Time for Plan B

The decision of the Welsh devolved government to impose a wider ranging lockdown on an already scarred and weakened Welsh economy has made the contradictions and absurdities of too many controls more obvious. The supermarkets are told to tape up their shelves and fence off their aisles for so called non essentials. The devolved government stumbles over what is an essential. They defend their decision by saying that as they have closed non food specialist shops it would be unfair to let the supermarkets sell items the specialist shops cannot offer. There is no good answer when people point out that the policy will just lead to many more people buying the banned items on line, losing business not only to the specialist High Street shops but to the food shops of the high Street as well. How is that sensible?

The idea is that stopping more shopping will abate the spread of the disease, which then will allow relaxation of controls which on their analysis of course will lead to a further spread of the disease. How does that help? Why should the virus wait until after Christmas before it builds up again, if the plan is to relax a bit for Christmas. What proof is there that shopping spreads the disease anyway? People do not spend much time in the company of another person from outside their household in a supermarket. Air flows through stores of course need to help control the disease, and can do so.

As I argued in Parliament and put to the government, trying to change behaviour to contain the virus requires consent and co-operation from the public. There is no longer enough buy in to the detailed rules nor to Test and trace. The even more complex and wide ranging Welsh rules have met with a hostile response from many Welsh people, showing that the devolved government is losing support for these measures.

The U.K. government needs to learn from the Welsh experience. More needs to be done to encourage a business and jobs revival. There are many things that are being done and can be done to limit deaths. Improving treatments, safeguarding the vulnerable, improving ventilation and air flow in public buildings and improving infection control in health settings, can all help to get the death rate down. There are limits to how many detailed rules and controls government should seek to place on people generally, as government has reached the end of tolerance for the current degree of control let alone for tightening. People now want explanations of why and how a control will help or is necessary, and why it should continue.

It is time to put economic recovery higher up the priority list, and to go out to save many more livelihoods. There needs to be another drive to get more non CV 19 medical problems treated. We have to live with the virus, and do all we can to lower the death rates from CV 19 and from other killer medical problems without shutting down the economy or seeking to control everyone’s social life and shopping habits..

326 Comments

  1. Pominoz
    October 26, 2020

    Sir John,

    Utter Welsh madness.

    It will be interesting to have Martin’s take on this.

    1. Stephen Priest
      October 26, 2020

      We were the supermarket deaths in April?

      1. Hope
        October 26, 2020

        Good blog/view JR. It is called the Great Barrington Declaration supported by thousands of medical experts.

        1. Stephen Priest
          October 26, 2020

          Sebastian Rushworth M.D. Swedish Doctor Speaks.
          You can check his website for more
          Health and medical information grounded in science
          How deadly is covid-19?

          September 2020 was the least deadly month in Swedish history, in terms of number of deaths per 100,000 population. Ever. And I donā€™t mean the least deadly September, I mean the least deadly month. Ever. To me, this is pretty clear evidence of two things. First, that covid is not a very deadly disease. And second, that Sweden has herd immunity.

          1. Lifelogic
            October 27, 2020

            Indeed with just 9 covid deaths over the last week in Sweden. Scaling up to the UK population this would be about 50 last week. The UK has actually reported 1,272 covid deaths in the last week. Over 25 times worse per head.

            The presenter of “The Papers” on the BBC last night said “so far there has actually been no evidence they (Sweden) are moving towards herd immunity they hoped for”. So why did she feel she had to make this point? Is this the BBC line they are told/forced to take? It is surely complete drivel.

            Just like their endless climate alarmist propaganda.

        2. Stephen Priest
          October 26, 2020

          Italians fight back against Covid Tyranny

          find it on You Tube

          MANIFESTAZIONE TORINO 26 OTTOBRE 2020 Piazza Vittorio

      2. No longer Anonymous
        October 26, 2020

        Aisle 6 by the fish mousse.

      3. Hope
        October 26, 2020

        School meal nonsense should stop even if well intentioned.

        Inappropriate dysfunctional family behaviour must not be rewarded. Hard working low paid people are the ones to be helped not those who keep having children to get more welfare money! Govt already gave millions to councils for these people.

        Support to budget, learn how to parent, targeted welfare money for food, energy, rent and stop all the greed on non essential items!

        1. glen cullen
          October 26, 2020

          Unelected celebrates making Govt policy

          1. A.F.Fanculo
            October 27, 2020

            do you mean celebrities OR decebrates, which is much more likely in this context

        2. Lifelogic
          October 26, 2020

          True, but doubtless they will cave in as usual.

          1. Hope
            October 27, 2020

            Or stop the child benefit going to EU children who never set foot here and spend on U.K. Citizens! Cameron was going to stop this practice.

        3. JoolsB
          October 26, 2020

          +1

        4. M Davis
          October 26, 2020

          Teach them in school how to manage on whatever money they get. We were taught that if you did not have the money you could not buy the goods – end of! I wonder how we managed!!!

        5. No Longer Anonymous
          October 26, 2020

          They get a child allowance. If it’s not going on the child’s food then take it away.

          The truly deprived are those going to school with packed lunches.

          They’ll be the ones with both parents slogging their guts out.

    2. Lifelogic
      October 26, 2020

      Indeed total insanity from Mark Drakeford as one would expect – needless to say he supported Corbyn for leader. Thank goodness that Boris (for all his recent HS2 & climate alarmist insanity) did at least rescue us from the appalling Theresa 9% May and from then from Corbyn.

      Drakeford is the sort of person who will doubtless look after anyone who works for the state (or some large unions) at the expense of everyone else who will have to carry these mainly overpaid, over pensioned and generally fairly unproductive workers. This while destroying the economy until he runs out of money and fails everyone. Blairā€™s devolution arrangements are a complete disaster for the English the Welsh and the Scots.

      1. Stephen Priest
        October 26, 2020

        We could pay for free school meals by getting rid of every diversity officer in the public sector

        1. Sir Joe Soap
          October 26, 2020

          Deduct the cost from those parents’ child benefit which is supposed to be there for that purpose. Simple.

          1. JoolsB
            October 26, 2020

            +1

          2. JoolsB
            October 26, 2020

            And the child tax credits they get on top.

          3. Lifelogic
            October 26, 2020

            Give them the parents a choice do you want a free school dinner with the cost deducted from you benefits or not let them vote. I think almost all would keep the money and make their own arrangements. This is far more efficient and sensible.

            It the parent cannot cope for mental, drug, alcohol or other reasons they need help with that not free dinners for children.

        2. Lifelogic
          October 26, 2020

          Indeed and the diversity officers could then get a real and productive job in the private sector (if they are up to it) and then pay some taxes into the system for a change.

          Though it is not really the state’s job to feed children. What next should they bathe them, dress them, buy them mobile phones, read bed time stories to them and tuck them in. We see that when councils have children in care they very often do an appalling job with endless abuse and gross incompetence scandals.

          1. Mike Wilson
            October 26, 2020

            How are we going to welcome, embrace and amplify diversity without diversity officers?

        3. Narrow Shoulders
          October 26, 2020

          Or Marcus Rashford could use him undoubted celebrity to encourage “poor” parents to learn how to cook and budget. I fed five for the whole day on a Sunday (including a roast) for Ā£8 yesterday which included purchased puddings.

          When Universal Credit would allow me to take home Ā£36K per annum I don’t believe anyone can not afford Ā£56 per week to feed their kids.

          1. Fedupsoutherner
            October 26, 2020

            All the unemployment brought about by this government could back fire when people are put onto Universal Credit. Those with kids might decide they are better off not working at all and continue to languish at home safe in the knowledge they can afford all those luxuries they couldn’t afford on the miming wage. What a joke.

          2. Lifelogic
            October 26, 2020

            Rashford should set his own charity not demand that other taxpayers should pay even more taxes to be given back after huge admin costs just as school dinner vouchers. I thought childhood and adult obesity was the main problem last month anyway.

            Teach people how to cook. Food can be very cheap anyway and if you need benefits in the UK you get them.

          3. LLewelyn
            October 26, 2020

            Rashford could do even better, by donating some of his ridiculous salary to pay for free meals, instead of expecting plumbers, nurses, shop workers and hair dressers etc to pay for it with their taxes.

          4. Dr. Sok
            October 26, 2020

            breakdown and costings of menu would be useful, help people, nobody wants to be reliant on handouts if there is a better way.
            Thanks.

          5. Narrow Shoulders
            October 27, 2020

            Pork shoulder 1Kg Ā£3.50
            Stew veg pack (roasted) Ā£1.00
            Potatoes 1.5 Kg Ā£1.00
            Rice (to make fried rice with the leftovers for tea) 50p
            Oats 1.5 kg (crumble topping, morning porridge) 80p
            Apples (crumble two meals) Ā£1.60.

            Spices from the cupboard (offset by the leftover spuds and apples) gravy from the juices and veg

            4 hours of cooking,. low heat while exercising and cleaning the house.

        4. Nigl
          October 26, 2020

          Indeed. It is a sad indictment that so many are still needed

        5. No Longer Anonymous
          October 26, 2020

          It just shows that the Tories are wasting their time trying to be nice.

          Rashford is the classic human shield for the activist Left.

          We’re not exactly seeing gaunt and pot bellied children everywhere – obesity is the official sign of poverty nowadays.

    3. Sir Joe Soap
      October 26, 2020

      He’s considered himself non-essential at this time.

    4. Ian Wragg
      October 26, 2020

      Martin will defer to Brussels before answering.
      He will agree that bankrupting the country is the only way to curb the virus.
      We’re doomed.

      1. Ian Wragg
        October 26, 2020

        Drakeford nominated Amazon employee of the month.

      2. Fedupsoutherner
        October 26, 2020

        Is a footballer earning millions running the country or Boris?

    5. Fred H
      October 26, 2020

      Probably that nobody does it better than New Zealand, Senegal or Vietnam.

    6. Peter
      October 26, 2020

      Time for plan B?

      The government cannot see that. They hoped to stick to an official line and suppress discussion of other options. As that plan starts to fail they are in trouble.

      They have decided to double down on their original policies and ignore ā€˜consent and cooperationā€™.

    7. NickC
      October 26, 2020

      Pominoz, There’s a very good article on Unherd “How the experts messed up on Covid” by Michael Story and Stuart Ritchie. They say that part of the problem has been the didactic assertions and overconfident claims by the “experts”. A little more caution, as I have previously urged on here, and a bit more emphasis on the uncertainties would have served us better.

      There was (and still is) the delusion by a few people that we can “stamp out” the virus, and return to the status quo ante. It’s as though these people think the virus will obey the rants of a petty dictator. But in fact it is just some who can’t face reality. Even Vallance has now said we will have to learn to live with covid19, even if we get a vaccine.

  2. Iago
    October 26, 2020

    In the 1980s Mrs Thatcher’s government abolished the wrecking communist-controlled Greater London Council. The Welsh devolved government should be abolished for the same reason as should the London Mayoralty. Both are determined to weaken, impoverish and then destroy what remains of our free country.
    For the same reason this grotesque, false, treacherous, laughably-named Conservative government should be got rid of. I must get back to my unconscious bias lesson.

    1. Sea_Warrior
      October 26, 2020

      I agree with some of your sentiments but a move to de-devolve in Wales would play straight into the hands of the SNP. Better, perhaps, to let dissatisfaction with Cardiff lead to WELSH calls to do away with the devolved administration.
      The London problem is easier, politically. The Conservatives could go into the next general election with a commitment to do away with the London mayoralty, putting most of his powers inside Whitehall and passing the others down to the boroughs.

