It is time to trust people more. It is time to control people less. I would like to praise Ministers and officials, and particularly all the scientists, medics and researchers, who have worked so hard to ensure that the UK is a leader in vaccines. We are supplying one of the best vaccines to the world, getting it out early and making it available for all of us, and ensuring that we had bought in other vaccines that became available so that we were in a position to protect our population well and relatively early compared with other countries. I pay tribute to all the work by the NHS and the medics to understand how to treat the disease better and how it is transmitted so that we can take better actions to give people greater security.
I say now to all those experts, the NHS and the Government, âShare what is relevant with the rest of usâthe publicâand let us make more of our own risk assessments.â We are now saying to people that there are two major ways in which we can all protect ourselves against the possibility of getting this disease, or a bad version of it. First, we are making two jabs available to all adults who want them, and the figures so far show that that gives them a much better probability of not catching the disease at all and very strong protection against a serious case of it. This is what we are mainly worried about, as we are trying to stop people dying or struggling in intensive care, and to stop that pressure on the NHS and all the suffering that it produces.
We are also saying to people, âIf youâre still worried about the residual risk or if you really donât like vaccines, you can self-isolate.â I hope that the Government will continue, as an employer itself and as the Government guiding others in the economy to say that we should be generous and supportive of anyone who really does feel that they need to protect themselves against the virus by self-isolation. I think that we are now well beyond the stage where we have to isolate practically everybody else to some extent when so many people now have protection, are making their own risk judgments, and want to get on with their lives.
In the room, when assessing the data, it is important that we look at all the data about jobs, livelihoods, incomes, family stress and mental health pressures, because this policy is creating all of those. The Government can do more. They should be helping the private sector to manage air flows, air extraction, ultraviolet cleaning and so forth to make it safer for many more social contact businesses to reopen and have a reasonable number of people enjoying their services. I think that more could be done on ensuring that all our health settings have really great infection control, because we do not want any more slippages from health settings themselves.
I urge the Government to think again about an idea they looked at early on but did not develop, which is in the large populated areas, particularly the conurbations, to have isolation hospitals that deal with covid and other variant infectious diseases well away from general hospitals. We add to the pressures and the likelihood of cross-infection if we have a general hospital taking in a very infectious disease.
There is now huge scope to get a really good economic recovery to save jobs, create new jobs and get pay up, to have many more transactions in the economy. To do that, however, we need to relax and to trust the people more. I think my constituents are ready to make decisions about their own lives again and many are very frustrated that they are not allowed to. We have all this great advice and knowledge. Let us not get too gloomy and let us not lock everybody up again.
June 17, 2021
I applaud you SirJ and the other 59 MPs with courage
June 18, 2021
Indeed, but alas only 59.
June 17, 2021
All sensible comments John, but in the meantime the Government is now going over the top and suggesting that employees can decide where they work, no matter what their employer (who pay their wages) thinks, so I guess many legal disputes will happen with a judge deciding who is right, but who will pay for all of these cases, the employee, the Company, or the taxpayer. ?
Good interview by Andrew Neil on GB News with the Chancellor last night, clearly the government have as yet not a clue how much net Zero by 2050 will cost us all, or even if we will have the technology to get anywhere near it.
Indeed will net Zero in the UK make any difference at all as to what the weather will be like in 2050.
June 17, 2021
Great. Glad that isolation hospitals are being mentioned again plus jab choice!
However, there seems to be some concern in Parliament that another lockdown âŠAutumn/Winter is already on the cards?
And as far as I can gather no official figures support any of this.
June 17, 2021
Why are people who take immune-suppressing drugs and donât know if they have antibodies to the virus not being tested to see if they are immune to the virus? I personally know three people who are in this position and still fear mixing with others. Iâve been tested and know I have a high level of antibodies as I participated in an Imperial College trial. Why is this life-saving option not being offered to the vulnerable?
June 17, 2021
A very good question indeed Christine.
