FOREST MP Mark Harper has ramped up the pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson over lockdown restrictions, by calling for Government-backing for music festivals and live events to go ahead this summer.

The chairman of the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs has penned a letter to the PM about the need to reassure organisers about the road map date of June 21 for the lifting of all restrictions.

The letter urges the Government to introduce a £250m insurance scheme so that festival organisers can continue planning for events, rather than pulling the plug now.

The annual community-run two-day Coleford Music Festival was a victim of the uncertainty last week, with organisers deciding they had no alternative but to cancel the July event for the second year running.

Former Chief Whip Mr Harper, who co-authored the letter with CRV deputy Steve Baker, said: “With the success of the vaccine rollout and as we head towards June 21, it’s vital that ministers act now to ensure that live music events and festivals can go ahead this summer, by assuming contingent liabilities against cancellation and restrictions by the Government.”

Telling the PM that a predicted 170,000 out of the 262,000 people employed in the live music industry are set to lose their jobs as a result of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions, the MP added: “Decisions about whether these events can go ahead this Summer are going to have to be made in the next few days.

“The live events industry does not require another lump sum from the Covid Recovery Fund. It requires insurance - insurance against the political risk, however minimal, that the Government will impose restrictions on the industry and its customers after 21 June.”

He said a Government-backed insurance scheme costing a “maximum of £250m” could give organisers the confidence to plan ahead.

“Given that we are on “a one-way road to freedom” by 21 June, as stated by the Prime Minister, and the Health Secretary said he hoped social distancing rules would be removed from then too, the underwriting should not cost the taxpayer a penny,” added the former Tory leadership candidate.

“Without this, most music festivals and live events will be cancelled this summer with countless job losses and business closures.

“This scheme would save £1.1bn of costs to the industry, would give confidence to organisers so that they can prepare for their festivals to go ahead, would turbocharge Britain’s economic recovery and would bring hope to millions of festival-goers and young people - who have borne the brunt of lockdown - that life this Summer will be a normal one.”

The letter urging action and signed by 43 Tory MPs was sent to the PM the day after Mr Harper quizzed Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the Commons about the “small print” of the Government’s road map to the easing of restrictions.

He told the minister: “Many members of the public and businesses, having looked at the road map… will have seen that as of 21 June, the Government and the public are expecting the country to be broadly back to normal.

“But, of course, there is the small print about the reviews on social distancing. Will he confirm to the House and the public that as of 21 June, he expects us to be broadly back to normal, without social distancing?

“If that is not the case, will he set out what the evidence base will be for that decision?”

Mr Hancock said: “That is my hope because, as he knows, I very firmly believe that this vaccine is breaking that link. We can see it in the data every single day and in the way that the country is responding. It is uplifting.”

Mr Harper later tweeted the letter with the post: “If we are truly on the “one way road to freedom” as the PM & @MattHancock promised, there is an easy solution to ensure these events can go ahead.”