      1. Hope
        October 26, 2020

        Totally agree, the public does not want Mayors. They are an unnecessary expense without any value whatsoever. It causes confusion arguments and lack of clarity. Same for police commissioners.

        1. JoolsB
          October 26, 2020

          Totally agree but they were still imposed anyway. It was a Tory Governmentā€™s way of conning the people of England into thinking they were getting devolution, or so they thought.

      2. IanT
        October 26, 2020

        Yes, better to let Drakeford & Co hang themselves with their own foolishness.

        Ms Sturgeon may be very good at personal PR but her actual performance in government doesn’t warrant her good reputation. The Scots are canny enough to figure this out for themselves hopefully.

      3. Fedupsoutherner
        October 26, 2020

        Better still if the Conservatives went into the next election without the SNP and the Welsh government. Personally I’m fed up with them locking down when their infection rates are lower than ours and expecting us to pay for their draconian rules.

        1. JoolsB
          October 26, 2020

          +1. Agree but then we have a compliant UK Government who would rather keep shovelling English taxes at them rather than upset them. Of course it doesnā€™t matter about upsetting us English.

      4. Mark B
        October 26, 2020

        I agree. But what would all their mates do then ? They’d all be a disaster in the Private Sector.

      5. LLewelyn
        October 26, 2020

        I can tell you, there are plenty of people here in Wales who want to get rid of that lot in Cardiff. It is a complete waste of money.

        60 assembly members with their entourage of assistants etc. What do they actually achieve? Not much!

        That said, I think we need to see more real conservatives in the Tory party. There are too many Liberals hiding in Tory seats. Much of the Common Purpose damage inflicted by Blair needs to be reversed too.

      6. steve
        October 26, 2020

        Sea Warrior

        “The Conservatives could go into the next general election”

        I don’t think they’ll last that long.

    2. Lifelogic
      October 26, 2020

      Indeed. Read Griff Rhys Jones on the insane London Road blocking (in the spectator and their Out Loud Podcast) that Khan is pushing. He is going to win again too as no real opposition.

    3. Martin in Cardiff
      October 26, 2020

      Oh, how you shrieked, about the “centralisation” of the European Union.

      You just don’t do irony, do you?

      1. Sir Joe Soap
        October 26, 2020

        Happy to decentralise them if they pay their way. This business of putting themselves to sleep and letting the south east of England pay is reprehensible.

      2. Edward2
        October 26, 2020

        Another tier of government that is surplus to requirements.

        1. bill brown
          October 26, 2020

          Edward 2

          No facts, no references and still and no argument for the point of view.
          Typical you conclude without reading and understanding and you make conslusions on issue thar people have not nescessairly raised like. ( Your false conclusion on the EIU and the EU)

          1. Edward2
            October 26, 2020

            I made my opinion very clear.
            Are you finding straightforward words difficult to comprehend bill?
            Or is it your fixed view that the EU is brilliant that is blinding you?

            I repeat the EU is an unnecessary extra tier of government.

      3. Arthur Wrightiss
        October 26, 2020

        The Welsh people voted for Drakeford and are now living with that decision. Has he been good for Wales, or not so good for Wales ?
        The majority will decide again at the ballot box.

      4. Andy
        October 26, 2020

        The EU is at least competent. This lot want centralisation of the most inept, incompetent and dishonest government we have. It is like social Darwinism on a nationwide scale.

        1. Edward2
          October 26, 2020

          At least you get to vote for our government.

        2. NickC
          October 26, 2020

          I’m quite sure that neither Italy nor Greece think the EU is that competent, Andy. And I wouldn’t put bets on Poland, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, or Eire being as totally convinced as you are about EU competence either.

        3. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚well if you consider 50% youth unemployment, halving of world trade share, impoverishment of the Med and permanent waging of war – even against their own citizens, ā€˜an achievementā€™ then I agree.

      5. oldwulf
        October 26, 2020

        Hi Martin

        Part of the “centralisation” argument is that the UK was a net contributor to the EU (and presumably still is … for the next few weeks). However, Wales is not a net contributor to the UK.

        https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/wales-9bn-drain-uk-economy-2166286

        However, I take your point. Perhaps the people of Wales should have the choice ….

        100% Westminster
        OR
        0% Westminster

        The current halfway house doesn’t seem to be working.

      6. Mike Durrans
        October 26, 2020

        Devolution was caused by the traitor Blair to allow the European Uniion to smoother Britain . Thankfully he failed!

        Now we must repeal the devolution act and flatten the Welsh and Scottish assembly buildings

        Then sit back and watch the collapse of the so-called European Union

      7. Lynn Atkinson
        October 26, 2020

        That was destroying nations and countries Martin. Worth every shriek! Here we have assemblies destroying the homogeneity of U.K. – same shriek!

  3. Frances Truscott
    October 26, 2020

    Safeguarding the vulnerable would mean locking away too many people including a lot of MPs. Why not talk about and telling people about new tests which are less invasive, new treatments including those to use in the community,and of course the vaccines.
    Shopping needs to be mainly online and that could have included childrenā€™s clothing.
    Encourage supermarkets to provide more online slots. That keeps things going while minimising risk.

    1. No longer Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      The vulnerable number about 0.04% and they average 82 in age.

      If you were told there was a vaccine that could protect 99.6% of the population you’d say open up the economy and get back to normal.

      Well we have it already. It’s called the human immune system.

      1. No longer Anonymous
        October 26, 2020

        Correction 99.96 of the population !!!

        God.

        What have they done ???!!!

        1. Gramp
          October 26, 2020

          Your idea of vulnerable numbers is ridiculous.
          For a start there are way over three million diabetics in the uk. I know that these are not classed as “Extremely vulnerable* but vulnerable they are! Look at the death figures.
          That is just for diabetes.

          1. No Longer Anonymous
            October 26, 2020

            And the majority of those could have been curing their own diabetes during lockdown but didn’t bother !

            And then obesity …

            This is not the Black Death we were told it was an what I was terrified of catching as a key worker at the start of the pandemic.

            Hazmat suited troops on every corner – plague pits in every town.

            THAT’s a pandemic !

            For this 0.04% killer (which is what it has turned out to be) pubs, high street, cafe’s, restaurants, theatres, clubs, airlines, cruise lines, festivals, family gatherings … on and bloody on… have to go.

            Gone. Bye bye. Off they go.

            Now tell me how many are going to die of poverty and suicide.

            I offer you figures whereas you offer me none.

          2. a-tracy
            October 26, 2020

            Where are the figures Gramp please?

            Over three million diabetics – how many of them have died caused by covid 19?

        2. glen cullen
          October 26, 2020

          +1

        3. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          +1 they will never be forgiven. Boris has unseated Conan!

      2. matthu
        October 26, 2020

        + + +

      3. James Bertram
        October 26, 2020

        Excellent way of pithily expressing the current absurdities. Thank you, NLA.

    2. Leslie Singleton
      October 26, 2020

      Dear Frances–Lots of people including me do not like shopping online, indeed the less I have to do with anything online the better. I do not like giving my bank details to strangers for a start and living on my own I am often not in when delivery arrives, especially after a not unusual (late) change in delivery time. Frequently what arrives is not what was ordered and think of all those delivery vans buzzing around – Muscae volitantes – helping clog up the roads and of course mustn’t forget the climate change. Anyway like it or lump it visiting my local shop is a highlight of my regular day and I for one if at all possible like to see and touch before I buy. There are places where one can still actually get some good advice. I wonder what the effect on unemployment is of shops being shut. Doubt good.

      1. anon
        October 26, 2020

        Use a third party to pay (like a pal) who acts as a trusted intermediary, you pay them, they pay the shop. If you use them every so often there is no direct charge.

      2. bigneil(newercomp)
        October 26, 2020

        Leslie – had similar farce with delivery during lockdown. Looked online at a firm half a mile away. Rang – they had what I wanted “Can I collect”? – -NO – Why? – Virus – But i’m only 2 minutes away – NO , . . . SO – the items had to be selected – packed in 2 boxes then collected by their allocated drivers, then took 20 miles away to depot, handled by ??? other people – loaded back onto the same van, driven the 20 miles back by the same driver and delivered to me 24 hours AFTER I could have collected it !!!! – -My collection ( could have been put straight into the car boot by them) would have the items handled by LESS people – had NO packing boxes, which went straight into waste and NOT been driven 40 miles.

      3. Dr. Sok
        October 26, 2020

        Always a positive and useful comment

    3. Everhopeful
      October 26, 2020

      Thatā€™s exactly what they want!
      Mask wearing is down to a psychologist in SAGE not a doctor…it puts people off going out and keeps the feeling that we are in the middle of a dangerous pandemic ( we are not) uppermost in the mind.

      Prof Susan Michie…look her up!

      The powers-that-should-not-be want the small shops to go bankrupt.
      That is the plan.
      And they only eased the restrictions so they could conflate the ā€œvirusā€ with seasonal flu for their unicorn ā€œ second waveā€.

  4. Mark B
    October 26, 2020

    Good morning.

    I am in very much agreement with our kind host.

    The government has probably done, more by accident than judgement, a great services in getting us back to REAL NORMAL than at any other time by offloading responsibility, as always, onto someone else. In this case, the Welsh Assembly. Finally we have an administration even more out of touch and willing to show off its authoritarian credentials than the UK Government. And boy, are the people finally getting a bit peed off. Perhaps this is the start of the ‘kickback’ that will finally change government policy ? Here’s hoping.

    Christmas is not far away and soon the unemployment figures will begin to rise. People cannot spend on that which they do not have and this will have a serious knock on effect into the new year. Markets will begin to be concerned if the UK can meet its debts and interest and / or bond rates might begin to rise, spelling the end to cheap money. No good printing, that will just make imports more expensive. And no good bringing more new arrivals if there are no jobs.

    What a cock-up

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      October 26, 2020

      Mark in normal times if the U.K. was the outlier, you would be right. But the whole western world is in this mess. The U.K. , especially with a clean Brexit ridding ourselves of EU liabilities, is still strong and a desirable place to park wealth, you will have seen that the French are buying most in the London property market at present, opting-in to our clean Brexit.
      If any of the pressures you mention do come to pass, it will encourage the establishment of more home-based manufacturing and production, which is great, and we need to ensure it is local people who benefit from the creation of these real jobs.
      PS when the Welsh demand a referendum on their idiot Assembly, we must provide it. It is for the Welsh, Scots and Irish to demand the reversal of recently established and expensive layers of government. When they pay the price they will so demand. Watching closely to see how pleased the Irish people are at becoming one of the highest per capita contributors to the failing EU. Expect much screaming soon!

      1. Sakara Gold
        October 26, 2020

        The Irish have implemented another lockdown and have brought their transmission rate down. They are using EU funding to protect their public and their “new” economy is still functioning fairly well.

        Lynn, it’s time to forget political dogma and try and emulate those countries who have both controlled the virus and supported their economies. Like New Zealand, Australia, Thailand…. and now Ireland

        1. Philip P.
          October 26, 2020

          Constantly peddling myths about these countries doesn’t make them true, I’m afraid.
          NZ’s GDP fell by 12% in the 2nd quarter, Thailand’s by 9.7%, but Sweden’s by 8.6%. Which of these countries ‘protected its economy’ best? The one with no lockdown.

