Yesterday in the debate I urged the government to take those measures which both help control the virus and allow economic recovery.
I pressed the government again on where are the results of the tests of other drugs that might help treat CV 19 patients. After the good break-through with the steroid it would be good to hear about other possibilities.
I urged them to work harder with the hospitality industry on air extraction and other measures which would enable safer working in inside spaces, as many hospitality businesses will only survive if they can earn more money soon.
I asked them to reconsider the issue of compensation and support for the self employed, where many small business owners who work in their own business do not qualify for the support.
I have regularly raised the issue of creating specialist isolation hospitals for CV 19 so there is more capacity in the District Generals for all other medical problems. This of course means continuing the extra recruitment of staff the government has promised, and requires suitable Training and protective clothing for the volunteers staffing the CV 19 facilities.
I raised the issue that many of my constituents feel strongly about. Why are West Berkshire and Wokingham in Tier 2 when numbers are quite low and we were in Tier 1 before the lockdown. I voted against the Regulations.
December 2, 2020
Some of it does not make sense. I can work all day with someone but I canāt go for a meal and a pint with him at the end of the day because he is from a different household. He really is hitting hospitality very hard indeed.
December 2, 2020
Council officials trick a pub manager into serving him a drink and then close him down
Nigel Farage Investigates: Why are the authorities attacking our pubs?
you tube
December 2, 2020
It’s all about control.
Remember earlier in the year Hancock, you can have pubs or schools. Why.
The schools are closing for Christmas so why aren’t the pubs opening.
We’re being duped by a bunch of idiots and they will pay at the next el, local or national.
Boris is an abject failure and he just has to roll over on Brexit to complete his humiliation.
He’s already folded on the ECHR.
December 2, 2020
I know the pub next door – The Bulls Head.
This pub is relatively new and owned by a smaller company/brewer that has other pubs near me, though I have not used the Barnes establishment.
I do wonder at the reasons this particular pub has been targeted.
December 2, 2020
The Bulls Head had been a long-standing venue for jazz music. Then there were complaints about noise. Some of these were from residents whose homes were built long after the music events had been hosted. The council threatened the pub with a noise abatement order that could have forced its closure.
I wonder if the entrapment against the pub next door is another ploy on behalf of disgruntled residents?
December 2, 2020
I was standing the Bull’s Head in Barnes many years ago, watching one of the many amazing acts they had. Might have been Bill le Sage. On either side of the stage there was a big loudspeaker fixed to the wall. Old fashioned looking thing – even then. Wooden cabinet, tall and thin – but probably housing maybe 4 x 10″ speakers. The speaker to the left of the stage decided to part company with whatever was fixing it to the wall, and it dropped and landed on the head of some poor sod who happened to be standing underneath it.
December 2, 2020
I agree! It seems to be almost a deliberate attack with no evidence to support their actions.
Itās as though the government has picked on the worst possible family in the country and is treating us all with the same disdain and mistrust. And this family must frequent pubs, get drunk and cavort in an irresponsible manner. Well close all pubs, ājust in caseā they go to one! Madness!
December 2, 2020
Absolutely appalling. The state sector in the UK costs so much and delivers so very little of value. Much or even most of what they do deliver does positive net harm. Pensions included the state sector are about 50% over remunerated relative the private sector. This even before the Covid situation further widened this gap hugely.
āThe vaccine would not have been approved if it was not clinically safe says Hancock just nowā. How exactly do they and Mr Hancock know this they clearly do not?
He then goes on to say they will vaccinate people who have already had Covid.
This seems very foolish indeed to me, why waste vaccine in short supply on people almost certainly immune anyway? Why ask them to take the risk of the vaccine for no real benefit? All vaccines have some risk.
December 2, 2020
Mark Drayford in Wales has been banned from 100 pubs in Wales for 18months by an open latter. He is tee-total but they are angry!
December 2, 2020
Punishment for voting Brexit.
December 2, 2020
Pubs are one of the few things left that are distinctively English.
December 2, 2020
is that a Farage pub – or a Lord’s pub.
December 2, 2020
Agreed. I donāt think āsenseā or alternative analyses and approaches are taken into consideration.
The government announced its decision and offered its flawed reasons for this. It is determined to push ahead with this and ignore or suppress criticism. There is a feeling that they are making it up as they go along. Itās as if they have a preplanned goal and all measures are tailored to achieving this.
Well done to those MPs who voted against.
Those who attend protest meetings against lockdown now need to anticipate heavy police reaction and plan accordingly.
December 2, 2020
I could have my son in my house to work but I can’t visit him in his home. My daughter could cut my hair ut I can’t see her in her own home. It’s insane John. Today I can mix with all and sundry in the shops but not visit my own family . I think there will be a lot of rule breaking out there.
December 2, 2020
You make a good case for the re-empowerment of local authorities and for the reinvigoration of local democracy.
Countries where these sorts of decisions are made by those with local knowledge as appropriate have better outcomes and less aggrieved peoples.
However, Tory power means centralisation, so you have for what you voted yet again.
December 2, 2020
I have a London Mayor calling for more lockdown (and of course more cash).
I’d like him to run the transport system as it is supposed to run and not cause traffic jams with ever more and less used cycling lanes. Localism gone bad I think
December 2, 2020
I voted Tory once – in 1979. I have not made the same mistake twice.
December 2, 2020
So you hated the prosperity that Mrs Thatcher brought to all levels of society? You were in a minority.
December 2, 2020
A lot of people on here seem to have made the same mistake in successive GEs. I’ve never received a thank-you note from Monster Raving Loony, and he doesn’t have to send that many! Last time our host got my vote, not for the Party I hasten to add, but to ensure a ‘Johnny come lately’ didn’t muscle in. Wokingham in my 50 years plus has always had common sense.
December 2, 2020
Pubs are places of gathering. So are cafes, restaurants, etc. Likewise society meetings, hobby and collector gatherings, the local knitting fellowship, the community orchestra. Lots of hobby societies hold their meetings in pubs. All hammered into oblivion. Stops people talking and planning. The separation of humanity into atoms, isolated minds, demoralised souls, ripe for picking off with “the solution to it all”. It is an evil war of attrition.
December 2, 2020
You canāt order a second drink after your meal and you have to leave!!! You can also order soft drinks without a meal. Prey explain to me how this stops the spread if you are already sitting in the venue. I think the government have got this horribly wrong and is not well thought out.
December 2, 2020
Please, not Prey ! Sorry
December 2, 2020
We are the prey, hunted down by the covid Stasi.
December 2, 2020
Time to turn the tables. 66% want to see Matt Hancock vaccinated live on TV.
Iām thinking thatās 66% not going to volunteer themselves.
December 2, 2020
My experience today was I ordered a cheap meal and a pint of bitter plus a half of Winter Warmer. The drinks arrived first. When the food arrived I ordered another pint of bitter. I was not kicked out after the last morsel was consumed. A lunchtime session, for me, is usually less than three pints.
However, I heard one barman explain the rules and state that you could order two pints after the meal.
Purely for the purposes of research, I attempted to order another pint. A different barman asked if I had eaten. I explained that I had, though by this stage the plates had been cleared away. He then said that no more drinks after food consumed and plates removed. So next time I will try to order before the plates are cleared – purely for research.
I did note that usual large group of regulars were not present. Previously bubbles had not been a concern in this establishment. There were other smaller groups though, who were definitely not in the same household.
No, I am not going to name the pub. Thatās for me to know and you to find out.
The entrapment case above highlights the danger of officious busybodies.
December 2, 2020
The Tories are finished.
My wife and I’s passion is long country hikes with our dog with a country pub at the end of it. A couple of pints and a bag of crisps or a sandwich.
This targeting of pubs is out of pure spite.
December 2, 2020
Well done for voting against – would that more MPs had done the same! We might have seen an end to the stampede to economic suicide.
The parallels between hysteria over climate and Covid are uncanny – both based on flawed science, corrupt statistics and downright fraud. Certainly Covid was very serious when it first struck and claimed a tragic number of victims but is now known to be similar to a bad flu year. It no longer warrants keeping the whole economy in intensive care and undoubtedly causing more heartache and deaths than the virus.