I am immunosurpressed, well over sixty and ECV. I am unable to get any information/figures as to what level of protection the AZ vaccine provides in people like me.
I have, in effect, been shielding for best part of eighteen months and now feel abandoned by the government.
We need to know what level of protection we have so we can decide whether to get back to normal or not or whether to remain locked away.
It must be our own decision, but we need all the information to make the decision.
June 17, 2021
+1
June 17, 2021
There is much merit in your isolation hospital proposal. Said despite going to one at the age of 7 with post operative scarlet fever, only to contract measels and mumps as a result. At least I learnt to knit in isolation.
The problem, as was found with Nightingales, we did not have the qualified staff to man them. Solve that one then move on to the question, do we have an isolation requirement year round that would justify an isolation hospital anywhere. Isolation suggests no visitors, if accepted maybe one hospital per x hundred thousand of population and an ambulance feed at each end of treatment. Statistics might be useful hrer to establish demand. The alternatives for covids is mothballed nightingales.
June 17, 2021
Many people do not want to have the vaccination. The government is presently endeavouring by telephone calls to find out who and how many they are. I expect something can be done about them.
June 17, 2021
What do you suggest can be ‘done’ about those people? They will include people that cannot have the vaccination for health reasons and those that choose not to have it, at least until the trials have been finished and the results verified and published.
June 17, 2021
I think that you made a good speech for your point, John.
However, as a country, and thanks to the doctrine, amongst whose promoters you have been one of the foremost, we do not have the organisational structures, people, or practical resources, to introduce the measures that some of your recommendations imply, on a properly-coordinated national basis.
Indeed, we never had them at the start of this, and it is why this country has one of the worst deaths-per-unit of population in the world, I would say.
June 17, 2021
U.K. is currently 19th and falling in deaths per million. Almost certainly U.K. cases are exaggerated as has been widely reported.
June 17, 2021
But we are able to lockdown everybody ? That’s doable and yet self shielding isn’t ?
June 17, 2021
âShare what is relevant with the rest of usâthe publicâand let us make more of our own risk assessments.â
Laudable but unlikely to happen. The authorities are too busy shutting down and âde-platformingâ alternative voices.
While it may be politic to begin with praise, the culprits responsible for unsound decisions and actions should also be held to account.
The latest idea being floated is an employees ârightâ to work from home. While I have worked from home myself from time to time, I think this idea is a skiverâs charter. The government should keep out of harmful interference in business practice.
June 17, 2021
I can only agree with you, Peter. We are not children.
June 17, 2021
Isolation hospitals for covid were a good idea. I thought the problem was they were unable to staff the ones they originally set up?
June 17, 2021
True, staffing was and is the biggest problem…
June 17, 2021
only ever a smokescreen diversion.
June 17, 2021
Yes we could set up a really good air extraction system in the new “isolation hospitals” you mention.
We could make sure there are good rail links to these ” isolation hospitals”
June 17, 2021
Great that you have opposed this insane extension. Keep up the good work.
June 17, 2021
I see another problem for government follwing the Ausie/UK trade agreement, only to be doubled if the redoutable Ms Truss has her way with New Zealand.
Much rumbling from the NFU and a group of MPs of the soil that needs to be answered. A financial analysis, Ausie Beef and UK Beef would settle questions arising. Compare like for like remembering that Ausie Beef is at least 28day matured beef so should only be compared with similar from the UK.
There should also be a beef health standards comparison. Bare in mind that the buying public only buy what they wish to buy and in the UK they have a myriad of choices.
Reply Australia has high animal welfare standards. they want a closer relationship and will buy more U.K. goods and services.
June 17, 2021
And buying from our Aussie friends gives us a viable alternative to eu ( southern Ireland) beef- that is good!
June 18, 2021
The vast majority of meat I see in our local supermarket is not British but mostly Irish, German, Dutch plus others such as Vietnamese. I don’t think I have ever seen UK lamb in Asda, it’s always been from NZ. Weirdly, Lidl stocks more UK meat.