        2. NickC
          October 26, 2020

          Sakara: “They are using EU funding”? Where has the EU funding come from? Out of thin air? It would have been from us if we had remained in as you wanted.

          As for your cheeky stricture “itā€™s time to forget political dogma” you (and people like you) have just spent the last few years refusing losers’ consent. How politically dogmatic is that?

          And no country has “controlled” the virus – at best they have locked down their borders to prevent ingress of the virus – for now. Or they have a younger and therefore less vulnerable population.

        3. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          Oh you mean isolation from the whole world? Forever?

        4. Fedupsoutherner
          October 26, 2020

          All without help from the EU

      2. Hope
        October 26, 2020

        Clean Brexit… oh Lynn, you do like a laugh. Tell us about the wonderful new shiny bright immigration policy- that will increase numbers!

        1. NickC
          October 26, 2020

          Hope, You could do what Martin did a day or two ago, and redefine the EU’s free movement as not being immigration. How to cut immigration at a stroke – redefine it!!

        2. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          One battle at a time Hope.

      3. IanT
        October 26, 2020

        Apparently, London has the largest French population in the World outside of France. Taxing the French drove many of them to seek shelter elsewhere. I wonder if they will re-patriate to France now (according to some) it’s going to be so terrible to live here post-Brexit?

        They may even have grown to like our ‘Roast Beef’ by now…. šŸ™‚

        1. DaveK
          October 26, 2020

          I believe it became the 7th largest “French City” and was allocated it’s own MEP.

        2. Fred H
          October 26, 2020

          It wasn’t about workers escaping taxes in France – I know a few- it was only about finding jobs…. and London /SE being rather more tolerant of other nationals than anywhere in France.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            October 26, 2020

            And of course itā€™s nice to have jobs to apply for which is not the case in France.

        3. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          The numbers Of French in London are increasing as we speak.

          1. glen cullen
            October 26, 2020

            Is that to escape Sharia Law in France

      4. bill brown
        October 26, 2020

        Lynn Atkinson

        !) there will be no clean Brexit as you claim there will fortunately be a deal
        2) The Irish will never be the largest contributors to teh Eu per capita for a very long time
        3) Why, don’t you think and read before you write as we have asked you to do many times?

        1. Edward2
          October 26, 2020

          Is “we” the EU paid for, internet posting society.

        2. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          Dear Bull,
          1. I think there will be a clean Brexit. To avoid it the EU have to crawl on their belly and beg us for free access to our lucrative market. In any case we, like millions of other British people will never visit the EU or buy anything from it. A friend in IT has been told his company will no longer buy BMWs, for example.
          2. So you admit the Irish will be the largest Contributors to the EU at the right juncture, – they will be delighted with than confirmation and I have already sent your response to my family in Ireland.
          3. You are impertinent.

          1. bill brown
            October 27, 2020

            Lynn Atkinson

            I never admit to anything you might rigt as I do not wish to be put in the category. thank you

    2. Sir Joe Soap
      October 26, 2020

      It’s what always should have happened. This half way house can never work. Tell the Scottish and Welsh what to do and if they don’t like it let them hang themselves making their own decisions with their own funding.

  5. The Prangwizard
    October 26, 2020

    ‘The UK government must learn…’

    And where is England’s government? The English don’t have one. Who speaks only for England? NO-ONE.

    1. Lifelogic
      October 26, 2020

      Indeed England just get to pay for all their waste and lunacies with absurdly high taxation that kills the tax base, deters business, hard work and job creation.

      1. Lifelogic
        October 26, 2020

        This on top of all the waste in England like HS2, all the green crap subsidies and all the hugely inefficiently managed (and possibly/rather likely to be corrupted in many areas) Covid expenditure.

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      October 26, 2020

      Every English constituency returns an MP to speak for them, the country is called the U.K. and we do not want to be sliced into 4 or more to present a disunited front and easy picking for the predatory empires. The solution is to reunite, not to play into their hands and further divide.

      1. Fred H
        October 26, 2020

        unite the Scots, Welsh, Irish with the once-English ? Good luck with that!

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          From the tip of Africa, the difference between a Scotsman, Irishman, Englishman and Welshman seem to nearly disappear, even to them!

      2. JoolsB
        October 26, 2020

        Disagree Lynn. They are UK Unionist MPs who ā€˜representā€™ their constituencies which just happen to be in England. They are not English MPs and heaven forbid if they had to mention the word England, theyā€™d be choking on their cornflakes. They do not represent or stand up for England in any way which is why England gets thousands less per head spent on it despite being the only net contributor to the UK coffers and why only our young are hammered with the second highest fees in the world and why only our sick pay for their prescriptions and hospital parking. They watch on and do and say nothing.

        The UK is already sliced into 4 – Scotland, Wales, NI and the UK. It is this deliberate choice by the political elite to ignore England which is causing disunity. Why should England not have the same voice and representation as the others?

      3. Old Albion
        October 26, 2020

        Every Welsh/Scottish and N.Irish constituency sends an MP to speak for them in the (dis)uk Parliament. Where they can and often do, vote against English interests. Meanwhile England has no representation of it’s own, nor in any devolved gov.
        England has NO equality in this land.
        If you think scrapping the devolved bodies is the answer? Well good luck with that. The genie is out of the bottle and will never go back. Ask Ms Sturgeon.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          So your solution is to scrap the 800 year old UK Constitution (which has saved us because as you know the institutions did not – Palace, parliament and pulpit) along with the U.K. parliament – well they go hand in hand, then like the 4 nations footballers divided into 4 losing teams, you will take on the single German (football team) with some Remainer drawn up codified Constitution which will truss England like a chicken.
          Any more of that sort of thinking and you will convince me that The English no longer deserve to survive, because we are speaking of survival, be in no doubt of that.

      4. Fedupsoutherner
        October 26, 2020

        Lynn, don’t we? Speak for yourself. Many of us would gladly vote to lose them.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          So you would sacrifice those critical Scottish voters who voted SNP as the only way to stop Labour beating Cameron, and thus delivering the Referendum.
          Well I will never abandon Scotland, whose genes I carry, or Ireland for that matter.
          The proposal for an English Parliament is naive.

      5. steve
        October 26, 2020

        Lynn

        No, I’d like to see another Scottish independence referendum, but this time including the English vote, since it affects us.

        I think the SNP would find themselves hoisted by their own petard.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          Itā€™s the Scots who will pay a price in life just so you can get back at Mrs Sturgeon? Donā€™t complain about Boris sacrificing life to oppose CV19, you have as narrow a vision as does he.

          1. bill brown
            October 27, 2020

            Lynn Atkinson

            Are you beginning to describe your own view on life?

    3. Old Albion
      October 26, 2020

      That’s why I support Scottish independence. It brings an English Gov. one significant step closer.

      1. Mark B
        October 26, 2020

        +1

      2. JoolsB
        October 26, 2020

        +1. Totally agree Old Albion but theyā€™re never going to vote for independence as long as anti-English UK Governments, this one included, keep shovelling more and more money (English taxes) at them to pay for all their freebies which they deny to England. At the end of the day, they know which side their bread is buttered on. And I do wish the UK Government would stop begging them to stay on behalf of England without even bothering to consult us. If England ever got a say, they would be independent tomorrow. But England never gets a say on anything including whether we would like an English parliament because our self serving MPs know what the answer would be.

      3. Lifelogic
        October 26, 2020

        Well the current appalling devolution system is appalling thanks to the dire Blair government trying to protect the interest or Labour and failing!

      4. Lynn Atkinson
        October 26, 2020

        It brings German Government over England one step closer.

    4. Sea_Warrior
      October 26, 2020

      Now that Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs can’t vote on legislation for England I don’t see a need for an ‘English government’. It would just be another waste of money.

      1. JoolsB
        October 26, 2020

        Who told you that? Scottish, Welsh & NI MPs most definitely CAN vote on matters relating to England and often do. EVEL is one giant sop watered down by the outgoing Hague and isnā€™t even on the statute books so can be overturned by an incoming Labour/SNP Government at any time.

        1. JoolsB
          October 26, 2020

          Nor would an English Parliament be a waste of money. If anything it would save money. For a start the building is there and we would not need anywhere near 650 UK MPs for the remaining reserved matters which is the very reason our self serving MPs ignore England. The Westminster Gravy train is of far more interest to them than what is right and fair for England.

          1. Lynn Atkinson
            October 26, 2020

            But would it stop there? Donā€™t you think the Cornish will claim their language marks them out from the rest of England? Certainly if Scotland have an advantage, Northumberland wants one too – we are Geordies up here and nothing like you soft southerners. Everyone knows Yorkshire is different from the rest, and the Man of Kent is certainly not the same as the Kentish Man. You want to set that ball rolling? And when itā€™s each household for itself – how do you rate your chances against a United Germany?

        2. Fedupsoutherner
          October 26, 2020

          +1

          1. steve
            October 27, 2020

            Lynn

            “we are Geordies up here and nothing like you soft southerners”

            ………..Perhaps you could have applied a bit more thought before posting that ?

      2. steve
        October 26, 2020

        Sea Warrior

        How true. Perhaps we should ask government ‘what the hell do we need you for ?’……and give ’em the bum’s rush.

        1. Fred H
          October 26, 2020

          revenge is a dish best served cold. Our day will come.

    5. Andy
      October 26, 2020

      The Conservative party speaks for England. You have no MPs in Northern Ireland and only a handful in both Scotland and Wales. And yet you have a big majority in Parliament – despite the fact that the majority of people donā€™t vote for you.

      You are massively over represented and you literally run the place (badly) and still you moan.

      1. Edward2
        October 26, 2020

        Same logic applied when Labour were in power for three terms with Blair and Brown.

      2. JoolsB
        October 26, 2020

        With respect, youā€™re an idiot. The Conservative party NEVER speak for England. Yes they rely on England for their votes and the thanks we get is they carry on ignoring us and the rotten deal our kids, our sick and our elderly get. When is the last time you ever heard one of them even say the word England let alone speak up for it? NEVER thatā€™s when.

        1. Lynn Atkinson
          October 26, 2020

          I hear JR speak of England all the time.

      3. NickC
        October 26, 2020

        Andy, And have you discovered those 55,000 pen-pushers, the miles long lorry queues, and the shortages of food and medicine, that you were moaning would hit us now that we’ve “left” the EU?

      4. steve
        October 26, 2020

        Andy

        “The Conservative party speaks for England”

        No Andy, it doesn’t.

        1. Andy
          October 26, 2020

          Well it speaks for Little Englanders. And at the moment they are the same thing.

          1. Edward2
            October 27, 2020

            “Little” we would certainly be as just a region of the United States of Europe.
            One vote out of 28.
            Having important laws, regulations, directives and rules put upon us.

  6. DaveM
    October 26, 2020

    I thought Dan Jarvisā€™ question over what exactly will constitute success if he locks down S Yorkshire (and what the quantifiable conditions would be for lifting it) was a good one and one that should have been asked a long time ago nationwide.

    Has he received an answer yet Sir John?

    1. bigneil(newercomp)
      October 26, 2020

      Has Dan Jarvis received an answer?? – -He’ll never know – because he never stops talking – He wont use 5 words when he can use 5000. I just switch off as soon as he starts.

  7. matthu
    October 26, 2020

    I sense there is a need to wait until after the outcome of the US election before showing any optimism. Let’s hope the result is not unduly delayed.