On both climate and the virus the government listen to too narrow a range of scientists, put too more faith in computer models and ignore other opinions. Th e 40,000 signatories of the Great Barrington Declaration and views of highly qualified dissenting scientists seem to count for nothing, as do the 800 scientists of the Climate Intelligence Foundation and the 31,000 who signed the Petition Project. Regrettably the result will be the same, economic suicide twice over. Nothing has been learned.
December 2, 2020
Economic suicide is a done deal. The cliff has bean leapt, the pills already popped. The only question is how quickly we hit the bottom, and how messy when we do,
December 2, 2020
Exactly. The government did not even try to demonstrate that this lockdown does more good than harm. Yet only 55 Conservative MPs votes against it. We still do not know what the false positive rate of the PCR test actually is. It seems to me the Michael Yeadon, Claire Craig and Barrington Declaration types are exactly right and Sage have been rather a disaster. The NHS have shown how poor the UKās state monopoly healthcare system is.
The BBC again pushing climate alarmism this morning with another climate alarmist porn programme this evening.
Humans waging ‘suicidal war’ on nature – UN chief Antonio Guterres needless to say he is a Socialist.
Doubtless it will be illustrated with various weather events. Does the BBC and Mr Guterres imagine that the World did not have floods, forest fires, hurricanes, droughts and falling ice sheets before the industrial revolution – indeed even before humans?
December 2, 2020
Well said Ian Wilson
Thank you Sir John for voting against
December 2, 2020
Ian wilson
+1
Who is going to listen? Non so deaf as those who will not hear.
December 2, 2020
Indeed. When are the scientists producing data showing the age of victims and the number and type of underlying conditions? Those that die of the virus alone and those who’ve had it at some point in the recent past. Then we protect those vulnerable sections of society and let the rest get on with their lives with common-sense precautions.
December 2, 2020
The same principle the govt is rolling out the vaccination, age vulnerable tiersmetc, which begs the question why has this not been the categorization of protection since March?
December 2, 2020
They intend to bombard us with such āemergenciesā in order to convince us that we are unprepared for the devastation of climate change.
It is a strange logic but is there in black and white for those who care to look at the globalist websites…WEF etc.
The next drama will, it is said, be internet cyber attacks and power outages.
December 2, 2020
Thank you Sir John for voting against the restrictions.
With the number of those who voted ‘No’, and adding in the number of MPs who abstained, the ‘Yes’ vote was a mere 291.
Hopefully this lack of a majority will give the Prime Minister pause for thought.
December 2, 2020
Labour abstaining is not a reason for celebration. It’s a managed process. If Labour had sided with the rebels they would have dealt this PM a proper blow. Labour didn’t side with the rebels because for Labour playing politics is far more important than values, jobs and decency
Scum Labour can now appear on TV and say ‘we didn’t vote for this’ because Labour know their electorate are clueless about politics and Parliament and how it works and operates.
I have a family member who vote’s Labour. I cross examine them about why they do and they have no idea why. It’s a cultural response not a rational response. They have no idea about whipping, numbers in the Commons, the process of abstaining, vote management etc.
Labour are stronger today than they have ever been. Yes, they’re not in government but their unaccountable client state imposes itself upon any Tory government that happens to pass their way.
The way Johnson and his allies pander to the Marxist grubs defies belief. Johnson is a Socialist because Johnson loves the political power socialism affords him and the State.
He’s a dead man walking. He thinks we’ll forget at the next GE and so do his boys who backed him last night. He can ruffle his hair and put on that idiotic demeanour of his but we can see evil and smell evil. He’s even more dangerous than the snake Starmer and McCluskey
December 2, 2020
Don’t bank on it. Boris is as bad as May.
December 2, 2020
Cowardly Cameron, Deceitful May, Bullshit Johnson. (backstabber waiting his turn?)
I think the Conservatives need to take stock.
December 2, 2020
Heās not. She is in a league of her own.
I will concede Boris has completely exhausted the goodwill of the electorate granted for ānot being Theresa Mayā.
December 2, 2020
Well, there is precedent here. When May could no longer rely on votes within her own party, she looked across to Labour. Now is a time of national emergency (though the real reasons for this are not what the politicians think they are), so there is greater incentive for Blowers to do the same. Although the reality is that Labour support the government’s approach in broad terms already. I wouldn’t be surprised if down the road restrictions become harsher in order to keep Labour ‘sweet’, with Blowers blaming his own hardliners for undermining his balancing act. It’s all a game of course, with the winners being the politicians, and the losers being the public – even if many (most?) don’t realise it.
December 2, 2020
Mary
Will the PM even bother to join the dots? It needs to be pointed out to him and fast!
December 2, 2020
Too busy with virtue signalling climate change and announcing the removal of the internal combustion engine by 2030. During a pandemic and with our economy crashing! Shows he has NO common sense and hasn’t thought it through. Does he know that our two new aircraft carriers are…diesel powered and have 50 year contracts into the future! What about vans, lorry’s, ships and airplanes? How about all those millions in terraced properties, high rise apartments and other inappropriate dwellings? He’s a short sighted fool and with that on offer at the next election who’s going to vote for him and his ridiculous policies? Does he really think we all live in areas with good public transport, cycle range of supermarkets or walking distance with the weekly shop? Let alone specialist journeys beyond the range of the electric vehicles that cost a fortune!
December 2, 2020
The NATO single fuel policy is and has been for years, diesel. No one, not least the PM, seems to have thought about that at any point. Admittedly, some types of vehicles (e.g some tanks) can run on other types of fuel but the bottom line is that there is a heavy reliance on diesel.
December 2, 2020
Yes vote would have been even less had Conservative MPs in Welsh seats not stuck their noses in.
December 2, 2020
Mary M
No chance
December 2, 2020
I wake up this morning with my county being in tier 3 even though in my area of Lincolnshire we should have been in tier 2 but hey there it is, if people had stuck by the rules Face Hands Distance then it would be a completely different outlook, so now we have to lump it, but being human and Christmas nearly on us, Face Hands Distance will be given a second thought as people go out and try to enjoy themselves best they can , donāt forget we were all young one day
December 2, 2020
I’m not sure it’s anything to do with whether people “stuck by the rules”. UK’s outcome is almost exactly the same as the other larger EU countries who had a range of restrictions and compliance. It is really a bit of British exceptionalism to claim we could have done better. The one outlier country, and only in terms of deaths rather than cases, is Germany who have a much better health system than us, but we’re not allowed to say that.
December 2, 2020
You said it and I think you got away with it.
December 2, 2020
One analysis of Germany’s success suggested they had much worse winter influenza seasons than UK recently and therefore we had a larger group potentially available to succumb. The opposite of the “dry tinder” effect seen in Sweden. AIER has a paper entitled “Swedenās High Covid Death Rate Among the Nordics: āDry Tinderā and Other Important Factors”.
December 2, 2020
Mick
Youāre doing what the government are doing – blaming everyone for irresponsible behaviour – thatās not fair to the millions who are following the guidelines and being sensible!
December 2, 2020
Indeed. My wife and I have followed all the rules but see no end to this Government and it’s foolishness. Then there’s Brexit and no walking away from their outrageous demands to follow all their rules with no say, their Court jurisdiction over us and they keep our fish! When are we getting their free resources? Walk away now and give us what we voted for, our freedom and sovereignty!
December 2, 2020
and the partying young might soon find their friends don’t have grandparents anymore, or perhaps that vulnerable relative had to go to hospital and has now died.
Live with that for the rest of your life.
December 2, 2020
Speaking as a grandparent, in the current circumstances it would be a blessed relief!
December 2, 2020
95% of grandparents survive CV-19 too !
December 2, 2020
Stop blaming other people for this nonsense, Mick. You are in Tier 3 because of bogus PCR test results. Your nearest hospitals have no more patients than they did this time last year. The government’s own figures showed that infections were mostly spread in the home and in hospitals, not by ‘going out and enjoying ourselves’. Do yourself a bit of good, buddy, and stop swallowing the lies.
December 2, 2020
+1 the government has proved lockdown is regressive. They say we have come out of lockdown in a worse state than we went in.
Why continue?
December 2, 2020
I don’t know about ‘if people had stuck by the rules’. Boris Johnson didn’t stick by his own covid distance rules, or protective glass in meetings and had to self-isolate for a fortnight then he imposes more rules on everyone else but him and his MPs it seems.
