Putting things right

The significance of officials inviting each other to a bottle party when their rules and words told the rest of us to stay at home alone or with our immediate family is twofold. It implies they did not thinkĀ  the virus was as serious as they told us it wouldĀ  be, as they were willing to take risks themselves. It reinforced the view of a technocracy that lectured the rest of us but lived by different standards. Apparently officials decided what was right and asked the PM to drop by his own garden to thank the staff. He was clearly not in charge of working arrangements. Some argue he should have been .Ā  It leads to more questions about the way advisersĀ  used statistics and oneĀ  strandĀ  of scientific opinion to take over government and dictate controls and interventions on a war time scale.

Ministers and the Prime Minister not only allowed them to do this, but made it all visibleĀ  by thrusting forward one group of advisers to front news conferences and to explain policy. You cannot allow government policy to be dictatedĀ  by the “science”. Ministers should of course place public safety as a central aimĀ  of policy and should take best medical and epidemiological advice. They must however balance that with assessments of what lockdown will do to mental health, other causes of death, to jobs, incomes and livelihoods. They should also test out the official advice by hearing from other scientists. There were other views to consider onĀ  treatments, air flows, infection controlĀ  and expanding capacity that were not welcome as part of the official narrative. There were other ways than locking us up at home of limiting spread, abating the impact and fighting the virus that we needed to do more about. My questions and comments to get these actions were often accepted by Ministers but not progressed with energy or pace.

Sorting out the question of what senior officials and maybe some Ministers and the PM did in lockdown is less important that ensuring they govern well today, though the one does reflect on the central problem of when will the government as a whole bend to the will of the people that pay for it? People would be less angry about the office arrangements if they were getting what they voted for. The government needs to reset, to show Ministers are in charge, and to demonstrate they can work productively with civil servants to deliver promises.

Many people would be happier to see a curb on the UK’s carbon dioxide output begun Ā by reducing immigration numbers. The more people in the country the more CO2 they will generate themselves and in meeting their needs. The same policy would allow us to keep more green areas free from new houses, a popular green policy with many. We would be happy if the government kept its promise not to raise taxes and if it wound down wasteful expenditures like the excessive CV 19 testing programme and the large costs of hotel accommodation for people claiming asylum who are not refugees.

We want the Brexit wins. Why hasn’t the government even taken VAT off green products yet? Given the passion they show for net zero it looks as if the officials are blockingĀ  tax changes which would start to differentiate us from the EU. Why are the Freeports not up and running, and why does the draft not offer much freedom in the freeports proposed?

Of course Ministers are ultimately Ā to blame. They are meant to be inĀ  charge. Too many of them seem unable to apply common sense to official advice and to reach sensible judgements that powerful advisers do not always like.

 

 

 

333 Comments

  1. Peter Wood
    January 14, 2022

    Good Morning,

    Wel Sir J. you brought it up…

    Dear Prime Minister,
    Here’s what, we the people, think of your miserable attempt to decieve us once again….

    If it walks like a duck,……….quacks like a duck,……… then it’s a F……….G DUCK!

    And what of the pathetic, duplicitous statements of support for the temporary occupant of No. 10. Not a shred of honour among them.

    1. lifelogic
      January 14, 2022

      Far more important things than a glass of wine or two in the No. 10 Garden. It was the over the top, lockdowns that were the main mistake. Labour, SNP, LibDims, Plaid all wanted even more of them but seem to have forgotten this!

      1. Mike Wilson
        January 14, 2022

        @LifeLogic

        No, a ā€˜glass of wine or twoā€™, as you put it, is very important. It shows the attitude that they think the laws they make do not apply to them and that they see themselves as an elite, ruling class. We live in a sort of half-baked democracy. Them breaking the rules they made is very important – as is the police refusal to implement the law when they were on the spot.

      2. Nig l
        January 14, 2022

        +1

      3. No Longer Anonymous
        January 14, 2022

        +1 Lifelogic

        Lockdowns were the mistake. Largely dictated by the school mistresses in Scotland and the one in New Zealand.

        1. glen cullen
          January 14, 2022

          +1

          1. hefner
            January 14, 2022

            NS, bravo for the ā€˜team spiritā€™ in defending NLA: Thatā€™s what makes the ā€˜strength of nationsā€™.

        2. hefner
          January 14, 2022

          Ah, NLA, the good old English misogyny. It is so pleasant to see it here in all its splendour.

          1. Narrow Shoulders
            January 14, 2022

            No worse than using English as a pejorative Hefner.

            I am sure we can think of many other nations and cultures whose attitude to females is worse than that of the English.