    1. glen cullen
      October 26, 2020

      I agree and now understand why the Boris/EU deadline 15th Oct was extended to the 28th Oct – I’m sure it will be extended further

      1. bigneil(newercomp)
        October 26, 2020

        Expect the next extension to be until the 12th of never – – or February the 30th.

      2. steve
        October 26, 2020

        glen cullen

        As far as I’m concerned he said 15th. So if he’s extended it by so much as one day…..he’s a liar who cannot be trusted to keep his word.

    2. Alpipp
      October 27, 2020

      Mmmm… All this blame on booze. Yet Dubai has high COVID stats … European and South East asians outnumber Emirates. Very few drinking holes – drunkenness is a criminal offence. But wait! Dubai is full of thriving coffee and tea houses where people talk, smile and socialise.

      So stop blaming people wanting to socialise, the young are programmed to socialise and exchange ideas. This is how we progress , inventions

  8. No longer Anonymous
    October 26, 2020

    A friend said last night “I believe in lockdown otherwise the NHS will shut down.”

    I told him “What are you talking about ? The NHS HAS shut down !”

    1. Fred H
      October 26, 2020

      What Health Service? What’s National about it?

      1. glen cullen
        October 26, 2020

        Agree – its not even regional

      2. bigneil(newercomp)
        October 26, 2020

        The only people guaranteed to see a NHS staff member are those the Border Force are ferrying in – Those who haven’t paid a penny in – and have NO intention of doing so – Free NHS, Free translators, Free housing, Free cash, Free everything – ON OUR TAXES. – -They are NOT coming to work – why would they contribute – when everything is there for them – for committing crime of getting here illegally?

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      October 26, 2020

      Letā€™s hope itā€™s permanent! We need something very much better!

  9. BeebTax
    October 26, 2020

    I wish the government would listen to you on this. Excellent piece.

    In my workplace (yes, I go to a traditional office and mingle with people 5 days a week) people of all ages and backgrounds are voicing their derision at the daft measures the government is imposing on us. From what I hear said, people are simply ignoring the restrictions on their private lives.

  10. Fedupsoutherner
    October 26, 2020

    Stupidity from Drake ford beyond belief. I just hope Boris isn’t going to do another U turn on a lockdown in England. It’s getting us nowhere.

    1. Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      Stupidity from Drake ford beyond belief. I just hope Boris isnā€™t going to do another U turn on a lockdown in England.

      ….
      He is, of course, endless lockdowns is the plan.

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        October 26, 2020

        Frightening. They are not in touch with the people.

  11. Mark
    October 26, 2020

    Exactly Sir John.

    Hopefully the socialist Welsh experiment in centralised planning will lift the scales from many peopleā€™s eyes.

    Goodness knows our quasi-capitalism is screwed up at the moment, but anyone who thinks a centralised command economy would be better is seriously deluded.

  12. Sir Joe Soap
    October 26, 2020

    Or alternatively a 3 month complete England shutdown, close all borders, stop all work, stop all shipments of goods across the border, to be paid for by the Welsh and Scottish populations who will go back to work earlier from their successful lockdowns.

  13. Nigl
    October 26, 2020

    You are close to civil insurrection and I do not know anyone who thinks you arenā€™t now making an utter balls up trying to hold back an uncontrollable tide whilst sacrificing jobs and more importantly people with other serious health conditions. Indeed it seems that a case could be made that your government has ā€˜deliberatelyā€™ killed people that could have been cured.

    Bernard Jenkin highlighted just one aspect, the totally fragmented approach to Test and Trace, your key protection mechanism and the inept Dido Harding yet a government spokesperson defended her saying she was doing a good job.

    Sums up the so called world class standard you are trying to spin, similar to the NHS.

    Off topic are you are aware of the total mess your Green Grant scheme is, more smoke and mirrors with a ludicrous shortage of capacity and an undeliverable timescale. One again HMG spokesperson in denial.

    The least you could do is lobby to extend the end date.

    1. Alan Jutson
      October 26, 2020

      Nig1

      Agree about the green scheme, an absolute farce.

      Under capacity until more unsuitable companies start up and get listed by taking on un skilled labour.

      Simple solution if the Government is keen on a grant or subsidy, would be to subsidise the cost of insulation products (VAT ZERO) and let those who want to do it themselves, those who need someone else to do it can choose from established reliable companies that already exist.

      1. Lifelogic
        October 26, 2020

        Exactly leave the money with the people and let them spent it how they want to. They know their personal needs. Do not tax them to death, waste most of the money in admin cost and then give them voucher they can only spend on dinners, insulation (with loads of conditions attached) or OAP bus passes and the likes.

    2. Hope
      October 26, 2020

      Not just Dido Harding. It is Hancock’s fault and he must go.

    3. DaveK
      October 26, 2020

      Read the Times article “Revealed: how elderly paid price of protecting NHS from Covid-19”.

  14. Martin in Cardiff
    October 26, 2020

    By and large – but that is by no means a claim to totality – the people here accept the sincerity of Mark Drakeford, even if some may question whether his decisions are the wisest.

    That trust means that more is possible here than in England, where Johnson has demonstrated admirably and repeatedly that he is not a man of his word.

    In particular, any restrictions on freedom imposed by someone who is not trusted give rise to a feeling of being subject to authoritarianism.

    For a crystal clear example of the importance of trust, and what can be achieved with it, see New Zealand on the other hand.

    1. Martin in Cardiff
      October 26, 2020

      PS, it was a Tory here, who pushed for the restrictions on items for sale in supermarkets in the name of fairness, to protect local small businesses specialising in those.

      There is degree of wryness here, but commenters in England should focus on their own affairs – they have plenty about which to be concerned.

      1. Know-Dice
        October 26, 2020

        “commenters in England should focus on their own affairs “

        Pot, Kettle, Black – Martin from the Police State formal known as Wales…

        1. Know-Dice
          October 26, 2020

          Or even formally….

      2. anon
        October 26, 2020

        Welsh MPs vote on matters that effect the English only.

        The UK subsidises Wales, it is our concern.
        As until if ever you vote & go independent and pay for it.

        We know what the gloablists want and it isnt strong democratic unions, like the UK. Yes they love the EU but not many would describe it as democratic.

      3. steve
        October 26, 2020

        MiC

        Oh so you’re telling us to mind our own business ? Fine, you won’t be needing our money then.

      4. Lynn Atkinson
        October 26, 2020

        Martin you claim not to be Welsh. You have no right to speak for Wales therefore.

        1. bill brown
          October 27, 2020

          Lynn Atkinson

          You write about evertything and any one not knowing anything about it in the fist place, so let Andy be Welsh

          1. Fred H
            October 27, 2020

            Martin told us he is English – but wants to live in Cardiff !! Amazing isn’t it!

    2. matthu
      October 26, 2020

      It is not only politicians whom people no longer trust: science and medicine have become politicized as well. Medical experts who argue against wearing face masks or imposing lockdowns are ignored by the mainstream media and censored by social media.

      The largest study ever carried out into the effectiveness of wearing masks is having great difficulty in getting its results published while a professor from Oxford University said last month that she was having unusual difficulty getting anything on herd immunity published.

      Scientific and medical journals are simply no longer brave enough to publish controversial result: thy are becoming as untrustworthy as politicians.

      1. Mitchel
        October 26, 2020

        A book I would urge people to read -“Stalin and the Scientists” by Simon Ings (of The New Scientist magazine),published in 2016.

        It’s an extremely well researched examination of science in the USSR (and late tsarist Russia)between 1905 and 1953,where politics followed the science at unlimited cost (provided the science followed the politics).

        As one of the reviewers put it:

        “it paints a picture of a Russia ravaged and contaminated by gigantic and idiotic attempts to change nature and then concludes that the entire world is now replicating Stalin’s abominations,to the detriment of our planet.”

    3. Fedupsoutherner
      October 26, 2020

      What a joke Martin. We live a few miles from the border of Wales and consequently know loads of Welsh. They are all totally pissed off with all the restrictions. Many have family in England who they can’t see. It’s all dictatorship stuff creeping in but then what would you expect from a Corbyn luvvie?

    4. NickC
      October 26, 2020

      That’s all very well, Martin, but you have form in making purported factual statements which turn out to be only your opinion. So, as before, I ask you to produce evidence – this time for your assertion that “by and large . . . the people here accept the sincerity of Mark Drakeford”.

  15. Lynn Atkinson
    October 26, 2020

    My nephew, his wife, child and dog drove up to Northumberland from Epsom on Saturday. We ā€˜entertainedā€˜ them in the open garage, with the garden table and chairs next to the bins set for lunch, because they were not ā€˜allowedā€™ indoors. It was freezing and miserable and after 4 hours they drove the 5 hours back to Epsom in wind and rain, and darkness.
    The 10 hours in the road were far more dangerous than coming into our house would have been, but they are the only people I know sticking rigidly to the ā€˜word of Borisā€™. Had we not set up a camp in the garage they would not have come.
    The only one who enjoyed themselves was the dog.
    I have had a belly-full of this idiocy.
    If previous generation could read your post in isolation, they would wonder what on earth you were on about. Itā€™s like advising people that continuing to breath is a good idea.

    1. Nigl
      October 26, 2020

      Yes. I visited Portugal allegedly a ā€˜dangerousā€™ place necessitating quarantine on return. Total rubbish, people get closer to me in ā€˜Tescoā€™sā€™.

      Just trashing air travel and tourism because it is easier to be totally risk averse rather than be informed and if necessary create a Risk Tier system for at least European Countries. Eg. Lisbon and Porto no, Tier 3, out in the country, yes Tier 1.

      They need to be honest with us about the risk, information is still unclear and contradictory and let us decide.

      Germany has a high rate but we are still allowed to travel without quarantine on return. Funny that.

      Nothing to do with needing Merkelā€™s help with Brexit I suppose?

    2. zorro
      October 26, 2020

      Take Lord Sumption’s advice

      zorro

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        October 26, 2020

        I should have said that the wife is an NHS Manager. Totally convinced that we are facing Armageddon. Keep 6 ft distance in the garden! The NHS has absolutely no idea of the stats, infection rates etc. When I told her the ā€˜second waveā€™ was over she looked at me with real pity.
        The NHS is definitely a parallel universe.

        1. Fred H
          October 26, 2020

          Abandon all hope of intelligent thought all ye who enter there!

        2. Zorro
          October 26, 2020

          Says it all – you have my commiserations. We must pray for them…

          Zorro

    3. Christine
      October 26, 2020

      And how many people are going to become ill and die because they have to sit outside in the cold, damp British weather, just to be able to see their families?

  16. davews
    October 26, 2020

    Unfortunately the country and now Wales has followed the herd. There is enough evidence that lockdowns do nothing to stop the spread and it should no longer be a policy. As you say we have to live with the virus, especially since the NHS is a long way from being overloaded and death rates are spot on what is to be expected in the autumn flu/cold season. I am also puzzled that you seem to be obsessed with air conditioning etc and with winter fast approaching leaving doors and windows open is not going to happen. Where is the evidence this helps.

    Reply I did not mention open windows. Good dirty air extraction can make public spaces safer.

    1. Caterpillar
      October 26, 2020

      Germany is doing the open window thing to ensure air is refreshed (I haven’t read the pages of instructions). Also Germany has grants available to schools and businesses to update to appropriate air purifiers/ airconditioning systems.