Lewis Hamilton – every time we’ve seen a picture of him he has a high-quality mask on, he is spotless and I would imagine washes his hands all the time so how did he catch covid? Unless we’re told how he caught it masks and hands don’t seem to protect do they. Or is he just another celebrity who with impunity a the threat of what is a puny fine to them meet up with anyone they want inside with no distance!
December 2, 2020
seems like a ‘contact’ flew into Bahrain prior to the race – possibly inadequate testing, if any.
Probably a LFT disciple!
December 3, 2020
Bahrain “If you are eligible for entry, you will be required to undergo and pay for the enhanced arrivals testing procedure for COVID-19 and need to self-quarantine until test results have been received.” gov.uk advice
Who was this ‘contact’ that breached the regulations and put someone out of work and the rest of the crew at risk? Why are they allowed just to get away with this?
December 2, 2020
So Boris caught CV19 because he could not hack āface, hands, distanceā?
December 2, 2020
The MPs we need to return to the House are self-selecting. Keep a list. I salute those on all sides of the house who put the welfare of their constituents above āsaving the PMās face/NHSā and other made-up priorities.
I know people who work in the NHS (so on full salary and an increase expected etc) now having nervous breakdowns because of the loneliness of lockdown and the prospect of a bleak Christmas.
Thank you for putting the rational argument yet again and voting against the destruction of very many people and businesses.
December 2, 2020
Some of the MPs that voted against restrictions yesterday are Remainers. Some who voted for are Brexiters. So how does this work? Do you have to get both things right, or is one out of two good enough? And how about the question of State expansion? Which MPs are against that? Because the first MP on that list would be our kind host, one would think. But even today, he is again calling for more state spending, more state control and more state interference. I agree that the MPs are self-selecting – condemned by their own words and actions!
December 2, 2020
Obviously MPs who donāt believe in MPs (seek the abolition of Sovereign Parliament) are on the list already. Anyone supporting any existential threat to the British people must be defeated.
Monetarism calls for increased spending and adding cash to the economy to offset the (self-inflicted) removal of same. So JR is entirely consistent in demanding the balance. Obviously he would not start from here, but having got here, this is what they have to do.
Only total dullards would box themselves in so comprehensively. I asked on solid MP where the men in grey suits were. He said āthere were no men in grey suitsā. What does the 1922 think itās going JR? I see even Cheryl Gillan defied the Govt last night.
December 3, 2020
The monetary measures mentioned are further sticking plasters on an already festering wound. The sticking plaster will eventually be ripped off, itself causing great pain, the wound will be infected, and we’ll be in a far worse position than if we’d accepted that interruptions to economic growth are inevitable. The longer the day of reckoning is postponed, the worse it will be when it eventually comes. Sir John’s proposal is more pain, just not yet.
December 2, 2020
Nothing has changed though.
And the juggernaut of damage steams ahead flattening lives, jobs and countryside.
Our future ( if we have one ) is bleaker than anything we have ever experienced in this country.
Take the needle into oblivion?
December 2, 2020
My wife and I are very fortunate that we haven’t had to receive any help from this Government during the pandemic. We have like everyone else suffered the consequences of lockdown but keep paying our taxes. However, our biggest concern now is thinking up ways to protect our assets that we have earnt and built up over several decades. I see the Chancellor is lining us up for increases in “capital gains tax” and “inheritance tax”. Both of these assets having been taxed already. It’s very obvious this authoritarian left wing Government are no longer “conservative”. The penny has dropped for many and thankfully the future election prospects are diminishing by the day.
December 2, 2020
Donāt take anything to oblivion! We need to fight and needle the enemy if necessary! Chin up. He did not get a majority. Grit on the slide!
December 2, 2020
Lynn Atkinson
+1 you are not alone in your thinking.
December 2, 2020
+1
December 2, 2020
Mr Redwood, you did what we all know to be right. Thanks but we’ve seen rebellions like this in the past and I suppose makes for Parliamentary theatre but with zero impact
A true opposition cannot come from within as we saw with Farage and the EU referendum.
Maintaining a national sense of urgency and inciting fear is one of the State’s primary weapons against its own people and their freedoms.
I can almost taste the hate and resentment seeping from this government and Labour’s political construct as they work together to cloak us in a web of control and oppression
It is important that people understand that this grotesque now in charge of our nation’s direction is working closely with those on the left including Labour and their public sector allies (dependent class who feed off us)
Labour abstaining was their usual tactic that allows them to say ‘We didn’t vote this’ but neither did they vote against it and that’s approval imho
The Labour-Tory disease that’s gripped this nation since 1990 has imposed huge damages upon us quite simply because these two parties work together to maintain the status quo and to insulate themselves from harm. To create true change this duopoly must be destroyed or else they’ll take our nation in a direction that can only lead to further politicisation and the destruction of all that we cherish
December 2, 2020
Dom, much of what you say is true, but Farage is also complicit. He deserted the electorate at the last election and pulled candidates giving PM Johnson his majority.
December 2, 2020
In Farageās defence, I think he took a leap of faith in Boris and did what he thought was the right thing to do for the country! To give the Conservative party the best chance a large majority.
Shame Boris abused that majority…
December 3, 2020
and the heard of sheep followed obedientely.
December 3, 2020
oops should have gone to a spell-checker.
3rd e too many.
December 2, 2020
AND he scuttled off mighty sharpish after Brexit.
I did support him but have since wondered about the āpressure valveā theory.
Is he used to kind of ādraw offā dissent and then popped back in his box?
December 3, 2020
He hasn’t scuttled off anywhere. He’s just set up Reform UK and is recruiting candidates to fight next May’s local and Police & Crime Commissioner elections. He backed off in the general election to avoid splitting the vote. A selfless action which damaged his party but was the right decision at the time. He has four years to build his new party ready for the next general election. People will be looking for an alternative to the current main parties all of which have let this country down.
December 2, 2020
+1
All is devastated.
I am pretty cynical re govts/authority but even I was surprised that politicians are actually prepared to see people die as a result of their policies. And then continue those policies!!
You can almost taste the hatred, Dom..I can feel the declining ability to cope with all this!
December 2, 2020
+1
December 2, 2020
Indeed Socialist lunacy from the Conservative and even more insane Socialism from Labour/Libdim/Plaid and SNP. Heath, Major, Cameron, Wilson, Calaghan, Blair, Brown, May – all essentially deluded socialists.
Even Mrs Thatcher made many large errors and failed to get real competition into Education and Health Care, Major and the ERM, closed many excellent grammar schools, failed to cut the state down to size and buried the country further into the EU.
It seems that Boris has now turned into a creen crap pushing, economy destroying mad Socialist too. Pushed by Queen Carrie one assumes. Or Covid induced insanity perhaps?
December 2, 2020
Yes, thank you, Sir John for voting against. One of the few MPs with both integrity and a brain.
Agree, Dom. The only way for the people and nation to regain our freedoms is to destroy both the Labour and Tory parties.
The Reform Party is long overdue. I hope Farage doesn’t foul up the end game this time.
December 2, 2020
Of course he will! You people who blindly hope Farage is the answer are deluding yourselves. Heās no Trump! With an open goal for 25 years he failed to score! Cant even get himself elected with ALL the resources of UKIP directed on him in his chosen seat.
If you think you have seen failure with Boris, try Farage, do. You will be bloody suicidal within hours!
December 2, 2020
Sir John to you DOM.
December 2, 2020
Thank you for voting against the Government’s latest Tiers plan, Sir John.
December 2, 2020
Good morning, and thank you , Sir John for your efforts.
I would like, if I may, to ask a question to all here.
How many people do you ‘personally’ know that:
a) have been test and proved to be infected by this virus ?
b) either been hospitalised and / or die of said virus ?
c) has not caught said virus but, has in someway (serious physical or mental illness and / or death) been affected by the lockdown.
d) has lost their job / business / home etc ?
I ask these questions as I feel that this virus seems to have displaced all other human and government thinking, behaviour and activity to the detriment of their respective functions, and it would be good to understand the damage, not just to the economy, but to the nation and the populace itself.
I have given up any hope of a solution to this situation, aside from the one (vaccination) that the government seems keen to pursue, of ever getting out of this mess, if indeed it is the government intention to ever find a solution.
For the record, I know of no one except those that I mentioned sometime ago who have been made redundant. That to me seems to only thing that is happening.
