Boris Johnson has warned of deaths "on a grievous scale" without further action to stem the spread of coronavirus infections.
As he opened a House of Commons debate on England's new lockdown, the prime minister urged MPs to vote in favour of a second national shutdown later on Wednesday.
Mr Johnson said he was "not prepared to take the risk with the lives of the British people" after being confronted with worsening COVID-19 data.
The prime minister added, without action now, the NHS was likely to be in "extraordinary trouble" by next month.
With Labour in support of a month-long lockdown in England, the prime minister is not at risk of seeing the Commons vote against his plans.
However, it is thought around 15 to 20 Conservative MPs could rebel and vote against the lockdown.
Mr Johnson reiterated his intent that England's lockdown would end on 2 December, but he added what followed the month-long shutdown from Thursday would be up to MPs.
"Of course I can't say exactly where the epidemiology will be by 2 December, but what I can say is that the national measures that I hope the House will vote on tonight, are time-limited," he said.
"It is not that we choose to stop them, they legally expire. So whatever we do from 2 December will require a fresh mandate and a fresh vote from this House.
"And as I have made clear, it is my express intent that we should return to a tiered system on a local and a regional basis according to the latest data and trends."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his MPs would vote for the lockdown with "a heavy heart".
He added that while the new lockdown measures were "not in any way desirable or perfect, they are now necessary because the government's lost control of the virus".
Mr Johnson walked out of the Commons chamber during a speech by his predecessor Theresa May.
The ex-prime minister raised concerns about a lack of data on the impact of the government's COVID decisions on the economy, mental health, domestic abuse and non-coronavirus treatements.
"Jobs lost, livelihoods shattered, businesses failing, whole sectors damaged," she told MPs.
"What sort of airline industry are we going to have coming out of this? What sort of hospitality sector? What sort of small independent shops will be left?
"The government must have made this analysis, made this assessment: let us see it and make our own judgments."
Another former Conservative leader, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, claimed that whoever leaked the government's lockdown plan to the media prior to its announcement should be sacked and "strung up to dry".
Health Secretary Matt Hancock was seen nodding along as Sir Iain made his comments.
Sir Iain said he would not support the lockdown, telling MPs it "was not necessary now".
Fellor Tory rebel Philip Davies said that both he and the public "no longer have any faith" in the government's strategy.
And Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the powerful 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers, told MPs he would vote against the lockdown "with greater conviction" than any other vote he has cast in his 23 years in the Commons.
Downing Street said it was the prime minister's "firm view" that England's second lockdown would end on 2 December, after Mr Johnson appeared to offer conflicting remarks earlier on Wednesday.
At Prime Minister's Questions, which preceded the coronavirus debate, the prime minister did not offer a "come what may" guarantee that the shutdown would end on that date.
Sir Keir had asked Mr Johnson: "Will the lockdown end on 2 December come what may, or will it depend on the circumstances at the time? People need to know that."
The prime minister replied: "These measures, these autumn measures to combat the surge, will expire automatically on 2 December.
"And we will then, I hope very much, be able to get this country going again, to get businesses, to get shops open again in the run up to Christmas.
"But that depends on us all doing our bit now to make sure that we get the R down.
"I've no doubt that we can, and that we'll be able to go forward from 2 December with a very, very different approach - but, of course, it will be up to the House of Commons to decide, thereafter, what to do."
But on Wednesday morning, Mr Johnson had used a pre-recorded speech to the Confederation of British Industry to declare the government would "end these autumn measures on 2 December when they expire".
The prime minister also apologised to businesses for the "frustrations and the nightmare" of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I want to thank you for the heroic efforts you've made to look after your employees, to make your premises COVID-secure, putting in Perspex screens," he said.
"All the trouble you've gone to in complying with the kinds of diktats that I never believed we would have to impose which, I assure you, go completely against every free market instinct I possess."
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiemh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWJvcmlzLWpvaG5zb24td2FybnMtb2YtZGVhdGhzLW9uLWEtZ3JpZXZvdXMtc2NhbGUtd2l0aG91dC1lbmdsYW5kLWxvY2tkb3duLTEyMTIzNDgw0gF-aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWJvcmlzLWpvaG5zb24td2FybnMtb2YtZGVhdGhzLW9uLWEtZ3JpZXZvdXMtc2NhbGUtd2l0aG91dC1lbmdsYW5kLWxvY2tkb3duLTEyMTIzNDgw?oc=5
2020-11-04 13:32:52Z
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