      (It has been reported in many places that German schools are following the guidance and pupils are simply wearing more clothes.)

      1. a-tracy
        October 28, 2020

        Ahh, so Britain as always is just suggesting following German policy and German spending priorities.

        If France is going on total Countrywide lockdown and Spain – it seems inevitable that we will follow next week.

    2. NickC
      October 26, 2020

      Reply to reply: JR, Air change frequency in the design of large buildings has been reduced over the last couple of decades in deference to the green obsession with CO2 – fewer air changes means less energy used so reducing CO2 output. Now you want to reverse that!

  17. Sakara Gold
    October 26, 2020

    As the nasty party throws off it’s camuflage to reveal Tory true blue colours and rears it’s ugly head again, I wonder when the government will admit the serious sequence of blunders that have led us to this sorry situation and make some attempt to rectify them.

    Demanding further opening of the economy, in the current situation, is to throw fuel on the fire. If this course of action comes to pass, in three or four weeks the NHS will be overwhelmed, the wards full – with people fighting to get their relatives on a respirator and ultimately, the government will be forced to implement another complete lockdown anyway. Probably over Xmas.

    Looking back at the past nine months, the government has consistently been behind the curve. It reacts to the predictable consequences of political decisions taken to support big business and the economy, rather than pro-actively trying to protect the public.

    Across the pond, Trump has taken the same approach and ~ 250,000 Americans will have lost their lives as a consequence by Nov 3rd. As a result it looks like not only will he loose the election by a humiliating margin, his party (the GOP) will also loose control of the Senate

    In my view we need to protect the public first – at least until the vaccine we all hope for becomes available. Sunak clearly understands this and his latest support measures are most welcome. The consequences for the Conservative party at the next election will be bad if another 50,000 fatalities occur.

  18. Harry
    October 26, 2020

    There is no death rate from CV19. All the government has done is relabel flu deaths as Cv19 to enable lockdowns. It’s a fraud.

    1. Fred H
      October 26, 2020

      and deny hospitalised over 80s proper treatment. The death rate will certainly rise!

    2. Martin in Cardiff
      October 26, 2020

      And just by coincidence, most of the countries of the planet are trying exactly the same wheeze at this time?

    3. Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      There is no death rate from CV19. All the government has done is relabel flu deaths as Cv19 to enable lockdowns. Itā€™s a fraud.

      ….

      correct, coronavirus makes upto 40 percent of the seasonal flu virus.
      what we are seeing on ONS stats is just that.

    4. steve
      October 26, 2020

      Harry

      CV19 is not a fraud in itself, it’s real.

      However to insinuate it as being a pandemic is fraudulent. This virus relies on comorbidity i.e preexisting conditions of poor health. It is therefore syndemic, not pandemic.

      Government knows this all too well, but they’ve been recording virtually all deaths as CV19 to fool us all. The question is why ? What are they up to ?

  19. Everhopeful
    October 26, 2020

    The Great Rest is already underway.
    Governments canā€™t yet,I suppose, actually STARVE people ( although here we had problems getting food when we were first imprisoned).
    But who is now benefitting from the banning of the sale of ā€œnon essentialā€ goods?
    Why, the online giants of course…making Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£Ā£s squillions a day! I did see the figures somewhere …they are eye watering!

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      October 26, 2020

      Oh Africa is starving.

    2. Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      The Great Rest is already underway.

      ….
      Is Prince Charles going to help out all the businesses destroyed?
      Perhaps he should shut up in future?

  20. Burning injustice
    October 26, 2020

    Sir John

    What took you so long? The policy you advocate should have been adopted months ago. We will be forced to adopt it eventually unless the cavalry turns up pronto in the form of an effective vaccine (unlikely). Let’s hope the Welsh ‘circuit breaker’ policy falls apart in the face of widespread non-compliance.

    1. Martin in Cardiff
      October 26, 2020

      It seems to be well-observed around here at the moment.

      1. Fred H
        October 26, 2020

        oh dear – – you are being stopped from doing one of your famous polls of the people?

  21. Everhopeful
    October 26, 2020

    Some sort of satanic alliance between Marxists/Big Tech/globalists has maybe led us here?
    And perhaps rather than being led by SAGE et al Johnson SEEKS the models he WANTS to justify policy?
    How could anyone do this to their country?
    Unless they were answering to a higher authority?

    1. Original Chris
      October 26, 2020

      Johnson is a puppet, in my view, and he is following a specific agenda, the Great Global Reset/NWO, the goal of the globalists. Details of how our lives would be affected (and are being affected) are in UN Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030.

      There is a view that Johnson is just blundering on because he does not want to admit mistakes in his policy. However, I disagree. I believe he, and his handlers, think he is doing just fine, with the swift grab of powers and our rights being an essential part of said globalist agenda.

    2. DaveK
      October 26, 2020

      SAGE produce these models, in fact 7 of them are mathmeticians. Boris being wary of their advice is a good thing.

      1. Fred H
        October 27, 2020

        lies, damn lies, and statistics!

    3. NickC
      October 26, 2020

      Everhopeful, Big tech (and the rest of the MSM) are well on their way to covering up the Bidengate leaked emails. So they harass PotUS Trump for over 3 years with a totally fabricated dossier alleging collusion between his campaign and Russia, yet suppress the emails which confirm and extend what we already know about Hunter and Joe Biden and their …..dealings in Ukraine and China.

    4. BeebTax
      October 26, 2020

      +1

  22. agricola
    October 26, 2020

    Yes a precipitate and ill thought out Welsh decision that eventually found a thin reason. The retail industry was having a tough enough time before Covid 19 and does not benefit from further inept government decision making.

    If I am to believe what I read, the NHS workers might be the first to benefit from a vaccine prior to Christmas. Lets have a plan in place to utilise back to normal working , but extended hours GP surgeries with the help of chemists in vaccinating first the elderly and vulnerable then the population as a whole.. That’s 134,000,000 doses, before we start selling it round the World. I am sure the private sector can produce the means for this, but can government get it organised.

  23. Edwardm
    October 26, 2020

    Agree.
    I just wish the JR’s common sense and reasoning was more common within the political classes.

  24. Andy
    October 26, 2020

    Just so everyone is clear. The policy you advocate will result in the unnecessary deaths of many tens of thousands of people from Covid. How many deaths are acceptable to you Mr Redwood?

    Reply Nonsense. I have set out various ways to get the death rate down which is the n umber one priority. The death rate was far too high whilst we were running full lockdown.

    1. Martin in Cardiff
      October 26, 2020

      If it really were the Government’s number one priority, then might they just not try to emulate the actions taken in the countries which do indeed have very low mortality from this virus?

      Every time that anyone tries to suggest this, they act as if their fingers are in their ears while singing la-la-la-la-la, however.

      1. Edward2
        October 26, 2020

        Complete nonsense.
        Why not follow Spain or Italy or France?
        Or how about Sweden?
        The UK has followed the advice given by its expert scientists.
        You use hindsight like Sir Kneel Starmer.

        1. bill brown
          October 27, 2020

          Edward 2

          This is like you kept asking about whether we clsoed down too early or too late in teh Spring of course we clsoed down too late with 20.000 dead in care homes some of them sent from hospitals by NHS.
          Mre nonsense as yu kep writing

          1. Edward2
            October 27, 2020

            Complete nonsense bill
            I dont “keep asking about whether we closed down to early or too late”
            You are making things up to create a spurious argument.

            Stop your trolling

          2. a-tracy
            October 28, 2020

            bill, I have never seen Edward2 question “whether we closed down too early or too late in the Spring” if you are going to troll him at least be accurate in your accusations.

          3. Edward2
            October 28, 2020

            Thank you tracy.
            I appreciate your confirmation.

        2. bill brown
          October 27, 2020

          Edward 2

          Memory loss or selective memory?

          1. Edward2
            October 27, 2020

            Neither.
            Try to use some facts yourself.
            You can do so much better than your current trolling posts.

    2. zorro
      October 26, 2020

      Double nonsense – it is demonstrably clear that the death rate spiked because of the lockdown (see Spectator article from Fraser Nelson amongst other sources) and the emptying of the sick and old into care homes. That was a crime and someone needs to be held responsible for it!!

      zorro

      1. Anonymous
        October 26, 2020

        Spot on zorro

    3. Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      Andy
      Posted October 26, 2020 at 8:27 am | Permalink
      Just so everyone is clear. The policy you advocate will result in the unnecessary deaths of many tens of thousands of people from Covid. How many deaths are acceptable to you Mr Redwood?


      Andy, the same bloke who told me in March I would know loved ones lost to this alleged virus. I dont even know anyone who knows anyone, apart from 82 year olds it only seems to infect celebs and politicians, but no doubt if I take the PCR test I will be one of the 93 percent false positives!

    4. Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      How many deaths are acceptable to you Mr Redwood?


      how about the annual flu deaths Andy? Shall we go into perpetual isolation? How many flu deaths are acceptable Andy?

    5. NickC
      October 26, 2020

      Andy, Just so everyone is clear. The policy you advocate will result in the unnecessary deaths of many tens of thousands of people from non-covid diseases. How many deaths are acceptable to you Mr Andy? And how many people’s livelihoods will you destroy for a virus that is less deadly than the other current respiratory illnesses?

    6. steve
      October 26, 2020

      Andy

      “How many deaths are acceptable…..”?

      Self inflicted comorbidity should be a low priority, destroying the economy and ruining the lives of the majority just to protect a minority is not justifiable in my opinion.

      PS re your recent comments on free meals for disadvantaged kids – well said. I hope the government takes a leaf out of Marcus Rashford’s books and does the right thing.

      1. Martin in Cardiff
        October 27, 2020

        What measures would you think were acceptable if sixty thousand British had been killed by foreign people, rather than by a virus?

        Come on?

  25. Narrow Shoulders
    October 26, 2020

    It’s easy for the devolved authorities to lock down knowing that England will pick up the tab. These are areas that do not have particularly high incidence too.

    Devolved decision, devolved payment methinks. Those interviewed yesterday seemed to support the decision, if it was directly costing them they may think differently.

  26. Mike Wilson
    October 26, 2020

    Is improving air flow a good idea?

  27. James Bertram
    October 26, 2020

    Well said, Sir John.
    Here is Plan B: https://gbdeclaration.org/

    Recent report by Frazer Nelson on Sweden in the Telegraph (see https://lockdownsceptics.org/2020/10/23/ ):
    No lockdown. No face masks. Restrictions for the over-70s lifted. Gatherings of up to 300 allowed.
    Death rates lower than the UK.

    ‘Sweden has rejected lockdown and face masks, but infections there are on the rise again. Yesterday, its public health agency published a report noting this ā€“ and pointing out that the elderly are at the gravest risk. In any other country, you could guess what would come next: a crackdown or curfew, a ban on socialising, a ā€œrule of sixā€, no more seeing grandchildren. But what the officials had to say next was ā€“ to British ears ā€“ astonishing.

    The elderly, they said, have suffered enough. They have spent months being advised to avoid public transport, shopping malls and other parts of everyday life. And the result? Loneliness. Misery. This is more than unpleasant: it quickly translates into depression, mental health issues and mortality. ā€œWe cannot only think about infection control,ā€ said Lena Hallengren, Swedenā€™s health minister, ā€œwe also need to think about public health.ā€ An important distinction: focus on Covid to the exclusion of other conditions and you risk lives.