Your thoughts, if you could please be so kind ?
Reply I know several MPs who have had the virus, including the PM who had a bad attack of it. The others got over it, with varying degrees of intensity of the disease. I am pleased to say none of my family or friends has died or gone to hospital with this.
December 2, 2020
I don’t know anyone who has been seriously ill with CV-19. I know two who have died in their fifties of illnesses that should have been treated during lockdown.
I don’t know anyone who has lost their job yet but many who are worried about it (including me) and who are already on lower money.
December 3, 2020
Reply to reply
Thank you Sir John for answering. And thank you for both voting against the government and the work you do.
I am glad that both you and yours have not suffered the worst this illness has to offer. But I am amazed that someone like yourself, so much in the public sphere knows so few affected. I cannot be the only one.
December 2, 2020
Sir John,
You can’t meaningfully help to control the virus and also allow economic recovery. It’s either or. Get off the fence.
There is another way for hospitality businesses to survive other than investing in expensive and needless equipment (by the way, who pays for this?), and that is… lifting all restrictions and freeing people to make their own risk assessments. Stop trying to manage people’s lives!
Specialist isolation hospitals might be useful – if they could be adequately staffed, though they can’t be – but one would have to weigh up their cost versus the benefit. This would entail significant expansion of healthcare budgets on account of a virus that is simply not harmful to the vast majority, and which only seems to affect those that are already ill with something else. Or it would mean reallocation of existing resources away from other treatments, almost all of which are of greater importance. Some honesty on this would be welcome. Are you intending to shake the Magic Money Tree some more?
I’ve already explained how it is possible for areas to be in higher tiers than they were pre-Lockdown II. Indeed, it is to be expected given the onset of winter and with it a rise in respiratory infections that are either passed off as Covid, or are in fact Covid. A lockdown slows the spread of a virus, it doesn’t necessarily halt it. Please understand this basic point. (And I havent even mentioned the ‘possibility’ that the government and its instruments are manipulating statistics to serve their interests, whatever they might be – though they evidently are not aligned with those of the public.)
And now you’ve voted against, what now? What next? What has changed? What have you achieved? The government continues, unchecked. I suppose you burnish your reputation as a ‘voice of reason’, even if there is little reason in your thinking that I can discern. It’s not goos enough, and I’ll continue to say so, always explaining why, until we have meaningful change.
December 2, 2020
Mamy thanks for your vote John. A true Tory amongst a few others. I noticed Theresa May abstained as did Andrea Leadsom. Disgusting but not surprised at May. Leadsom, like May has shown she was not fit to leas the country but then neither is the Carrie/Johnson team.
December 2, 2020
If only we had more people working in manufacturing, making white goods and electronic equipment, a vibrant steel industry, shipbuilding, rather than non-essential services (except they’re essential to the people who depend on them for their livelihood), then the impact on the country would be far less. Industry isn’t closed down and people can still go out to work.
December 2, 2020
Thank you for voting against the tiers. (Iām not a constituent, but live in a London suburb with low cases which went up to tier two when London āwent as oneā and weāre back in it again)
The most disturbing and frustrating thing about it all at the moment, is the governmentās intransigence in thinking or cooperating with others. Julia Hartley Brewer was talking to someone, yesterday, whose name I forget, and he said Boris had told him, we must use government approved scientists….? The implication being we canāt just listen to any old Tom, Dick or Harry.
We donāt stand a chance of moving on from this groundhog day. Boris and his team must go!
December 3, 2020
Sharon that was Col Bob Stewart who showed an appalling lack of knowledge – he didnāt even know of any opposing scientists or why they werenāt part of SAGE š³he just took PMs word for it ! Made me realise that there is no hope of freedom until the SAGE scientists go! Blind faith! Hugely disappointing.
December 2, 2020
I salute your act of rebellion, Sir John. But waiting two weeks for the next review just isn’t acting fast enough to correct a wrong. Businesses are being destroyed. Jobs are being lost. The public finances are being further wrecked. The rebels now need to cormer Hancock in the Tea Room and demand that sorts out the mess, of his making, in the next couple of days: ‘Action this day’, as a late, great Conservative PM would have demanded.
December 2, 2020
Congratulations on expressing the anger of your voters. You keep raising isolation hospitals, what is their answer.
My MP, Leo Docherty who claims to speak up for his constituents, once again said nothing, going into the voting chamber as a puppy for the government.
Back in the day I challenged him on Brexit and his letter, obviously the standard line supported Mrs Mays lies about leaving when it was nothing if the sort. What can you do when your MP is so obviously acting as lobby fodder, and by implication ālieā to his electorate, to advance his win career, as indeed did his predecessor.
December 2, 2020
The disease is NOT a significant one.
So we know that this bizarre response must be about something else.
The damage being done is breath-taking and all you MPs …voting is not enough…need to stand back and take a reality check. People are suffering harm at the hands of their government.
In your name. Under your watch.
THIS IS A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE.
Even I have a small knowledge of Modern History…….
December 2, 2020
603 dead from Covid yesterday.
Another 400-500 likely today and tomorrow.
60,000 dead by the end of the week.
You and 50+ of your colleagues voted for more to die.
How many dead do you want Mr Redwood?
December 2, 2020
Andy WITH a positive test in the last 28 days. NOT of Covid. When are we going to get some transparency over the numbers?
December 2, 2020
Accusing Sir John of wanting to kill people is pretty desperate even for you, Andy. After 8 months of this,do you still not understand the difference between ‘died from’ and ‘died with’ Covid? Even the BBC does. If you don’t, a period of silence from you on this subject would be most welcome,
December 2, 2020
Ageist hate peddler Andy pretending s/he cares.
December 2, 2020
Died from, died with, died with a false positive test or died with a positive test due to having had (and recovered from) the disease months ago. Do not forget that nearly everone going into hospital is being tested and so lots of sick people around with false positive tests.
December 2, 2020
He must be too thick to understand the difference. He has had it pointed out many times but he still seems to think that for anyone who dies having tested positive for Covid in the last 28 days, the cause of death is Covid. Even if they recovered and died in a car crash.
December 2, 2020
Short sighted, trite reply. You are completely ignoring death toll from other causes such as cancelled cancer and heart disease treatments etc. Covid is NOT king.
December 2, 2020
Iām not ignoring anything. The ONS helpfully publishes weekly death figures. We know how many die each week. We know how many have Covid listed on their death certificate. And we know how many additional deaths there are above the norm.
Another 648 died today. Deaths with COVID on the death certificate will pass 60,000 tomorrow or the day after. At an average of 400-500 a day it could be at 70,000 by Christmas. Merry Christmas families of COVID dead people. 55 Conservative MPs seem to be not very interested in you.
December 2, 2020
How many have died because of lockdown ?
I posit ALL of the deaths not listed *died of* CV-19.
December 2, 2020
Should have written:
How many have died because of lockdown ?
I posit ALL of the excess deaths that were not listed as *died of CV-19* were killed by lockdown.
The NHS DID collapse in the Summer. It shut itself down and killed lots of people doing so.
December 2, 2020
In total, only 1,700 people have died in the UK of Covid-19 without having an underlying health-condition. It is normal for about 1,700 people in the UK to die of something every day.
Get a grip, Andy. You can’t hide behind the sofa forever.
December 2, 2020
you should be shamed.
December 3, 2020
now you have been shamed – – you should also be a-shamed.
December 2, 2020
Andy, you say “603 dead from covid”. The gov.uk site states “deaths within 28 days of a positive covid test” this does not mean ‘dead FROM COVID’. Many of these people we are told contract covid in hospital and don’t go in with the virus, around 20%! Data provided 1/12/2020 https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths
Sir John, why can’t we see where the 603 deaths were? What age were they? Did they have any underlying conditions or none? This is a serious terror threat on people, restricting their and their families liberty and we can’t even ask? Who, where, how did they contract it?
December 2, 2020
Andy, apparently everything from Biden winning the US election to the European Union’s accounts having been properly audited and signed off is “fake nooz”.
So the ONS figures will be viewed alike here.