Is this because of supermarket buying practices, UK farmers only chasing higher paying markets?
So what difference to British farmers exactly if friends and family from Oz and NZ take market share from our unfriendly neighbours?
June 17, 2021
Sir John and fellow readers, please consult the information provided by Dr Tess Lawrie, which indicates how to minimise the harm of this virus and the remove the motivation for the lockdown.
June 17, 2021
Are you sure?
June 17, 2021
You forced me to google, and this was among the references which came up:
https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/ivermectin-isnt-a-highly-effective-drug-for-treating-covid-19-tess-lawrie/
âIvermectin isnât a highly effective drug for treating COVID-19â
June 17, 2021
Your speech says it all for all the rational thinking people. Iâm heartily sick of being told what to do. Iâm elderly, fit, active, and Iâm losing precious time to live and explore more. Thank you.
June 17, 2021
+1
June 17, 2021
Sir John,
I read with interest about an air purification device developed in NI which claims to be 99.99% effective against viruses. Perhaps the government should focus more on mandating healthy environments rather than things like low energy light bulbs.
And I worry that much of the “energy conservation” regulations over the last few years has led to poorer air quality indoors. Review required?
June 17, 2021
Indeed air tight houses with strict testing to confirm that fact are the new standard for a house to be signed off as a passive house (which needs little heating) with the addition of very high insulation standards.
June 17, 2021
Information at Stats Wales shows there are currently just 28 confirmed covid cases across all hospitals in Wales, yet we still have restrictive measures in place.
June 17, 2021
I have throughly enjoyed watching GB News since its launch.
I hadnât realised that this Brexitistâs channel of choice was going to be a comedy channel.
Reply Pathetic comment. Canât Remainers ever accept there are other Points of view from theirâs that have every right to be heard?
June 17, 2021
Excellent interview with Rishi Sunak by Andrew Neil, and informed long-form discussion afterwards. Much better than anything on the BBC. Incisive interviewing and discussion as it used to be before the new leftist style of gotcha interruption and opinionated interviewer virtue signalling.
Itâs going to be funny watching the leftâs desperation as GB News becomes the leading news and current affairs channel.
June 17, 2021
There’s no such thing as a Remainer any more.
The UK has left the European Union, so no one can promote the proposition of remaining in it, however much they might wish that it never had. Therefore no one can be a “Remainer” any more. However, it no doubt serves the relentless Identity Politics of the Right to continue to label people, and so I expect that they’ll do just that.
There might be a few Rejoiners, but most of those are realistic enough to accept that any timescale for that would probably be rather long, and also depend on none of the twenty-seven using their veto, which would be some ask after the recent malarkey by this Government, I think.
I’m not one – I think that this country should leave the others in peace, incidentally, but I’ll continue to do all that I can to expose the cynical deceit which has led the country to this lamentable position.
June 18, 2021
You consistently moan about anything and everything. Is ‘anarchist’ more appropriate?
June 17, 2021
I am happy to hear a range of voices. But GB News does not have a range of voices. It has one voice: an irrationally angry one.
The problem with it is that it looks and sounds like it has been put together by amateurs. Seeing that it has mostly been put together by Brexitists this would explain it.
Anyway, I for one am hooked. I was expecting GB News to be hard to watch. Instead it is literally the funniest thing I have ever seen.
June 17, 2021
Yes – it’s either funny or it’s not, and no one can tell you that it isn’t if it makes you laugh. Well, toddlers might try…
June 17, 2021
Oh, how utterly stupid. The “range of views” is across the entire media, not in each individual nook and cranny. Complaining that GB has one position is like complaining that JVL has one voice. That’s the nature of organizations.
June 17, 2021
One voice you say.
Well that plainly is not correct andy.
They have over 30 presenters and have had over 40 guests already.
I have tuned in on occasions and have not seen anyone being “irrationally angry”
Be interested if you could give us some examples.
Perhaps you would be happier back at the Guardian.