    Sweden is perhaps the first country in the world to make this case so clearly: isolation kills too. We now know much more about the virus, said Ms Hallengren, but we also know more about the side effects of lockdown ā€“ and even in Swedenā€™s case (where restrictions were voluntary) these effects are severe. Her 21-page report found a ā€œdecline in mental healthā€ that was ā€œlikely to worsen the longer the recommendations remain in placeā€. So restrictions for the over-70s have been abolished forthwith, even with Covid rising (albeit slowly). And all this in the name of public health, not the economy….’

  28. Philip P.
    October 26, 2020

    Absolutely right and very well put, Sir John. It’s time to get this message out as widely as possible, starting with your constituency. It would be good to see an article on this same subject from you in the Wokingham Paper, perhaps.

  29. Ian Wilson
    October 26, 2020

    Sir, you are right, we need Plan B – there is now too much evidence lockdowns achieve little beyond adjusting infection timescales and seem to do more harm than good to death rates from all causes and of course to the economy.

    The problem is ministers are blundering on with policies which don’t work, perhaps to avoid admitting their poor judgement and fear of admitting evidence which will damn them in a potential enquiry. Ellie Cannon, a Daily Mail medical editor and 65 doctors wrote to Matt Hancock with constructive proposals only to receive an insulting reply from a junior minion quoting extracts from the minister’s earlier speeches. Following Matt Hancock’s equally insulting dismissal of the Great Barrington Declaration it really is time for him to resign or be made to do so.

    1. Jacqui
      October 26, 2020

      Hear, hear…!!!
      Even though the truth is glaring obvious, this is not a deadly pandemic the stats plus Seeden bear it out..
      This government seems unable or unwilling to understand or face up to it..
      They’re just constantly changing the goal posts to justify their idiocy and MP’s cannot complain when they had the chance to vote against the continuation of this Dictatorship and failed to protect their constituents by not doing so..
      Typical elite strategy, spending our money to keep us poor. Wicked and corrupt..

    2. Sharon
      October 26, 2020

      Ian

      Thatā€™s the most worrying part of this debacle- dissenting voices are ignored or discredited! Where have we heard of that response before? The woke left…

      I wonder if the recipients of our emails ever even get to see them.

      JR Thatā€™s why I like reading your daily blog. You listen and consider and speak out where you can. Thanks for that.

    3. Jacqui
      October 26, 2020

      Sorry I meant Sweden..

  30. Richard1
    October 26, 2020

    The welsh ā€˜governmentā€™ is an absurdity. Led by one of Corbynā€™s Marxist types it is a byword for incompetence (eg in the health service) and bizarre grandstanding policies such as stopping people buying socks in supermarkets. Of course itā€™s useful to be reminded just how incompetent and absurd Labour politicians are when in power. Khan in London, who is a disastrous mayor, serves the same purpose.

    One option could be a new referendum in Wales to see whether people just want to shut down this whole nonsense of a Welsh govt. if not, letā€™s have devo max and give the separate nations of the union the power – and the responsibility – of raising their own taxes, above a national minimum. We could have eg a 20% National flat tax and allow the 4 nations to top up as they choose. This would also give Scots a useful taste of what separatism would be like.

  31. ukretired123
    October 26, 2020

    I think there needs to be some better slogans to encourage buy-in emphasising trust and cooperation appealing to everyone’s best efforts e.g
    – Please keep yourself, family, friends and everyone safe …. etc
    – Don’t forget Distancing, Face & Hands ..etc
    – Be kind to yourself and the community.

    That would go down 100% better than “Rules n Regs/ Rules iz regs / Rules to be defied” mentality.
    Just ask the lady in Barnsley….

  32. Everhopeful
    October 26, 2020

    I should think that JR has just about exhausted the list of things that ā€œneedā€ to be done.
    And patently no one in govt. is listening.
    It is very hard to turn around an ocean going liner or a wealthy, global movement and over the years MPs and MSM have either supported the liberal putsch or pretended it wasnā€™t happening.
    Well, here we are sheep and shepherds and a big butcherā€™s knife hanging over us all like the sword of Damocles. Oh and a few COVID sheepdogs skittering around!

  33. Bryan Harris
    October 26, 2020

    WALES: This is what happens when incompetent people are given power – they exercise it to the full extent of their inadequacies. The next step is more restrictions, this is how autocratic dogmatic regimes evolve.

    The devolved assemblies, including London, are beyond ineptitude — When will they be closed down? AS for the UK government… The next GE will no doubt be fought and won over CV-19.

    The thing that damns this government’s lack of an alternative to lock-down is how we feel we simply cannot trust the motives behind it. There are suspicions that too much is made of the virus for specific reasons.

    With trust in government so low, Boris needs to come up with options that do not destroy our country, to let in the NWO to take us back to the dark ages — He also has to get us out of the EU without any fudges ….So far it is looking likely he will be another one term PM.

  34. formula57
    October 26, 2020

    Quite right! The Government should implement Plan B as soon as it is able, if not sooner. After all, the people have been following it for some time – and it is always nice when Government and people are in sync..

  35. na
    October 26, 2020

    Many just see this as politicians getting revenge on us for not being nicer to them. Stopping people buying winter clothes for their children was particularly nasty.

  36. Anonymous
    October 26, 2020

    The Scots and the Welsh political class are both destroying themselves.

    1. Fred H
      October 26, 2020

      currently thats not much of a challenge.

    2. Lynn Atkinson
      October 26, 2020

      Every cloud …

  37. Nivek
    October 26, 2020

    “trying to change behaviour to contain the virus requires consent and co-operation from the public”

    With the system of fixed penalty notices in place, I had not understood that our consent was being sought.

  38. na
    October 26, 2020

    I don’t think there is much hope for the global political class at all after this, apart from perhaps in Sweden?

  39. formula57
    October 26, 2020

    To make clear officially that it is proper for us all to laugh at the hopeless antics of the ridiculous Welsh devolved Government, should not the chap who tore away plastic barriers covering “non-essential” goods in that Welsh supermarket be awarded an M.B.E.?

    1. DaveK
      October 26, 2020

      If he gets fined I hope there is a GoFundMe page.

    2. No Longer Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      And the guy who walked into a supermarket in his underpants who, when challenged, said “Your boss says clothes are not essential.”

      Brilliant !

  40. Caterpillar
    October 26, 2020

    I think we are witnessing good reasons for a 3 year election cycle.

    1. glen cullen
      October 26, 2020

      Yeah – can’t believe we’ve got to wait another 4yrs …..I suppose we might be out of the EU by then

    2. Fred H
      October 26, 2020

      you mean 3 months surely?

      1. Caterpillar
        October 27, 2020

        +1

  41. villaking
    October 26, 2020

    Perfectly expressed. Thank you. I am not your a natural supporter of your politics but on this massive issue I am truly grateful that you are an active MP

    Reply. Thank you. I respond to the needs of the time as I see fit and welcome all support.

  42. Sharon
    October 26, 2020

    A good article.

    However, the government (or their advisers) has lied and misrepresented information and data deliberately and wholly exaggerated so much so as to put the fear of God into people, even got the police and army involved…

    Unless Matt Hancock is replaced with a strong character injected with a strong dose of lockdown scepticism and is prepared to sack all the Sage et al scientists (with the PMā€™s backing ) who are currently holding the government and the country to ransom over this virus – nothing will change.

    It would be so easy to go round the country starting with Cornwall and each day take a new area out of lockdown. If all the cities and their suburbs are like London which it was decided ages ago (according to Paul Scully) which must be as one.. that needs urgent review (as I pointed out to Paul). The northern areas with low numbers of ill cases in hospital should be treated differently to those with larger numbers.

    I still think looking back, in March there were very few cases in the north. and this is their first wave.

    As Macbeth says , ā€œI am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go oā€™er.ā€ This seems to cover our situation rather well.

  43. Caterpillar
    October 26, 2020

    Yes, Sir John is right, there needs to be a new plan implememted. Unfortunately the PM has kept Hancock, Sunak, the advisers and scientists in place, these people have no interest in doing the right thing, they all too invested (the most polite judgement).

    If the P.M. is not big enough to sack them and get in a new team, they will continue to enjoy the destruction they bring.

    My more optimistic view remains as a couple of days ago

    http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2020/10/24/how-should-we-live-with-and-control-cv-19/#comment-1169365

    1. steve
      October 26, 2020

      Caterpillar

      “and scientists”

      …..there be the problem. Follow the money.

  44. Rachel Chandler
    October 26, 2020

    We are a divided country. There seems to be a large proportion of people who want to stay locked up and cause maximum damage to the economy and society, ignorant and blind to the cruel outcomes for our children and those most in need. Some may be driven by fear but others are driven by political malice. This government and its scientists have encouraged this, by failing to trust the public and by adopting a coercive approach to managing the disease Simple messages, including that the disease doesn’t spread in well-ventilated areas, should be enough.

    1. glen cullen
      October 26, 2020

      The divide is quite simple and very real

      Those that get their salary from the public purse and those that donā€™t

      1. Fred H
        October 27, 2020

        Like the note left in the Treasury drawer – – there’s no money left (to pay your salary) – we spent it all.

    2. No Longer Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      Those for lockdown. Usually those least likely to lose their jobs.

      1. a bad dream
        October 26, 2020

        I lost my job and no help as slightly late putting in tax due to not being able to afford accountant.

    3. Barbara
      October 26, 2020

      I donā€™t think people do support these measures. Polls say they do, but polls are easily manipulated. A chap called Politico (not the American site of the same name, this one is English) on youtube has done a good explanation of this re the way the questions pollsters ask about lockdown are slanted

      Dk if Mr R will allow the link, but Iā€™ll put it here anyway (if not, just search Politico youtube video – it is the most recent one)

      https://youtu.be/ki3-pVhY7kQ

    4. BeebTax
      October 26, 2020

      I think many donā€™t realise the damage being done because they receive pensions or furlough payments or public sector salaries and assume these will last forever.

  45. Sharon
    October 26, 2020

    Thereā€™s a very insightful article in the Daily Mail written by David Blunkett. He reminds us that the government can only govern if it has the people on side. Weā€™ve reached the point where the government need to realise…they do not have the vast majority on side – far from it. The government needs to get on side with the country, ignore the globalists demands, and allow the country to return to normal. But first it needs a dose of reality and start looking and listening.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8876281/DAVID-BLUNKETT-Democracy-bedrock-centuries-fear-risk-Covid.html

    1. Mary M.
      October 26, 2020

      May I remind anyone who has not yet signed the petition ‘Repeal the Coronavirus Act 2020’ to do so? The Act was pushed through hastily in March with little debate, when less was known about the virus.
      Now the Act should be properly debated in Parliament, but the Speaker will only consider this if there are 100,000 signatures. 96,078 people have signed, as I write. If you want to contribute to a return to democracy, please sign, and spread the word.

  46. glen cullen
    October 26, 2020

    So if we now know that its ā€˜ā€™none essentialā€™ā€™ supermarket products that is the cause of the covid-19 spreading throughout the UK, shouldnā€™t we be closing all supermarkets to save the NHS and save Lifes

    1. Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      shouldnā€™t we be closing all supermarkets to save the NHS and save Lifes

      ….
      Good point, support small shops

    2. steve
      October 26, 2020

      glen cullen

      “So if we now know that its ā€˜ā€™none essentialā€™ā€™ supermarket products that is the cause of the covid-19 spreading throughout the UK.

