- Tory MPs want PM to lift Covid restrictions for people waiting to marry
- Calls being led by Esther McVey and Philip Davies, who married in September
- Rules say couples can only tie knot in England in 'exceptional circumstances'
By BRENDAN CARLIN FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
PUBLISHED: 22:04, 13 February 2021 | UPDATED: 22:18, 13 February 2021
Boris Johnson is being urged to mark Valentine's Day by giving hope to half a million couples that they can marry soon.
Tory MPs want the Prime Minister to lift strict Covid restrictions for the sake of the hundreds of thousands of people waiting to marry – and the 400,000 who work in the £14.7 billion wedding industry.
Led by Esther McVey and Philip Davies, who wed in September, at least a dozen MPs are backing the What About Weddings campaign for Covid-secure ceremonies to begin from March 8, and normal ones from May 1.
Under lockdown rules, couples can only tie the knot in England in 'exceptional circumstances', such as a terminal illness.
Mr Johnson has said he 'hopes' people can wed 'in the normal way' by summer.
But former Cabinet Minister Ms McVey and her husband Mr Davies want him to give a much clearer timetable.
They said vaccinating the top nine risk groups by the end of April would prevent 99 per cent of Covid deaths, adding: 'That should be a huge moment for couples to walk down the aisle.'