December 2, 2020
Martin, ONS figures are viewed by people commenting on this blog who are capable of reading and understanding them. Have a look at what the ONS say:
‘We use the term āinvolving COVID-19ā or āinvolving Influenza and Pneumoniaā when referring to deaths that had that illness mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, whether as an underlying cause or not.’ (From: ONS, Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional: week ending 20 November 2020)
Yes, read it again, Martin: ‘Whether as an underlying cause or not.’ Got it now?
December 2, 2020
when are you going to reveal to Sir John just where he can find the magic wand that will instantly stop the Covid deaths?
December 2, 2020
Itās the same wand that stops flu deaths. Apparently the PM is suspending life until he finds the wand.
December 2, 2020
If this were a real pandemic (it is a syndemic in fact) there wouldn’t be any reluctance to take the vaccine – there is lots of resistance at present, certainly no rush to get it among most people, in fact.
You’d have to stop people fighting and bribing each other to get the jab if people were dropping dead everywhere (as in the film Contagion.)
I thank Sir John for his contributions. He is fighting to save the economy from a government which has overreacted (having messed up care homes initially), which equals saving lives in fact.
December 2, 2020
UK approves use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine – rollout to begin next week.
Well let us hope it is very, very safe indeed and very few reacts badly to it – this as they clearly need to give it to many thousands for each life that might be saved from a Covid death. Once again they do not seem to have analysed the risk reward position. I just hope it is very, very safe – we shall see.
To make it clear I am not anti-vaccination at all but this does not mean that all vaccines do more good than harm. Hancock tells us infections are down by 4/5 in Liverpool why does he think this is? Clearly not because of the mass testing at all but because they had largely reached herd immunity levels – some were never vulnerable and many have already had it.
The fact that the vaccine priority system has not been adjusted for gender risk, blood group risk and the likes show the experts/politicians once again are not up to the job and non following sound science.
December 2, 2020
Daily new ācasesā (actually just PCR positive tests many false positives and/or people who have already had Covid & recovered) in the UK now about 12,000, about half of what they were just two weeks back. This decline without any vaccine and clearly not really due to the lockdown or mass testing programmes in places like Liverpool either.
The circa 20.8% of excess weekly deaths in the UK currently (2,155 deaths a week) are now are surely mainly due to failure of the NHS to keep normal services going. No significant excess weekly deaths in Germany currently I note. Can we sort out the dire NHS state monopoly please?
December 2, 2020
Well done for voting against John. Wish I could say the same for my pathetic MP who voted in favour but then he is the MP for St. Ives and Isles of Scilly so hey weāre alright Jack are obviously his thoughts. Disgusted to see meddling Welsh Conservative MPs all voting in favour. At least for once Scottish MPs had the good grace not to vote but it was their choice, they could have had they wished. How much longer John are you and your fellow MPs squatting in English seats going to allow this affront to democracy to carry on? Do any of you even care about the disgraceful way England is treated in this so called union?
December 2, 2020
The Welsh voted on matters pertaining to England and yet they have their own set of rules and regulations when it comes to Covid and block us from travelling there when they wish to. How come England is always getting kicked in the teeth?
December 2, 2020
I hope the police are checking vehicle registrations at Cheshire Oaks and reporting anyone with Welsh plates.
Drakeford is going to be encouraging drink driving over the welsh border in Chester, Liverpool etc. with his 6pm curfew. This man is on a total and utter power trip.
December 2, 2020
It is not the tiers that are the problem but the size of the areas reporting the data. Hence the government has little option but to apply the tier relating to the CV figures. If for example Wiltshire or Dorset could have a North/South divide the southern part of Wiltshire would be in tier 1 as would the northern half of Dorset. Swindon and Bournemouth would be in tier 2 quite rightly so
December 2, 2020
Never mind dividing Dorset into North and South. It needs to be divided into East and West. The biggest town in West Dorset – Bridport – last time I saw detailed figures had a whopping NO cases. Not one. The whole of West Dorset – from Dorchester to the boundary with Devon has almost no cases.
December 2, 2020
Neither side is completely right on this. MPs appear not to have been persuaded that the tier system is wrong. At least that is a democratic decision.
December 2, 2020
Yes they were, a minority supported it.
December 2, 2020
PS the nearly 300 who voted got it are probably in the Government. Thatās about the number now part if the Government, so they were keeping their jobs.
December 2, 2020
I can understand Boris’s dilemma. Less responsible people in Tier 3 would migrate for more relaxed living in lesser Tiers, were they readily accessible a couple of miles down the road. Which would ensure that your low tier paradise became a Covid19 hot spot PDQ. I recognise the need to protect the economy and it’s return to normality, but that solution lies with vaccination, and ensuring that that programme runs smoothly. I emphasise strongly that everyone vaccinated needs to be given a health visa certificate or passport stamp to accelerate the return to normal economic activity.
December 2, 2020
Agricola, it’s time to wake up. The virus has been, done its worst, and gone. Viruses don’t do 2nd waves (Dr Mike Yeadon and many others). You are talking about false positive results with a test that should never have been approved in the first place. It was approved on the basis of a paper submitted on 21 st January by Christian Drosten in Germany and accepted for publication the next day – no proper peer review can possibly have taken place. The journal that published it (‘Euro Surveillance’) is now being challenged by scientists worldwide to retract it. The whole Covid house of cards is going to collapse, and it’s only a matter of time before you read about it, even in our newspapers. Well-meaning people like I’m sure you are will feel they were cheated, and they’ll be right. You may not want to believe this yet, but just look at what happened 10 years ago with the WHO and the swine flu scandal, and consider.
December 2, 2020
On what grounds? The vaccine doesn’t prevent you from catching covid 19 or transmitting it, it (hopefully) prevents you from developing a serious case of the illness. 95% effective also means 5% ineffective. Meanwhile the vast majority cope fine via their natural immune systems, why do they have to be vaccinated? In other news, apparently pregnant women are now being advised not to have the jab because the side effects are unknown.
December 2, 2020
Let those who want the vaccination to protect themselves have it. Let the rest of us take our chances.
December 2, 2020
It is wonderful news about the Pfizer vaccine but Iām not going to have it. At least not anytime soon. Not because I am anti-vaccination – Iām not. But because the approval for this has clearly been rushed by a desperate UK. With our government failing there is far more pressure to approve a vaccine here than anywhere else.
Additionally, of course, the Pfizer vaccine is made in Belgium and has to be stored at -80c. This posses a problem with Tory Brexit coming up as there is likely to be significant disruption to supplies at the border. Hence the rush to get the first doses in before we leave the transition period and a tsunami of Brexit red tape is imposed on companies. (Imposed by politicians who promised to cut red tape). So this looks like a Tory desperation vaccine at the moment.
It also seems me to be quite dangerous to roll it out to all NHS workers. If there are unexpected side effects that sounds quite alarming to me.
Iāll be much more reassured when the Europeans, Americans and others have approved it – which they will in the coming days – but, even then, Iāll be waiting until we have seen what it actually does to people. Fortunately Iām not in any vulnerable group so it will take several months to get to me anyway. Probably more than that as a huge vaccine roll out requires a high level of competence. Competence is not this governmentās strong point.
December 2, 2020
Oh Andy, have the vaccine, itās from the EU – what could go wrong?
December 3, 2020
Far less than if were purely UK assessed, perhaps.
Read the latest on the cladding manufacturer which supplied the Grenfell Tower job.
It appears that they are allowed to self-certify on the basis of a declaration that certain tests have been undertaken – which in this case were reportedly fiddled.
That was far from the only problem too.
December 3, 2020
a little commune in Belgium might say ‘No!’
December 2, 2020
Refrigeration on HGV vehicles keeps going when the vehicle is stationary.
And it can flown in.
And suddenly you want to wait for USA approval.
You flip every few days.
December 2, 2020
If EU approval takes anything like their Canadian deal, I don’t think you’ll ever get offered a vaccination.
December 2, 2020
Andy
If this were a real pandemic you would be fighting to get the vaccine. You would be prepared to bribe officials to get it for your kids.
Watch the film Contagion which is about a real pandemic where EVERYONE who catches the disease dies.
Yet a few posts ago you were virtually calling Sir John and the 50, murderers.
And here you are whingeing about a vaccine for a disease you claim is so lethal.