      It isn’t. It’s the selfish boozy mobs such as was seen in Manchester a couple of weeks ago that spiked the numbers.

      There is no justification to stop people going out and buying a tap washer or pair of pants etc other than to piss everyone off big time, or some other undisclosed sinister motive.

  47. David Williams
    October 26, 2020

    We need a positive message instead of one of fear. The disease is mild in the vast majority of cases. Treatment is available and will soon be even better. Wear a mask if you want to. Be careful if you are vulnerable.

    The tiers must have an expiry date. Quarantine for travelers must end and be replaced by internationally recognised negative test certificates.

    Labour in Wales has done us a favour by showing everyone how ridiculous it has become.

    1. a bad dream
      October 26, 2020

      Quarantine for travelers must end and be replaced by internationally recognised negative test certificates.

      ….
      outragous

      1. Lynn Atkinson
        October 26, 2020

        They cost about a fiver and you can have as many as you like, also drivers licenses, NI numbers and, if the stupid manage to foist ID cards on the U.K., they will be freely available to everyone on earth.
        QED

    2. Martin in Cardiff
      October 26, 2020

      Just wait.

      1. Edward2
        October 26, 2020

        I predict that Wales will see a reduction in cases.
        Then after they open up again cases will rapidly rise.
        What say you Martin?

  48. Newmania
    October 26, 2020

    I remember many administrations with which I profoundly disagreed but nothing like this , there is line in Casablanca that sums up my feelings
    ” You despise me don`t you Rick ..”
    ” Well if I have you any thought at all I probably would ”
    But lets force ourselves to think about their record …
    1 Lock down too late – 20,000 deaths
    2 Miserably fail to organise PPE for the NHS – more dead
    3 Make an international joke of themselves with the forgotten app
    4 Fail , for many months to organise track and trace , the failure continues
    5 Conduct a vile anti teacher campaign from their PCs while teachers were looking after key worker children
    6 When the teaching unions’ try to protect their staff form an unknown risk while MPs were cowering in their beds … accuse them of playing politics
    7 Attempt to herd us all onto trains to save sandwich shops immediately prior to a surge of infection
    By this time we are ignoring them entirely
    8 Lose all trust by making endless promises that turnout not to be true within weeks ( .. the team that brought you Brexit “bonus” )
    9 Endlessly suggest there is no hope of a vaccine ( when there is every hope ) so as to accelerate more contact transmission and death in the desperate hope this will help their Brexit cover up fund
    Fail completely to establish any relationship with our largest trading partners that betters Mongolia – more lies found out
    Losing the trust of the British people by , amongst other things treating us all as if we were born yesterday ands could not spot an infants lie when we see it. ( Cummings and Goings ….)
    Grovel around Donald Trump losing the affection of much of America and any shred of global prestige left as the US rids itself of its political virus

    Now ..I will forget them.

    1. Edward2
      October 28, 2020

      Complete twaddle from the beginning to the end.

  49. forthurst
    October 26, 2020

    The government is at sixes and sevens: Covid-19 represents a scientific challenge which it has no expertise in solving. Detailed rules but ones which have been dreamed up without any scientific justifications have been introduced. The Test and Trace system is totally flawed because it is attempting to do on a national basis what can only be done locally if it is to be effective. The involvement of PHE needs to be removed entirely; this is a pointless organisation designed to allow Arts graduates to lecture us on nutrition etc.

    Test and Trace must be centred on Local Health Authorities with help from Local Authorities and the police if necessary. Carrots and sticks should be applied so that local people will wish to co-operate in order to limit an outbreak and return to normality as quickly a possible to avoid the continuing closure of venues. People should not be expected to suffer inconvenience through the imposition of a widespread lockdown when there is not an outbreak in their catchment.

    1. DaveK
      October 26, 2020

      +1 I now believe our public viewing of Parliament needs a re-vamp. Instead a palace of rhetoric, how about visual aid screens connected to phone and tablets. Imagine if during a debate you showed the cases/deaths for example. 520,000 positive tests 3000 deaths (sadly amongst the same demographic) would mean discussing whether CV19 continues to be as deadly or the PCR test is flawed or there are too many false positives. The second rise can be seen in the context of the Spanish taking measles to South America, some assymptomatic people taking it to susceptible areas. Look at the student campus numbers for example.

  50. Lester Cynic Beedell
    October 26, 2020

    FACT…. you cannot control a virus….. and until members of the current shambolic government accept that fact weā€™re being destroyed for almost nothing.
    No wonder Matt Hancock poured scorn on the Great Barrington Declaration,
    Itā€™s 180 degrees out from the course currently being pursued by the government.

    Please donā€™t get me started on the Greencrap…

    Common sense seems to be a value totally absent in the corridors of power!

    1. glen cullen
      October 26, 2020

      +1

    2. Martin in Cardiff
      October 26, 2020

      No, not fact at all, but your fiction – smallpox is eradicated, and many other viral diseases are almost totally suppressed by vaccination. Ebola is controlled by public health measures, which wiped out SARS1 and MERS.

      This is what is being attempted with covid 19 for the time being.

      If every country had done what New Zealand has, then this would be eradicated too.

      1. Edward2
        October 26, 2020

        When New Zealand come out from under their quilts and mix with the rest of the world they will face the same problems everyone else is facing.
        Permanent isolation is not an answer.

        1. Fred H
          October 27, 2020

          well – its not a great loss to the world!

      2. Anonymous
        October 26, 2020

        No, not fact at all, but your fiction ā€“ smallpox is eradicated, and many other viral diseases are almost totally suppressed by vaccination.

        ….
        None of that is true if you actually look into it.

      3. Fred H
        October 26, 2020

        Until the bat-lady releases another ‘interesting virus’ on people.

    3. Lifelogic
      October 26, 2020

      Indeed. The Great Barrington Declaration is the obvious and sensible path to take. The Hancock agenda just delays things and kill more in the end.

      Covid is only about the 20th common cause of death after all (and mainly of people who did not have that much life left anyway. Under 10% of daily death have any covid connection at all. What about all the other patients being failed by the NHS.
      Delay form the current position will not save lives in the end it will kill more and destroy the economy.

    4. Lynn Atkinson
      October 26, 2020

      well our host displays ability in abundance. We need to ensure the corridors of power benefit from that. Itā€™s in our hands.

    5. Lifelogic
      October 26, 2020

      The virus no longer the real problem. It is only the 20th highest cause of death now, it is killing mainly the elderly (very sad though that is). The virus problem is largely over. The damaging government war on “the virus” is now the real problem. That may well end up killing rather more than the virus and many will be young too.

      Rather like Climate Alarmism – where the pointless Government war on plant food is the problem not the C02.

  51. Stred
    October 26, 2020

    There was a very sensible owner of a pizza restaurant on the telly this morning. The Manchester plods had been in and told him to close down because his pizza slices were not big enough. Judging from the size of some of them, the plods must be eating whole pizzas. Fortunately, they came back, having discussed the matter with other plods and decided that because the slice came from an enormous pizza, it was big enough to stay open.

    The owner also said that it seems unnecessary to drive businesses into bankruptcy when the lockdown and tiers are not working anyway and that the virus is increasing . He could have added that sending university students from all over the country and then locking them in halls when some of them had caught covid is about the best way to increase the case numbers and that leaving schools and most work places open will spread the virus much more than eating a slice of pizza in a spaced out cafe. Not that the
    precautions in pubs and restaurants and supermarkets are going to work perfectly anyway when they close half the toilets and force users to touch the door handles and wc seats and flush before leaving.

    The present restrictions will not eradicate or slow the virus much and it seems to be very odd that Sage and ministers have decided that protecting the vulnerable is unacceptable socially and will result in mental health problems. The influence of the mad psychologist nudgers is suspected.
    Most of the mental health problems seem to be with the younger age groups judging from newspaper reports. I’m in the vulnerable group and have quite enjoyed not having to travel in traffic jams and go to France. All I need is a chat with the younger family outside and food drink delivery is much better than having to treck around shops. Having said that, it does seem that a minority of older people have gone slightly nuts and spend their time writing to blogs arguing that the virus is a hoax and no worse than flu. If they want to go to the students union bar and pick up a dose of the hoax, they’re welcome. It would be up to the individual.

  52. Dave Ward
    October 26, 2020

    “There is no longer enough buy in to the detailed rules nor to Test and trace”

    Any remaining public confidence in the Test & Trace programme should (rightly) be ditched, after the revelations from a former Serco sub-contractor, published at Lockdown Sceptics today…

    1. Ian@Barkham
      October 26, 2020

      +1

  53. Original Chris
    October 26, 2020

    I believe that Johnson will have to rethink his idiotic, non science based disease control policy if President Trump wins the election. My view is that P Trump will win with a considerable majority and following on from that the globalists’ plans are going to be laid bare, for what they are: a plan to effectively enslave the ordinary person, with a ruling unaccountable global elite imposing further Marxist type controls on our society.

    If the Democrats, who are radical Leftists, win, I believe that means that the CCP will be controlling the levers of power in the USA, and the future of not only the USA but the whole western world will be very bleak indeed.

    1. TooleyStu
      October 28, 2020

      Original Chris,
      Excellent point.

      You said… (… the globalistsā€™ plans are going to be laid bare, for what they are: a plan to effectively enslave the ordinary person, with a ruling unaccountable global elite imposing further Marxist type controls on our society. )

      Most people have no idea of Agenda 21 / 2030.
      (Just like … most have no idea the EU was originally penned as ‘Europaische wirtschaftsgemeinschaft’ in 1942.)

      Thank you for trying to bring this collusion to the public awareness.

      Year 2020 makes no sense.
      Unless you know the ‘end game’.

      Best regards, as always,
      Tooley Stu.

  54. beresford
    October 26, 2020

    Seven ‘stowaways’ from Nigeria without documentation arrive in the Channel on an oil tanker carrying no oil, the captain sends an ‘SOS’ and after an operation which no doubt cost us thousands of pounds they ‘surrender’ to the SBS and are now being ‘interviewed’ by Hampshire Police. Mission accomplished. Please assure us that you will urge the Government to return them immediately to Nigeria to face trial rather than allowing them to lodge bogus asylum claims.

    1. No Longer Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      Fat chance.

      Aeroplane hijackers have been here for decades on the state teat.

    2. Martin in Cardiff
      October 27, 2020

      Vote Leave!!!!

      Oh, er, um, ah, ooh er…

  55. DavidJ
    October 26, 2020

    Do we need any more reasons to get rid of the devolved governments? One of Blair’s most stupid ideas, probably working to EU instructions, to break up our country and impose EU government more easily.
    Getting rid of them would quash any dreams by the EU to re-ensnare our country bit by bit.

  56. XYXY
    October 26, 2020

    Yes that all seems obvious, although the “social lives” part at the end is perhaps the lowest priority.

    However, in all aspects, it should really be up to the individual, with their choices being facilitated by the State. For example, the State can legislate that people should be allowed to work from home if they wish, unless the job demands being present at a certain location.

    When it comes to social activity, in principle people should be free to choose if they wish to take the risk to endanger their livelihood for the sake of social activity… but if they do a job that requires being physically present then they may endanger their colleagues as well – this needs consideration.

    In the end, as long as firms are required to provide an environment that keeps people safe then perhaps that’s not an issue.