June 17, 2021
nobody knew you have a sense of humour.
June 17, 2021
I wasn’t that impressed by the technical quality either, and I hope it improves, but I found it a plus that they actually state their position openly, instead of insinuating it. It’s a refreshing change from the oily BBC habit of giving you a comment from a “concerned soccer Mum” who later turns out to be a lifelong Labour and anti-Israel activist.
June 17, 2021
Well said Sir, pathetic describes remoaners well
June 17, 2021
Thanks for your efforts on this issue and to other honourable MPs but the fundamental drive of this entire operation still remains concealed and out of sight.
Most now realise there’s a thinly concealed plan to reconstruct the fundamental relationship between person and the now all-empowered State. The agenda is oppressive. The agenda is neo-Marxist. The agenda is a sinister.
I may bore people to death about how captured the Tory party is by the fascist left (and yes, their agenda is fascist) but it is real and substantial and represents a threat to us all.
I see Enid Blyton’s work has now been deemed ‘racist’. How long do we have to tolerate this Stalinist bullshit by dark forces that have embedded themselves?
The definition of racism is warped, partial and designed to slander tens of millions of people. That is simply abhorrent, criminal and yet it is still being allowed to go unchallenged
June 17, 2021
“How long do we have to tolerate this Stalinist bullshit by dark forces that have embedded themselves? ” In a rule of law democracy, you have to tolerate it, period.
The answer to what you rightly call bullshit is education and public debate, not a reduction in tolerance. And that’s not a bad thing.
June 17, 2021
So, despite the patent absurdity of these restrictions – the recent reports in the Telegraph (and elsewhere) PROVE that the government’s policy is utterly wrong and illogical – only 51 Conservative MPs opposed them. And the Opposition once again failed to oppose. You have to question the mentality of the drones who just support whatever idiocy is put before them. Do they have no brains, no gumption and no self-respect? Obviously not.
As I do not live in the constituency of any of these few rebels I am completely disenfranchised. I will certainly NOT vote Conservative again, and obviously not Labour or LibDem either. If there is no decent alternative I will spoil my ballot paper. Democracy has failed us.
June 17, 2021
Being on the winning side of a single-issue advisory referendum doesn’t entitle you to have every single silly thing that you want thereafter too.
I really shouldn’t have to explain anything that basic, but its seems that quite a lot of commenters here are under the illusion that it does.
June 17, 2021
That’s just an incoherent rant. Everyone wants what they want – that’s why we have a democracy. Fulminating because someone says what they want is just silly and makes you look like a fool.
June 18, 2021
That’s just a truism.
My point – which you intentionally ignore – is the apparently erroneous belief in *entitlement* on the basis of an unconnected vote, and accordingly the grievance of having this denied.
June 17, 2021
Together with an 80 seat majority as you keep pointing out MiC
June 18, 2021
yawn. Get over it.
June 17, 2021
Sir John,
I look forward to Andrew Neil interviewing the Health Secretary, and also the Prime Minister.
June 17, 2021
They should iron out their technical issues first. At present GB comes across in its videos at a very amateur level. As it happens, I support GB, but/and I don’t want a low quality premature release to discredit it.
June 17, 2021
The fact that 30,000+ people from 200+ countries are flying to Glasgow in November to attend the COP 26 climate change meeting, and thus causing large and unnecessary CO2 emissions, shows us that CAGW is a scam.
Furthermore, if this meeting takes place whilst there are still Covid-19 restrictions in place it will also show that either these restrictions are unnecessary or that the government is quite prepared to take risks with the UK’s health and economy in order for this big global elite party to take place.
June 17, 2021
Not sure about ‘if you really don’t like vaccines, you can self-isolate’. Sounds like the social credit passports to me. Many of us who have declined the ‘Jab’ are not against vaccines per se, we are against novel experimental inoculants being pressed upon people regardless of whether they need them. We are also suspicious of the globalist political agenda that seems to be behind it. A number of ‘refuseniks’ are qualified medical personnel, and unreported by the MSM there is concern over the high numbers of deaths and injuries being logged by the yellow card system. The inoculants were released on an emergency basis to allow those highly vulnerable to covid19 some recourse, not to inject children.