        3. DavdJ
          January 14, 2022

          +1

        4. jerry
          January 14, 2022

          @NLA; Don’t forget that the schoolmaster in Australia too! Remind us how many CV19 deaths Australia has suffered, how many extra deaths from non CV19 illnesses due to patients not being able to obtain their usual treatments…

      4. villaking
        January 14, 2022

        Lockdowns you supported back then @lifelogic! But yes, they were a terrible mistake. Let us hope that one thing that may come of this is that no further lockdowns will ever be imposed or, if they are, none will be respected. I am assuming the Met will not investigate this one as it is a “past crime” although how they were unaware of it given their presence at No.10 is beyond belief. The police were happy to fly drones to catch hikers, threaten to search supermarket trolleys for what they deemed to be non-essential items and prevent people from sitting on park benches back at this time.

        1. Lifelogic
          January 14, 2022

          Not so. The only justification for the lock downs was to ensure hospitals could cope and were not over whelmed for the couple of of months where we had circa one thousand of excess deaths a day and many we getting no significant care. This was justified. To “flatten the sombrero” as Boris put it. The absurd extended lockdowns however made no sense at all – as I said clearly at the time. The Barrington declaration route made far more sense and I supported this.

      5. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 14, 2022

        What ever do you mean?

        NZ did NOT need lockdowns like we did, precisely because of Jacinta Ardern’s exemplary handling to the outbreak right at the start.

        Their pubs and sporting venues stayed OPEN, remember?

        1. Peter2
          January 14, 2022

          No allowance for relative population density nor average age, nor obeisty,nor having more sheep than people in a nation already isolated by geography from the rest of thecworld

          1. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 15, 2022

            How about China of densely packed 1.4 billion then?

            They stamped it out too and quickly went back to near-normality.

            You’re full of it.

        2. Peter2
          January 15, 2022

          You believe China’s figures NHL?
          Really?

          1. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 15, 2022

            No, I believe the many independent observers there.

          2. Peter2
            January 15, 2022

            Independent as in UN WHO staff who think like you do.
            Who believe anything the CCP show you or tell you.

            You are more gullible than Barry Gardener NHL

          3. Micky Taking
            January 15, 2022

            Martin – you doth protest too much, methinks.

      6. jerry
        January 14, 2022

        @LL; I think you are forgetting just how shrill you were sounding yourself back some 20 months ago, demanding the govt find ways to manufacture ventilators, increase hospital bed capacity etc. -we can all look and claim to be wise after the event! šŸ˜‰

    2. Peter
      January 14, 2022

      ā€˜You cannot allow government policy to be dictated by the ā€œscienceā€ā€™

      I am not sure that it was. The science might have just been the excuse for the policy.

      The Great Reset plan seems to have been dreamed up before covid. As with NetZero, there is a rich and powerful lobby arguing the case for it. That lobby might well be able to buy influence in government.

      1. Mitchel
        January 14, 2022

        A very important and erudite essay by Fabio Vighi in the Los Angeles Review of Books,The Philosophical Salon.22 January 2022:-

        “The Central Bankers Long Covid:An Incurable Condition.”

        (googleable)

        1. Mitchel
          January 14, 2022

          “22 January 2022” should read “January 2022.”

          1. Micky Taking
            January 14, 2022

            I thought I’d woken up from Covid…

      2. Original Richard
        January 14, 2022

        Peter :

        Agreed.

      3. BOF
        January 14, 2022

        +1. PETER conspiracy theory, not.

      4. Richard II
        January 14, 2022

        ” The science might have just been the excuse for the policy.” I think you’re right, Peter. If you can access the SAGE minutes online, you’ll find that in mid-March 2020 their members weren’t pressing Johnson to lock down. I admit I was surprised, as I thought that was the direction of pressure. But it looks as if the pressure to lock down was from the politico-media complex onto the scientists, not the other way round. In Germany, too, I’ve read that the government asked some ‘experts’ to produce a worst-case scenario paper that was then used to push the politicians’ agenda.

    3. Ian Wragg
      January 14, 2022

      They want to keep their ministerial salaries. They know that they are useless and wouldn’t be employable in the real world.
      Bozo must go and some real conservatives found from somewhere.

      1. Ian Wragg
        January 14, 2022

        Windmills contrib 2.85% to demand this morning.
        Pathetic.

        1. Micky Taking
          January 14, 2022

          Some of the lights in Downing St. ought to be going off.

