The leader of Essex County Council's Labour group has criticised the decision of 211 Conservative MPs, who voted to support the Prime Minister.

Councillor Ivan Henderson, who is also Mayor of Harwich, said Conservative MPs made a 'very big mistake' in last night's vote.

He said: "They should have done the right thing. But it's not too late, they can still do the right thing and remove him from office.

"We got through the pandemic because of the public, and their hard work and sacrifices. Boris Johnson didn't share those sacrifices.

"Our proud NHS workers, our emergency services, agency staff, and volunteers all played a big part in this."

Councillor Henderson's sister passed away from Coronavirus during lockdown, but he didn't get to visit her before she died in hospital. He was also unable visit his brother in-law and niece while they grieved.

He said: "We had to keep in touch over Facetime. I couldn't go round their house to comfort or console them, because Boris told us not to.

"To a certain extent, a lot of members of the public have already made up their minds. Especially among people who have been touched by the pandemic, lost loved ones, and had to make sacrifices. Those people are not going to forget.

"Boris Johnson has shamed the country and communities like mine."

On April 12, the Prime Minister received a fixed penalty notice for attending his birthday celebration in the Cabinet room in June 2020.

When asked how this could affect the Conservatives during the Heybridge West by-election two days later, Maldon's MP John Whittingdale said he hoped residents would "focus more on the local issues rather than national ones".

An NHS nurse, who wishes to remain anonymous, worked at Colchester General Hospital throughout the pandemic. She told Nub News she and many of her colleagues moved out of their homes to protect their families. Most of them were living at the hospital.

Photo: Matthew Waring / Unsplash

She said: "In the darkest times of the pandemic, we were facing death on a minute-by-minute basis.

"There was nowhere to hide.

"We were all scared rigid, but we had to work through it."

She says she 'wasn't surprised' by the result of the confidence vote.       

Conservative Maldon District Councillor Richard Dewick said he had 'full confidence' in the Prime Minister

Ahead of yesterday's vote, Maldon District Councillor Richard Dewick told Nub News: "Boris Johnson may have made some mistakes, but he's done what he said he would do.

"He's admitted he's made mistakes. Let's get over it, move on and cope with the more important things we've got to deal with at the minute."

Conservative MP John Whittingdale has been approached for comment.