June 17, 2021
Today’s Telegraph: ” Covid modelling that pushed back June 21 was based on out-of-date data
Government published figures to support pushing back âFreedom Dayâ despite knowing estimates of vaccine effectiveness were incorrect.”
If we were a proper elected parliamentary democracy, MPs would be outraged and demand another vote. As we now live in an elective dictatorship nothing will happen and this government’s lies and tyranny will continue and only get worse.
June 17, 2021
The Sovereign Individual by Bill ( Not Gates). I want to read this if any one has a copy. One of the 5 star reviews says it ” Lays out the arguement for the dissolution of countries and nation states “
June 17, 2021
The sovreign individual ( not state)
June 17, 2021
Thank you
June 17, 2021
What a shame more didnât join the vote to open up, especially as (as has now been published by the DT) Mr Whitty deliberately misled his audience by presenting out-of-date information missing the last four days (which, had they been included in his graphs, would have shown âcasesâ plummeting).
June 17, 2021
In this country, where more people have been recently dying with Influenza rather than Covid 19, it is time the HoC actually stood up for their Constituents, those who were elected were expected to represent their electorate. Multi-Business solvency and thousands of jobs are at stake.
That they failed to do so last night, proves they are more concerned with maintaining Government control and the power over us, than they are for democracy, where people have the freedom to chose for themselves. They do not represent us at all so why are they there?
Such politicos disgust me and have clearly declared themselves unfit for purpose. So when is the next General Election?
June 17, 2021
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/vaccine-victims-funeral-on-the-day-she-should-have-wed/
We need to urgently look at the deaths and adverse health issues following vaccination. Why are we rolling out these vaccines at speed when there is no long term safety data and they are still in clinical trial ( till 2023). What will the long term issues be? How many deaths? How bout fertility? Why the silence from MPs?
Are you aware that the CDC have an emergency meeting tomorrow regarding the high number of myocardial and heart inflammation in younger adolescents.
Whereâs our MPs on this and why are we not asking questions?
June 17, 2021
I am struck by the continuing theme here that if case levels fall, that is automatically an argument against restrictions. In fact, restrictions are there to reduce the level of new cases, not to address the cases we already have.
With the new variants showing higher levels of transmission, the argument for continued restrictions is to try to keep new case levels down. Getting rid of restrictions prematurely will do nothing to address current case levels and will risk increasing new case levels.
June 18, 2021
Higher levels of transmission, or reduced advised precautions against transmission.? Which is it?
June 18, 2021
It seems the only sharing of data we get is that to invoke fear to get us vaccinated.
I still do not understand why the vaccinations are being pushed so hard when there are alternative options – and our immune systems, if strong enough, will work far better than any vaccines.
Not enough debate has occurred on the subject of the virus and vaccinations – why is debate suppressed? It certainly is – Why can’t there be other ways to handle the situation rather than just the one prescribed and insisted on by the authorities. When the people in charge start to demand that there is only one way to do something it raises enormous suspicions.
June 18, 2021
Thank you Sir John Redwood for standing up for a truth that seems obvious to me and to many, but unfortunately not to most in this country. I share your instinct to allow us to decide for ourselves how to manage our own risks and am proud to have you represent my town.
I hope you’ll keep fighting to keep tyrannical government overreach at bay, particularly the threat of mandatory vaccines and vaccine passports. I think it’s wrong that vaccines have been made mandatory in care homes and the NHS because the long term safety of the vaccines have still yet to be proven. I deeply hope that they will not be made mandatory in any other sectors, such as schools, supermarkets and hospitality.
June 19, 2021
The vaccines have graphene oxide in them
June 25, 2021
Hancock having cheated on his wife and family during this crisis, he has to go, no excuses.