        2. Lifelogic
          January 14, 2022

          Also as they need back up. This means that the (usually gas) back up generators are used far less efficiently (as they are ramped up and down) thus wasting energy and wasting much of the large capital investment. Plus of course wind is not that low even in CO2 terms. Load of fossil fuels used in construction, much concrete, maintenance, diesel ships to services and install them (and to decommission them shortly once we crack fusion or other better nuclear) plus the long under water connection cables to install and service to carry this 2.85%.

        3. Nottingham Lad Himself
          January 14, 2022

          Yes, the Australians etc. are also stupid to try to grow grapes where the sun doesn’t shine at night, aren’t they?

          1. SM
            January 14, 2022

            NLH – I’m getting very worried about you, your comments are becoming more and more detached from reality.

          2. Micky Taking
            January 14, 2022

            SM – – as they nearly always were.

        4. Sandra Cox
          January 14, 2022

          Hello Ian, although I havenā€™t commented on the Diary for many years, Iā€™m still a regular reader. I have to say that Iā€™m always pleased (if not always cheered) to read your updates on energy, and would like to thank you for them.

        5. Ian Wragg
          January 14, 2022

          11am. Wind now down to 1.5% of demand
          0.65 gw.
          Where’s the power for all these EVs and heat pumps coming from.

          1. alan jutson
            January 14, 2022

            Ian

            Plenty of hot air in Downing Street and Parliament, meanwhile it is being reported that the extra emergency refuge’s needed and agreed to be built for our not so Smart Motorways to help make then safer, will be not be completed until 2030.

            Meanwhile I also see it is alleged that a Labour Party Mp has received in excess of Ā£400,000 in donations over the last few years to help the cause, without realising that something, just something, may be required in return, even if only influence. !!!

            Given the above and the paid for lobby business, an honours system for simply doing your job farce, we are fast descending into an absolute shambles.

            Time for a complete re-think and re-set of the rules and responsibilities.

          2. glen cullen
            January 14, 2022

            FRANCE

          3. Lifelogic
            January 14, 2022

            Gas, oil, coal?

        6. Atlas
          January 14, 2022

          At the time of me writing it was down to 1.5% (Web-site: http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk )

          Looking at the figures there, we are desperately trying to keep the electricity supply going. Come this evening and even higher electrical demand then what?

          The Net Zero policy is a disaster area.

          1. glen cullen
            January 14, 2022

            Net Zero can’t be a disaster when over 600 MPs and 800 Lords support the ‘green revolution’

          2. Lifelogic
            January 14, 2022

            +1 and to glen what proportion of these 600 MPs and 800 Lords have physics or engineering degrees? Or even decent A levels in these subjects 1%-2% perhaps?

        7. Ian Wragg
          January 14, 2022

          1330 wind 1.3% at 0.43gw.
          You couldn’t make it up.

          1. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 14, 2022

            Who ever claimed that it would contribute significantly on calm days?

          2. Micky Taking
            January 14, 2022

            MARTIN – Just pointing out that plugging in that EV, turning the heating on, cooking with the electric hob/oven and doing it with lights on ain’t gonna work.

        8. Timaction
          January 14, 2022

          Indeed pathetic when you know this middle age technology didn’t work then, which is why they died out! All sensible points by Sir John over the last week or so but unfortunately his Party leaders have deaf ears and not a conservative bone in their bodies. Hopeless. As many have pointed out would anyone employ any of them in the private sector? Immigration, net zero, power generation with blackmail from our suppliers abroad, Northern Ireland, fishing, health, taxation, education, roads, congestion, lock downs, HS2, transport policy etc all failing under this Tory administration who have been in office for 11.5 years. If they’re not listening to you and the Spartans it’s really time you either changed your party leaders or changed to a right of centre party Sir John.

      2. DavdJ
        January 14, 2022

        +1

    4. Old person
      January 14, 2022

      Enough ā€“ no more drip drip of ever more parties.

      Boris should resign as PM.
      Ask to be appointed as Crown (or Bar) Steward to the Chiltern Hundreds or Manor of Northstead.
      Resign from the Conservative Party.

      If you imagine that this misjudgement and lack of empathy will be forgotten by the time the next election comes around, it will be quite a shock for the Conservatives to witness the results.

      Boris will still have a brilliant career ahead of him in journalism, where storytelling and obfuscation of the truth is the norm.

      Thank you for Brexit and goodbye.

      1. Peter
        January 14, 2022

        Old Person,

        I think he will lay low. Christmas and New Year now self isolating due to relatives.

        Wait for the news to tire of ā€˜party gateā€™. Sue Gray can only report. Meanwhile, the PMā€™s allies might approach with suggestions of how to tone it down and promises of great things to come.

        Anyway, removal of a PM is usually a lengthy business. Mrs. May survived for a long while, even if she did have Remain forces undermining her opponents.