December 2, 2020
I donāt really bother with the BBC much any more, and have given up the Today programme. But I just heard Ed Milliband, very tough on the government over the latest big retail industry disaster. Incredibly, during the 7 or 8 minutes or so I listened, the BBCās interviewer didnāt ask Mr Milliband whether perhaps the whole lockdown approach which Labour has been clamouring for more of at every stage, has not been an error, with the costs outweighing the benefits.
Nor I imagine have they even reported that Prof Spector of King’s College London, who runs the largest running study of Covid, says itās clear the second wave peaked weeks ago.
The only effective opposition to this economically disastrous and ill thought through policy is on the Tory backbenches. The leftwing opposition parties are a joke.
December 2, 2020
Thank you Sir John for voting against the restrictions, for the first time in my life Iām fearful of what this government is planning, surely itās not simply incompetence?
Taking on board all the Green Crap is a sure sign that thereās something sinister going on, vote for a Churchill and get Stalin.
I no longer have any faith in the NHS to treat me should I fall ill, our local surgery is closed with only telephone consultations.
December 2, 2020
It seems the PM is set in his ways – no amount of sense from back-benchers with more savvy is going to make him change his mind…
If our country survives this attack on what we hold dear, Boris will surely be held to account for what he is doing, but THAT may be too late.
This situation, over and above even the anarchy in parliament that existed before the last GE, shows most clearly that our method of government is broken — When the establishment NWO view can dominate over common sense, we know all too well that things must change — Big brother has no place in my country.
December 2, 2020
It’s astounding that our own parliamentarians are still so fearful, that they’re willing to inflict death by a thousand cuts on our economy. Thank you for standing by your principles and your constituents, Sir John. I’m stuck with a “quality” Labour abstainer, a Party that conveniently forgets the underwhelming results of its own draconian measures in Wales. If they didn’t want the responsibility, they probably shouldn’t have applied for the job.
December 2, 2020
“I voted against the Regulations.” – thank you! A great pity our fence-sitting Official Opposition did not do so too.
The people’s Blue Boris has much to learn from today’s diary post.
December 2, 2020
Forgot to attach the link to the whole paper about the pfizer vaccine.
December 2, 2020
The comment this refers to is still in moderation!
December 2, 2020
Sir John, a big thank you! It’s not easy, but you and your colleagues are making something happen.
December 2, 2020
Any plan to make vaccination mandatory or allow businesses to require it is not acceptable. Apart from the being contrary to the Article 6 of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, what it has the effect of doing is forcing disclosure of a person’s medical records. These are confidential and should not be required to go into a shop or restaurant and any such denial of service is discrimanation.
The PM’s response to getting out of the Tiers is the vaccine program. Given the approval announced today, where is the option to end the Tiers early? If the vaccine does not get you out of lockdown, why bother?
December 2, 2020
Advice to government by 4 doctors is that the vaccine can be made compulsory. That would, however, require primary legislation to bring it into being. The report does not identify which type of Doctors are behind it. I hesitate to inject yet another link to it, but a search on committees/parliament/written evidence/9523 will bring it up – it is well worth a read and it is frightening, very. If, as at present, a Minister can simply issue legislation without consulting Parliament, we are doomed to compulsory vaccine injection.
December 2, 2020
When did 4 doctors become experts in Law, Ethics and Politics?
God knows what sort of bedside manner they have.
December 2, 2020
Probably the same doctors who allow 12year old boys become girls
December 2, 2020
Well done to keep pressing for Govt not to lose the plot and our – not their priorities Sir John.
December 2, 2020
How can the Scottish Nicola Party expect to pay Ā£500 Bonus to NHS staff when they have a wrecked economy? Lunacy.
December 2, 2020
It’s easy – the same way they can afford to give every child at school breakfast and lunch.
English Taxpayers will pay, thanks to the Barnett Formula.
December 2, 2020
Thank you for voting the right way and for making an intelligent case for other measures. It is not easy with so much hysteria around. Even on this site we see melodramatic nonsense about having lunch with granny at Christmas and then burying her in January (even granny has a survival rate of over 95% in the unlikely event she picked up the virus).
December 2, 2020
You were right to vote against the measures. I would think our MP, Chris Chope voted with you because we are in a similar situation in Rural Dorset. We have been lumped into tier 2 with Bournemouth with its university even though our virus rate is less than one-tenth of one per cent above that of Cornwall or the Isle of Wight in tier 1.
It has been a huge misjudgement by the Government to use crude County-wide boundaries for the tiers. It was always going to cause great upset and trouble, not least because of the much greater economic damage that will be done across the country in vast rural areas where there is no justification for a tier 2 or 3 shut down.
We all know that Boris is a broad brush person and it would seem that he doesn’t question his officials sufficiently or challenge their dafter suggestions. As we saw over Brexit issues under the May administration, this cabinet also isn’t taking its collective responsibilities seriously enough either. Otherwise they would not have allowed this ill-thought out plan to go ahead.
December 2, 2020
Sir John,
Having read Hansard, I can only say the PM has been totally taken over by the delusion. Parroting familiar tropes from the early days of the outbreak such as “Schools or pubs” and the odd meme that more testing drives down cases, encouraging all you MPs to drag your constituents in. Did the thought never cross anyones mind that, to use Liverpool as an example, that using the lateral flow testing instead of the PCR test reduced the numbers of false positive cases? As an example a College near to me offered LFT to their students to ease their minds prior to going home, of the 300 tested so far, not one positive. That doesn’t mean testing drove down cases. In fact it suggests to me that there is a problem with the previous test. Are the NHS testing their hospital cases using both tests? Perhaps that could “drive down” death stats too.
December 2, 2020
I do not think the government want honest figures about the Covid deaths. We currently have over 20% of excess deaths (over the normal for this time of year). These are probably not Covid deaths in the main but caused by a failure of the NHS to keep satisfactory normal treatments and surgery going.
The large number of false Covid recorded deaths and false positive PCR tests rather suits them I suspect. Rather than coming clearly on the death being caused by failure at the NHS.
December 2, 2020
Both flawed. NHS test labs scary – poor discipline, poor method poor kit.
LFT – destined to produce negative.
Also from the outset a swab shoved up the nose is unnecessary – essential for MRSA though. A good swirl around the back of the throat to where a gag sensation felt is the right place.
December 2, 2020
The list of those who went int0 the same lobby as you makes interesting reading. It is a pity, though perhaps not surprising, that there were not more of them.
Vaccines do of course mean there is some light at the end of the tunnel; when we get there, the next job must be to see that the management of the NHS receives at last the reform it has been in need of for decades. In its present form, and on its record in this pandemic, the NHS does not deserve ‘Saving’.
Alison Pearson has a very good article in today’s Daily Telegraph.
December 2, 2020
Rushed-through vaccines are never a good idea. Check out the compensation paid and outstanding legal cases against adverse effects of, for instance, the swine flu vaccine or Gardasil (vaccine for human papilloma virus).
December 2, 2020
Good morning Sir John
Thank you for voting to support the People of England and the UK.
Big centralised Government is not Government that is Rule. It can never be the way for a whole society all of the time. Punishing the innocent just ‘in hope’ is seriously perverted thinking.
I am all for verifiable advice and guidance and would be one of those that complied. But punishing those that take care and whom will never meet with those that play fast and loose, could in its self be considered a crime.
I do wish we had a Conservative Party in Government, this crowd is an insult to the meaning
December 2, 2020
By my reckoning the Last Conservative government in power was under PM Thatcher. That was the last time there was any semblance of a government working for all the people.
Even she was crippled by left leaning hypocrites in her own party. The left likes to infiltrate and pervert from the inside
December 2, 2020
Indeed forced into the disaster of the ERM by economic illiterate and EUphile John Major & deluded left of the party and then forced out of office to be replaced by the appalling John Major who duly buried the party for three+ terms. Once people had sussed what a dim. plonker he was.
December 2, 2020
ian@barkham
Yes indeed, they don’t have the guts for a fair fight, they don’t believe in democracy.
They prefer to cheat……..’get your man in there’.
December 2, 2020
Sensible is the word that springs to mind whenever I read your diary.
Sounds like faint praise I know, but I’d rather have one sensible friend and 100 of some politicians as enemies.
December 2, 2020
If only he had beaten John Major, Sir John would have and still would make a great PM.
He is right to ask about other possible cures, why are we not hearing about inhaled beta interferon and monoclonal antibodies?