    So yes, let’s see an end to this lockdown nonsense while we still have an economy to exit into.

  57. John Hatfield
    October 26, 2020

    Your last paragraph says it all, John.

  58. Fred H
    October 26, 2020

    Ā£12bn spent on fairly inadequate and derided track and Trace – but we can’t feed hungry school children with the loose change.
    Ā£15bn on Foreign Aid to help warring nations with military might, space race, nuclear weapons……

    1. glen cullen
      October 26, 2020

      utter madness

    2. a-tracy
      October 27, 2020

      Ā£12bn hasn’t been spent “The Department of Health and Social Care stressed that the full Ā£10bn allocation would not necessarily all be spent.” Independent. Government said ā€œPublic and private sector partners have allowed us to scale-up NHS Test and Trace very quickly ā€“ something that the public rightly expected us to do ā€“ helping us to protect the NHS and the social care sector.ā€

      The accusations are the private companies have done a poor job for the money they were given, why aren’t these company chiefs being interviewed by journalists to defend their organisations from these accusations from Labour? What have they got to fear if they feel they are doing the job we paid them to do?

  59. glen cullen
    October 26, 2020

    Plan B is in fact Plan A
    Philip Hammond (remainer) made a Peer today

    1. Lynn Atkinson
      October 26, 2020

      House of Lords must be abolished!

      1. Fred H
        October 27, 2020

        830 and growing.
        Should be recognised as a Rest Home for tired, failed MPs and friends of an ex-Government.

        An utter disgrace.

  60. Brian Tomkinson
    October 26, 2020

    Did you read the Sunday Times Insight team’s investigation “Revealed: how elderly paid price of protecting NHS from Covid-19”? All those responsible must be held to account in a court of law. How can you support this government led by Johnson and Hancock taking actions which lead to unnecessary and premature deaths and destroying the economy. Have you all taken leave of your senses?

    1. Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      Have you all taken leave of your senses?

      Too many female carers being oppressed

    2. No Longer Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      No.

      The young will pay the price of protecting the NHS – to live lives a shadow of those enjoyed by the old over the past 40 years.

      And I have yet to hear a single old person express any thanks to them.

      1. Sea_Warrior
        October 27, 2020

        Anti-old hatred, shown by a number of ‘contributors’ to this site, is becoming rather boring.

  61. Roy Grainger
    October 26, 2020

    Bit harsh to blame the Welsh government for this shambles, they are simply implementing Keir Starmerā€™s policy – perhaps he and the hapless Drakeford can update us on a daily basis how they think it is going.

  62. ian
    October 26, 2020

    Observations of a layman: the virus is different from any virus the world has seen before, it does not act like a normal virus which starts with the youngest first and makes it way up through the adult population finding victims usually at the top in the old and frail, this virus starts in the adult population and stays in the adult population and that is not normal or natural and therefore not a creation from the natural world as we know it, now the virus on it own will not kill you, what the virus does in people that have underlying health conditions and are rundown is to trigger a switch in your brain that starts shutting down the rest of your body to save the brain itself, it usually lasts for four weeks give or take if not on a ventilator and within that time you will live or die, the doctors have given this trigger many names but will call it a form of Post viral myalgia not being able to breathe is its hallmark with brain giving itself just right amount of oxygen to keep it going, forms of Post viral myalgia in their selfs are usually not a killer and is a very rare condition and can come back to plage the victim time and time again for short period of time over many years, this so called virus is turning forms of Post viral myalgia into the normal instead of a rareity and a killer as well, if this virus come from the natural world I will eat my hat, as for the number of death up until July of 30 odd thousand can not be relied on for reason that the people in charge sent home the people that were needed the most and they were the corners and their ilk sent home on full pay and not allowed to go near a victim of the virus if that not suspicious I don’t know what is.

    1. Anonymous
      October 26, 2020

      if this virus come from the natural world I will eat my hat

      ..;;
      better start chewing then.

      1. a-tracy
        October 27, 2020

        And when cjd came from cattle we were told to destroy herd after herd, why aren’t China where this virus was said to come from their wet markets and bat caves told by the WHO to destroy the infected animals?

    2. Al
      October 27, 2020

      “the virus is different from any virus the world has seen before, it does not act like a normal virus which starts with the youngest first” – ian

      Actually the virus’ spread pattern pretty much matches influenza, which normally hits the older population harder and spreads among the young and adult populations with few symptoms save for a comparatively few extreme reactions. Covid has a somewhat higher mortality, and is more infectious, but then most people have built up a resistance to existing flu strains. The simularity was first suggested in China in February and confirmed by multiple later studies including Cornell in the US, and Penn State is using influenza monitoring to predict its spread.

  63. CvM
    October 26, 2020

    I would like to see a strong boost to the numbers of suitably trained health and safety people who can advise companies and stores how to open in the safest way and also to be able to sensibly control and close those operating poorly, in a similar way to food hygiene. Perhaps this could help build confidence to use these establishments and keep businesses running

  64. Anonymous
    October 26, 2020

    There is no plan B
    Bush loved the lockdown idea as it is never ending

    1. glen cullen
      October 26, 2020

      I’ve just realised you’re correct we have got a Plan B nor do we have a Plan A – in fact there isn’t a plan at all

  65. Lindsay McDougall
    October 26, 2020

    It all goes to confirm that devolution is a constitutional nonsense and causes chaos. As a first step we need to do three things:
    – Reduce the Barnett formula public expenditure premium to 10% for all three Celtic provinces
    – Make sure that English taxpayers don’t have to pick up the tab for over conservative lockdowns in the Celtic provinces
    – Scrap the tax raising powers of Holyrood, Cardiff and Stormont

    We already know the basic minimum necessary to liberate the economy. That is to ban those activities that have no economic value and cause high transmission rates. I have identified house to house visits, visits to care homes and religious services. If you know more, do let us know.

  66. turboterrier
    October 26, 2020

    Sir John O/T but highlights the short fall in the way things are being handled overall.

    Enough is enough over this free school holiday meals fiasco. The answer is simple . Stop all the half term holiday’s. They have had more than enough time off over the last educational year. Why as tax payers are we being hit yet again on what in a lot of people thought process is that the child is the full responsibility of the parent. Many people on the social are being given twice what those are struggling to keep a job for doing nothing. I do not feel that I am alone when I think your PM and his party have lost the plot.

  67. Fedupsoutherner
    October 26, 2020

    Excuse me but can they start reporting on people who are working hard in low paid jobs who are feeding their kids instead of going on about those on benefits with numerous children pleading child poverty? I am fed up hearing about free school meals and how hard up those on benefits are. When I was bring up my children abd unexpectedly a single mum I shopped frugally and managed on a lot less.

    1. Ian@Barkham
      October 26, 2020

      +1

  68. turboterrier
    October 26, 2020

    Governments can make decisions?
    Bi Fab yet another renewable involved company is reported to cost the Scottish devolved parliament (taxpayers) over Ā£52m. How many school meals would that have provided..

  69. steve
    October 26, 2020

    JR

    Yes I was aghast at the farcical decisions of the Welsh Assembly. Ladies necessities being classed as non – essential. Absolutely ridiculous.

    Also as you point out; people will resort to purchasing from online retailers, which does not help the high street. Though to a large extent I think shops have brought this upon themselves.

    You ask what proof is there that shopping spreads the disease anyway? I can answer that for you ; There is no proof because it doesn’t. Shops by and large are doing a pretty good job at minimising virus spread, plus everyone has to wear a face mask inside shops.

    What has undoubtedly spiked this viral transmission is the party booze culture. To my mind all pubs should be closed down until further notice.

    The BMA has identified CV19 as syndemic, meaning that it’s potency relies on comorbidity. So also I think now might be the time to shield and isolate those of such predisposition and let the rest of us get on with economic recovery, rather than locking down the majority for the sake of the minority.

    1. Everhopeful
      October 26, 2020

      The syndemic theory is sadly not good news….it is yet another socialist elephant trap. It is a lever for more intrusive ā€œhealthcareā€ and a great deal more ā€œlevelling upā€ since apparently all illness is caused by poverty.

      1. Everhopeful
        October 26, 2020

        Oh yes and the ā€œladies necessitiesā€.
        They are considered to be non green and are set to be replaced by washable items (!).
        As advertised in startling technicolour on YouTube.
        Yes as everyone says …we will be taken back hundreds of years by The Great Reset.

  70. glen cullen
    October 26, 2020

    Government reduces minimum migrant salary threshold from Ā£35,800 to Ā£20,480

    Absolutely no incentive for employers to employ or train UK workers

    1. Caterpillar
      October 26, 2020

      Nor to invest in capital and thus productivity.

      There are multiple reasons why this is bad.

    2. Lifelogic
      October 27, 2020

      Indeed.

      Also someone earning just Ā£20,480 PA is unlikely to pay any net tax into the system, after their immediate benefits & children’s education are taken into account. So other tax payers will have to pick up the bills for the bloated state sector. Defence, law & order, education, the bonkers energy policy, healthcare, social services and all the very many other expensive arms of our huge and very inefficient government.

  71. ChrisS
    October 26, 2020

    It seems pretty clear that the virus is predominantly being spread across the North of England by :

    1.The booze culture in pubs and clubs plus late-night relaxed drinking in restaurants.

    2. People of all ages who make a conscious decision not following the rules.

    3. The normally-praiseworthy extended family culture of Ethnic Minorities.

    In 1 and 2 above, students bear a large degree of responsibility, or rather irresponsibility for the spread of the virus. It seems certain that if students are to return home for Christmas, they will need to be isolated and tested before they leave their University. Failure to do this before they come into contact with older generations of their family will have catastrophic consequences in January.

    1. Fred H
      October 27, 2020

      difficult to argue with your conclusion.

  72. NigelE
    October 27, 2020

    “There is no longer enough buy in to the detailed rules”
    Personally, I no longer pay any attention to the current detailed rules. I wear a mask in shops to fit in but otherwise go about my business while I still can. If I were to be stopped by police or a marshal (though never see any of either), I’ll accept their advice for the moment. I see my family as and when I need.

  73. Iain Moore
    October 27, 2020

    I see people are travelling around to Covid test centers and filming empty test centers, nobody there no matter when they go, just staff standing around telling them it is illegal to film. They are asking where are all the sick people?

  74. a-tracy
    October 28, 2020

    Are children in tier 3 going back to school after half term or staying off until the tier 3 lockdown is lifted?

    Have all retired persons and those with covid killing known conditions in tier 3 areas advised to go into total personal lockdown?

  75. devon
    October 29, 2020

    devon

    Time for Plan B

  76. Ebkent
    October 29, 2020

    Why does the media not discuss treatments for Covid19?

    Synairgen has a treatment that could be rolled out now, a nebuliser that is simply inhaled directly into the lungs. It had spectacular results in its phase 2 trial, where it stopped Covid-19 in its tracks for 79% of those hospitalised patients who were given it, and has excellent safety records.

    Although the government know about this Southampton based company, they have done nothing to support it, but the company has now raised the money to fund full Phase 3 trials in 20 countries. The UK will look extremely foolish if this potentially life saving drug is adopted by the US and other countries and there is no supply left for us.

    1. ukretired123
      November 3, 2020

      Synairgen sounds a very interesting UK prospect and as you say is better known abroad esp in USA than here at home overlooked by Govt who need to prioritise it more.

  77. Herta Higgens
    November 4, 2020

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