      2. BOF
        January 14, 2022

        +1 OP

      3. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 14, 2022

        “Boris will still have a brilliant career ahead of him in right wing UK journalism, where storytelling and obfuscation of the truth is the norm.”

        Fixed your omission, OP.

    5. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      Correct Peter Wood, whatever happened to ā€˜lead by exampleā€™

      1. Jumeirah
        January 14, 2022

        ” Lead by example ? “That’s a joke!! Civil Servants stopped that YEARS AGO. ” Minister, let me REMIND you – WE lead YOU follow. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!! If NOT move on””

    6. ukretired123
      January 14, 2022

      Its not cricket to duck the issue!

  2. DOM
    January 14, 2022

    What a pity backbench MPs on both sides remained resolutely silent about the scam that is now unravelling. I hope they take great pride that rather than serving the interests of freedom and civility they chose the political route.

    We know we’re being scammed and the public sector, the unions and the State machinery are ‘profiting from it’ in many ways

    PS. Two more Downing St parties now reported to have happened during Lockdown as well as Starmer. They knew the virus was nowhere near as lethal and toxic as they told the public, incitement of fear is surely an attack on our country’s people

    Reply Some of us opposed lockdown measures that we said were wrong

    1. Sir Joe Soap
      January 14, 2022

      Reply to reply. Clearly not enough of you. The court of public opinion will hopefully “out” those who didn’t at the next election. Too many cheered the money-chuck, cheered the hopeless NHS (though difficult to distinguish those rightly cheering the dedicated staff from those cheering the dreadful leaders and system) and happily told us to cower.
      Hopefully the press now sorts the wheat from the chaff amongst you.

    2. No Longer Anonymous
      January 14, 2022

      Today’s latest is that masks make you more attractive to the opposite sex.

      I suppose they do if you’re a bit ugly in the first place.

      This is blatant propaganda now.

      1. Fedupsoutherner
        January 14, 2022

        So funny NLA. The only benefit is I don’t have to apply makeup to shop.

        1. Micky Taking
          January 14, 2022

          I don’t apply powder and lippy either, but then friends would say ‘great idea – go for it’.
          Wife would say ‘you go on your own, mate’.

      2. Peter
        January 14, 2022

        NLA,

        Masks are to worn at the Royal Opera House now.

        Even by the performers.

        The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves all wearing little blue masks. I will see/hear how it turns out tonight.

    3. Everhopeful
      January 14, 2022

      +1
      Agreed ā€¦and actuallyā€¦whoā€™d throw an office party if they knew that even a nasty COLD was doing the rounds let alone a deadly virus?
      At that party (and others) the silent, empty world was their oyster. A deserted London or the Yorkshire Dales. A fantasy come true maybe?

      1. a-tracy
        January 14, 2022

        Everhopeful, I don’t agree with these ‘bring your own drinks’ meetings, I have never allowed alcohol at work meetings, and have always wondered why people are allowed to drink at work. But lets not over egg eating at work with a full-blown ‘party’ was there music, dancing? The NHS was being rewarded at the time with free food from everyone, over 500,000 meals I think deliveroo delivered to wards, free pizzas, cakes and drinks supplied, the people in parliament at that time must have been working just as hard, maybe not in such a dangerous occupation but still working at 6 pm when the majority of people weren’t. The hospital staff were designing and learning their tik tok dances in work time in the workplace and they were on the very edge of the covid volcano.

        1. Mark B
          January 15, 2022

          I said it before and I will say it again. The last two years have been the most shameful in our nation’s entire history.

  3. rose
    January 14, 2022

    Alas, ministers are not in charge, just as they are not in charge of the coup which is in progress.

    1. rose
      January 14, 2022

      It is not just officials and advisers driving ministers: do you remember when Hancock was manipulated by the media into falling in with a newly improvised rule while he was out and about? The one about people not being allowed to go to the abode they chose to go to if they had more than one?

      This was then used by the Scottish National Socialists to try and stop the Prince of Wales from staying in Scotland. It failed to subdue him, but it did hoist one of their own advisers, just as it did in England.

      The PM and HMG had set out with the maxim “use your common sense” but that was very soon supplanted by officialdom knowing better, including in the police force, all over the country, and never more dictatorially than by those two jumped up town councillors, Wee Nicola and the Ayatollah Drakeford.

      Reply Yes, the media wanted me to dictate to constituents and to demand a tough line. I declined and said people needed to exercise their own judgement in the light of the medical view, official guidance and the law. I pointed out that were many varied circumstances that the rules found difficult to handle or capture.

