Totnes MP Anthony Mangnall is one of three Devon Tory MPs who say they won’t support the new Covid rules announced by the government as part of ‘Plan B’.

He is joined by Newton Abbot’s Anne Marie Morris and East Devon’s Simon Jupp who criticised the new measures, which include people being asked to work from home from Monday if possible.

Face masks will become compulsory in most public places again, as part of new rules to limit the spread of the Omicron variant, and covid passes will be required for entry into nightclubs and large venues. They can be obtained by having two vaccines or a negative lateral flow test.

Att a press conference on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said it was not necessary to cancel Christmas parties or nativty plays.

Anthony Mangnall objected to Plan B on Twitter, saying: “Just to be clear – I will not be voting for the new Covid measures. They are completely farcical, unnecessary and impractical.”

In response to someone criticising his decision, Mr Mangnall replied: “I can drink with a colleague, sing with a colleague, eat with a colleague but not go to work with them…”

He then added: “Also of course I will be following the rules, regardless of how I feel.”

Exeter’s Labour MP Ben Bradshaw expressed doubts over the new guidelines but said he would be “studying the details of these measures before deciding how to vote.”

In a statement, he explained: “Face coverings on public transport and in enclosed public spaces should not have been scrapped in the first place, but some of the measures, like working from home, but still going to office parties don’t seem to make sense.

“Now Omicron is spreading quickly here, the travel restrictions are pointless and only inflict further needless damage on the transport sector and misery to families separated.

“This feels like a knee-jerk response from a Prime Minister who has lost all moral authority because of the illegal Downing Street parties and the repeated lies that have been told about them.”