December 2, 2020
Itās Mrs Tās fault. She was afraid of her enemies so promoted them! Feeding the crocodiles. They consumed her in the end. She forgot to sort out the succession. JR should have been Chancellor rather than Major.
December 2, 2020
Your government just want all the workers to keep their shops open for them now and so they can meet up and go for meals, then the wealthy and elite with jet off to winter ski or sunny climes to spend the life of Riley with their families. I hope the newspaper journalists are watching all of those that voted yesterday to remove workers liberties and freedoms to ensure they follow all these rules. We don’t even finish work until the 24th yet the family visit period was from the 24th to 27th the bank holiday Monday is the 28th! We were told we were locking down for a month in November to lower the numbers and what people are coming out of that lockdown into higher tiers!
As for labour abstaining, shame on all those that didn’t vote, shame on you.
December 2, 2020
+1 spot on:”Maintaining a national sense of urgency and inciting fear is one of the Stateās primary weapons against its own people and their freedoms.”
As you say, a true opposition cannot come from within…
December 2, 2020
Thank you for voting ‘no’, Sir John. A lone voice of reason. Begs the question why Boris Johnson is only listening to a very select and IMHO misguided group of ‘scientists’ who seem to prefer modelling to hard facts and statistics. To date this question has been repeatedly asked but no one has been able to come up with a plausible answer.
Meanwhile my son-in-law lost his job in April and, having been self-employed for less than 3 years, does not qualify for any Government support. My son has moved back in with me, as he has been hard hit by IR35 and can’t afford to pay rent. Scandalous.
And the fabric of our society has been torn apart for what? It’s enough to make one weep.
December 2, 2020
We can only blame this Tory government
Rich privileged politicians playing with other peoples lives
December 2, 2020
Neil Ferguson’s PhD is in Physics.
December 2, 2020
it certainly ain’t in databases, Excel spreadsheets or predicting the future.
December 2, 2020
Thank you Sir John for voting against this mad policy.
December 2, 2020
+1
We will have been in lockdown of some sort for 13 months at least. This is if the vaccine distribution is the most efficiently conducted mission since WW2.
The Government is sitting on a dossier of the economic impact of lockdown and there was no cost/benefit analysis – not in public, at least.
Easily the worst government and Prime Minister in British history and soon everyone is going to know it.
An utter disaster.
December 2, 2020
NLA
“Easily the worst government and Prime Minister in British history and soon everyone is going to know it.”
========
I think everyone knows it already. Ask yourself; if there was a general election now, would the conservatives win ?
The conservatives also know the answer to that question, yet they still keep Boris in No 10.
December 2, 2020
An interesting video yesterday from Dr Chris Martenson – Positive Covid Test? Ask This Question!!, on the accuracy of the PCR test. The UK is treating a PCR test as positive where a CT (cycle threshold) value of less than 40 is identified. Scientific studies show only dead virus is identified at a CT of over 35 and even between 30 and 35 is a grey area where it is doubtful the person could pass it on.
The test is returning positives on some people who have already had the virus and recovered from it.
We need to know the CT number for every positive test to target treatment and understand the risk factor for an area. The lower the CT the more infectious a person is and the greater need for them to isolate and take preventative medicine. Why is this information being kept from us?
Finally, we arenāt all in this together ā it is reported US billionaires have gained $1 trillion since the start of this pandemic. Maybe this is the real reason our media and politicians want to keep this pandemic going.
December 2, 2020
My wife and I are very fortunate that we haven’t had to receive any help from this Government during the pandemic. We have like everyone else suffered the consequences of lockdown but keep paying our taxes. However, our biggest concern now is thinking up ways to protect our assets that we have earnt and built up over several decades. I see the Chancellor is lining us up for increases in “capital gains tax” and “inheritance tax”. Both of these assets having been taxed already. It’s very obvious this authoritarian left wing Government are no longer “conservative”. The penny has dropped for many and thankfully the future election prospects are diminishing by the day.
December 2, 2020
There were some very good critical speeches. I particularly hope that note will be taken of Steve Baker’s concern that petty officials and others who have no legal powers such as restaurant and shop owners will take it upon themselves to demand proof of vaccination in order to enjoy services. This would be yet another step along the present authoritarianist practises. Where is freedom when there are demands everywhere for ‘papers please’. This must be officially discouraged and legally prevented. If not we have entered fascism.
December 2, 2020
Well done on that one.
December 2, 2020
As predicted my MP voted for the restrictions, he never replies to my emails, surely thereās a code which requires answers to questions sent from constituents ?
December 2, 2020
The MsM still is amusing
On fishing – the EU has accepted the British share of fishing opportunities will increase from January 1. But only if the EU is the arbiter.
Yet no reciprocal arrangement has been offered. The UK will not be able to walk into EU territory and remove anything it wants. The UK will not be able to say how the EU is governed. That is the EU level playing field.
We voted ‘Clean Break’ these talks have shown us what a despicable lot these EU rulers are.
December 2, 2020
Boris really must take 1 decision and call a halt to these expensive, worrying and fruitless ānegotiationsā.
December 2, 2020
Thank you for standing up for us, Dr John.
But we should not be arguing about this tier or that tier, or figures, or severity, etc. That’s just displacement activity. There should be an absolute end to restrictions NOW, as we know the virus is of no danger to the vast majority, there will be no ”waves” (as viruses don’t do ”waves”) and we also know we can’t hide from it or ”control” it. AND we also know that hospitals are not overwhelmed or likely to be.
Though WE can be controlled – and that’s what the government seems to be hooked on.
(See JP Awaken on Youtube, re Elitists and power. Too true for comfort.)
December 2, 2020
But can we be controlledš
December 2, 2020
I donāt know if this point has been made,Sir John. There is a huge logistical challenge in vaccinating millions of people in this country. We know that hundreds of thousands of people have had Covid and recovered, and these individuals have been identified by testing or by symptoms. There is absolutely no need to give these individuals the vaccine until all others still vulnerable to Covid have benefited from the protection of immunisation. There is clear evidence that anyone who has had covid, has immunity. Prioritise everyone else.
December 3, 2020
According to gp online 15.3m flu vaccinations were given in the 2019/20 campaign. That’s around half the estimated target for the Covid-19 programme so the challenge is not that high in comparison.
Special storage requirements such as for the Pfizer vaccine would introduce challenges but my understanding is that it’s use would be limited to NHS staff and critical cases rather than the general population. For the latter the Oxford vaccine apparently doesn’t require special treatment over that of the flu vaccine.
December 2, 2020
Thank you
December 2, 2020
Mr. Redwood – how and when are you going to get rid of the liability in 10 Downing Street?
December 2, 2020
the how doesn’t interest me, but the when certainly does!
December 2, 2020
The abstainers in the Covid Tiers vote forgot that if you really want to vote to abstain, then you vote in both lobbies. the Opposition can’t then be accused of not voting. Only one Conservative MP did such.
I am still having debates about whether or not, Downing Street needs to get a confirmation vote from the HoC, for a last minute, deadline of all deadlines Brexit deal with the EU.
If such a vote is mandated by some 18th Century parliamentary convention, should all opposition parties do a repeat Covid Tiers type abstention. That way, government and its de-facto opposition, are contained within the Conservative party alone. That is, Downing Street opposed by the ERG 62/CRG 53.
It doesn’t take a lot (an uneducated electorate for instance) to convert an elective dictatorship, such as the UK, into an authoritarian “executive” state; leading to a permanent left or right wing one party state.
December 2, 2020
Hopefully France will insist on no deal. However for your information the Government has extraordinary powers gifted to it in relation to Covid. The Government proposes and Parliament decides, so the House will vote on and proposed EU Deal should the Govt propose it.
Voting both ways is a pointless exercise, like spoiling your ballot.
All MPs and PMs are constrained by the real Sovereigns, and the mandate upon which we agreed to give them our sovereignty to exercise for a maximum of 5 years. Boris has to āget a brexit doneā. If he fudges it there will be trouble ahead.
December 3, 2020
Spoiling a ballot paper is not pointless. It shows you want to vote, ie exercise your rights, but you don’t want to vote for any of the listed candidates.
