite right to be livid at what are in effect double standards.

"The response to these breaches has been tardy and inadequate and the inquiry by the cabinet secretary must be completed as quickly as possible, with prompt action then being taken to regain public trust.”

Downing Street spokesperson Allegra Stratton resigned over the issue, having been caught on camera seemingly sharing a joke over the alleged party.

Mr Aldous was also one of just 19 Tory MPs to rebel against party lines at a crunch vote on social care reforms a few weeks ago.

On top of this, he has also been a vocal objector to the move to slash Universal Credit by £20-a-week, which he fears will impact almost 12,000 people in Waveney.

The government could now face a Tory backbench revolt over Plan B Covid measures, with at least 30 expected to rebel.

Mr Aldous, who will back the plans said: “Whilst we do not yet know the severity of the new Omicron variant, it is clear that it is spreading at a rapid rate, much faster than the Delta variant, and thus there is a real worry that this could lead to a big rise in hospitalisations at a time when hospitals and the NHS are already under enormous pressure.

"Set in this context the government are right to be moving to Plan B and to be ramping up the rollout of vaccinations."