Nigel Farage warns of 'dangerous power-grab' that puts British sovereignty in danger

Nigel Farage has called for Parliament to vote on a £320billion "pandemic power-grab" that he fears could damage British sovereignty.

The Reform UK leader said amendments to the World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations could recommed that countries like Britain implement lockdown measures and border controls.

Writing in The Telegraph, the Clacton MP called it "the biggest loss of sovereignty since the Maastrict Treaty", which brought the modern-day European Union into being.

He also said plans to oversee countries' implementation of the regulations could lead to a "Soviet-sounding States Parties Committee".

Mr Farage added: "I therefore urge my fellow MPs to join me in calling for an urgent debate and vote in the House of Commons so we can block this dangerous, unnecessary and expensive 'pandemic power-grab'."

National governments have only got about six months left before to decide whether to accept the new regulations or opt out.

Mr Farage also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say: "There must be a vote in Parliament on this."

Earlier this week, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, told the United Nations General Assembly that "the world needs the pandemic agreement" to be fully prepared for the outbreak of another worldwide disease.

Dr Ashley Bloomfield, co-chairman of the WHO working group on amendments to the IHRs, said earlier this year: "The experience of epidemics and pandemics, from Ebola and Zika to COVID-19 and Mpox, showed us where we needed better public health surveillance, response and preparedness mechanisms around the world.

Fellow co-chairman Dr Abdullah Assiri added: "The amendments to the IHRs strengthen mechanisms for our collective protections and preparedness against outbreak and pandemic emergency risks."

However, Mr Farage has dismissed the WHO's comments as "scaremongering".