December 2, 2020
The chancellor was encouraging recently with his extra support to businesses in the form of a further ātop-upā to Bounce Back Loans due in the main because of the continued lockdowns and tier disruptions
However almost every business I know do not satisfy the conditions of the ātop-upā as you can only apply for a max of 25% of turnover (max Ā£50k) including original loan
Every business back in May apply for the 25% and therefore have reached the ceiling for any further loan
This sounded great but in reality the chancellor sold us a pup
You may think its bad now, just wait till after Christmas with all the businesses closing ā covid-19 is a walk in the park compared to the numbers of unemployed and liquidated companies
December 2, 2020
Yep! Itās rolling up nicely. Yep. Government spending has only just started. And they have effectively lost their āincomeā. They have to learn the hard way.
December 2, 2020
You help to keep me sane. Thanks, as usual, for being one of the few…
I hope you know you are representing the MANY. That dogged silent majority are still here, not entirely sure how we fight for our basic freedoms without ending up in a Black Maria, Lyle stockings akimbo, but grateful for any sensible leadership . I get the most sense from you, Farage and Mike Graham….
December 2, 2020
Thats one of the best responces I’ve read in months – concur
December 2, 2020
We have the new tier system and the covid crisis, the deadline week for brexit negotiations and the collapse of high street retail and thousands unemployedā¦..and what does the house of commons and the MPs choose to debate
āāāCoronation Street 60th Anniversary āāā
Just how out of touch are MPs – Isn’t parliamentary time precious
December 2, 2020
Like water they find their own level.
December 2, 2020
December 2nd, which I believe was supposed to be another deadline, and the ‘talks’ with the EU go on like the legendary sale at Allied Carpets. Just how long is Boris proposing to allow to make preparations for No Deal exit?
December 2, 2020
beresford
Johnson is not making plans for no deal, he intends to sell out to Macron & Co. The many deadlines are just an attempt to throw a bit of meat to the crocs. Behind the scenes he’s working with his EU Choreographers on how to dress a sell out as a victory.
He either gets lynched by big business, or by us. Unfortunately for him, and the conservatives, he’s picked the wrong side.
December 2, 2020
4 seconds?
December 2, 2020
a-tracy I don’t think Lewis Hamilton has got CV-19.
I think it is a good excuse for the F1 bosses to give him a week off, even up the chances in the next race and increase the TV ratings. He has got his 7th world title and Mercedes have the constructor’s championship again so nobody loses.
December 2, 2020
Ah I see. Gamesmanship.
December 2, 2020
George, you have to understand that Lewis absolutely loves to race and he passionately wants to win, but only by driving fairly, unlike Senna and Schumacher. He is a sportsman in the best and British sense of the word and would not give up his seat unless he had to.
Spare a thought for your namesake, and our fellow Brit George Russell, who is deputising for Lewis this weekend. He’s a future World Champion and this is literally the opportunity of a lifetime. No pressure, then !
December 3, 2020
utter nonsense. A single FIA appointed organisation tests all drivers, crews in a bubble and associated staffing. A ‘ rogue’ contact got in somehow.
December 3, 2020
How Fred? It shouldn’t be difficult to check who came within 2m of Lewis when the FIA regularly tests its drivers and staff should it?
December 2, 2020
As I ‘understand’ the new “Tier system”, it is so illogical, so bizarre that I have to believe that it was simply written on the back of the ubiquitous “Fag packet”, probably somewhere in Whitehall and accepted whole-heartedly by Number 10.
Who needs anymore stand-up comedians when the clowns are scripting our anti-covid19 strategies?
December 2, 2020
And you were right to vote against, Sir John. Bravo – again.
December 2, 2020
Thank Sir John. My local MP also voted against for which I thanked him. We need more honourable members who are prepared to think for themselves, rather than just go with the flow.
December 2, 2020
JR
“Why are West Berkshire and Wokingham in Tier 2 when numbers are quite low and we were in Tier 1 before the lockdown.”
===========
Answer is simple: your neighbour is Slough.
December 2, 2020
Winter watch: 1963 ā the big freeze BBC FOUR 8pm 2nd Dec
3 months Dec, Jan, Feb ā no electricity and no gas supply due to freezing conditions
The only hope was coal for the home & power stations and fuel for transport
I hope and pray that Boris is watching this programme
December 2, 2020
Matt Hancock is acting insane as a strategy
December 2, 2020
its working
December 3, 2020
he sure is convincing.
December 2, 2020
For what it’s worth I have given up on democracy and the political process. This is not the country my dad and grandad fought to defend. It’s a joke.
December 2, 2020
Why, Sir John, is Johnson being allowed to sell us out on Brexit? Burying bad news under the tiers of Corona?
“Barnier says that the UK will stay within European Human Rights laws and the ECHR.
Despite Tory promises to change this they have sold out again…..”
December 2, 2020
I’m certainly not Barnier’s best fan but he has been between a rock and a hard place since Teresa May was booted out.
His nationality doesn’t help with Macron expecting him to look after France’s interests first and foremost, like any true Frenchman.
The overwhelming problem is arrogance. Merkel wouldn’t give her best ally in the UK, Cameron, any crumbs off the table with which to win the referendum. Why ? Because of arrogance : they were all convinced that we would never vote to leave their wonderful edifice. They simply don’t read their history books. Compare us with Germany, France and Italy : we have never been a country that would accept being bullied and beaten. And we have been a democracy throughout, although the Remainers came close to subverting the democratic will expressed in the referendum.
At least the outcome has finally been respected, unlike referenda and some general elections held in the EU where Brussels arrogance has resulted in the intentions of the people being directly subverted or ignored, even by Europhile national politicians acting against their own people. It’s always Europe first and democracy second.
Then we come to the so-called “negotiations” and “transition period” which have been nothing of the kind. The arrogance of the EU doesn’t permit it to do negotiations, it bullies and blusters because it has always got its own way using that method. What kind of “transition means two years with no change whatsoever ? Oh, and here’s our Ā£1bn quid a month, thank you for so generously allowing us to remain a member.
The final arrogance is to make a generous”offer” to give us back just 15-18% of fish caught in our waters !
They have to learn to understand that the principle reason the British people voted for Brexit was Sovereignty. From 1st January 2021, any percentage of the overall catch of fish in our waters is ours to generously give to them.
Similarly, we are generous in the extreme by being willing to grant them a trade deal without tariffs when they have a Ā£90Bn trade surplus with us !
You couldn’t make it up.
December 3, 2020
Well done to all those MPs who voted against the tiers. But what we heard today from the gov’t regarding the vaccine was sheer blackmail. Take it or the restrictions will go on and on. Vaccine manufacturers indemnified against damages. MPs don’t seem to want to discuss freedom of choice with the vaccine, except Desmond Swayne and Steve Baker, as far as I know.
December 3, 2020
I wrote to my Labour mp several times but heās not interested.I donāt agree with these draconian rules. The numbers and graphs being put out by the government simply donāt add up.
I have relatives in the north and if the tories think they will win those seats again they are deluded. They are angry . They feel betrayed. Their industries are folding. They have followed the so called rules and have had enough.
Good you voted against but some of your colleagues happily voted for loss of liberty and ruin.
December 3, 2020
We will not get the change we all crave for by voting for more of the same, we have had 50 years of this establishment it must all go, as for fighting it on the inside gets nowhere as we have seen, we can see just how affective fighting from the outside is, simply look what one man has achieved in 25 years .
We wonāt less talk of the party and more talking about what they said they would do by dusting off there Manifesto.
So far I have seen nothing that was promised, and we are not getting it now or later
December 3, 2020
Tears @ Vote Time!
December 3, 2020
I understand the arguments put forward by you and others posters here. However, I am in favour of the current tier system for the simple fact that the general public, or large parts of it, cannot be trusted to confirm to the rules, as seen in areas of the north. Sadly no-one is brave enough to say this, so the Government is forced to lay down blanket rules. We live next to South Gloucestershire which is a commuter area for Bristol which has had (now happily reducing) high rates of infection with hospitals are near full capacity. In the small picturesque village where I live during the summer, and even during the past few weeks, we have been swamped with people, many of whom paid no attention to social distancing. I firmly believe that for the next TWO WEEKS the tier system is justified as a prelude to slackening a little by area in the run up to Christmas. This is nudge politics in action in a big way.
December 3, 2020
Has no one read to days
Conservative Lady
, an excellent read if you are fed up with being told what and when by the Remainers
Writing by Daniel Miller will make you feel better