      1. lifelogic
        January 14, 2022

        +1

      2. glen cullen
        January 14, 2022

        We have ā€˜wokeā€™ MPs because they fear the media

      3. Everhopeful
        January 14, 2022

        +1
        Funding to the tune of millions probably plays a huge part in all this.
        Does money do anyone much good in a destroyed world though?

      4. villaking
        January 14, 2022

        It was acutely ironic too. In April 2020 Boris went to Chequers. I reported this to the police but they declined to investigate.

      5. DavdJ
        January 14, 2022

        +1

    2. Mark
      January 14, 2022

      I think this pretty much sums it up. In days gone by, this didnā€™t matter too much. It was accepted that the mandarins had the national interest at heart, and as an Island nation we had more similarities across society than we have today.

      The other problem is that the mandarins are now probably influenced by the Chineseā€¦ā€¦.oh the irony!

      1. Micky Taking
        January 14, 2022

        nice…

    3. a-tracy
      January 14, 2022

      Rose, its beginning to feel very uncomfortable now, what the heck are they trying to stop Boris doing right now, theyā€™ve sat on this info for nearly two years and only now when he resisted lockdown this Christmas going against the authoritarians in Scotland and Wales and other Countries, then drip, drip, drip.

      As for the suggestions that Jeremy Hunt could step in soon, what the heck, he was the person who didnā€™t prepare the NHS for a pandemic even though there was operation cygnet, the person who didnā€™t check there were stocks of essential items. He wanted desperately to remain in the EU. What is this put in a new leader – then sign us up without mandate to the SM and CU and carry on paying up and following all their rules a BRINO. I watched Medici recently it wasnā€™t completely historically accurate but the Medici family dynasty was replaced by a republic and a strict authoritarian Friar Girolamo Savonarola who was swiftly unpopular and hung six years later. For me I want Boris to get someone next to him like JR, someone very experienced, a Brexiteer that wants to follow the manifesto they were elected on to the letter, that can hold Boris to a higher standard of personal and Downing St. behaviour whilst allowing him his natural exuberance and good natured spirt. Alcohol should be banished from Downing St (other than the personal flats) as penitence. They also need to purge these people that are briefing and setting Boris and the spads up for just this fall.

      1. Ed M
        January 15, 2022

        Sorry I missed Medici. Savonarola was an extraordinary, baffling historical and religious figure. Many Catholics very uncomfortable over the centuries about how this sincere although aggressively zealous man was treated. Some see him as a Luther-like trouble-maker, others see him as a saint.

      2. Ed M
        January 15, 2022

        ‘For me I want Boris to get someone next to him like JR, someone very experienced’ – I agree. But no way, I think, is anyone going to get him to change his boozing, party life. It’s absolutely in his DNA. People such as JR would just have to work along with that as best as possible. I think it would work as I don’t think Boris is a drunk or anything, just really likes the part life.

  4. J Bush
    January 14, 2022

    There have been numerous highly qualified people and layman alike who could see and voiced the problems over 18 months ago.

    The big question is why has it taken until now, for others to see what has been staring them in the face for so long? It would certainly appear that for some, they could only see Ā£ signs and if the end justified the means, so what, it didn’t affect them. But do the rest of them not have the ability to see beyond the end of their nose?

    This has been a wicked, cruel and deceitful 2 years, and metaphorically speaking, heads must roll.

    1. Mark B
      January 14, 2022

      Face saving. They knew this SCAM could not last. Much like CO2 / Global Warming becoming Climate Change.

      You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people ALL of the time.

      I DEMAND THAT ALL LAWS AND POWERS THAT THIS GOVERNMENT BESTOWED UPON ITSELF BE REMOVED, AND WE RETURN TO THE OLD NORMAL.

      1. BOF
        January 14, 2022

        +1 OP

    2. Everhopeful
      January 14, 2022

      +1
      Propaganda is very powerful and people LIKE to follow the herd and disapprove of and hen-peck those who see through it.
      This whole charade proves just how much education has been dumbed down ( purposely I imagine).
      I mean the b*ll*cks has been so transparent.
      Total naughtiness in plain sight.

  5. Mark B
    January 14, 2022

    Good morning.

    You cannot allow government policy to be dictated by the ā€œscienceā€.

    But i think you can and it is. And the original statement above was made by a PM too cowardly to take responsibility.

    Many people would be happier to see a curb on the UKā€™s carbon dioxide output begun by reducing immigration numbers. The more people in the country the more CO2 they will generate themselves . . .

    So you have turned to me for polices. I’m flattered. Seriously though. No one is against immigrants or immigration, just unsustainable numbers. We need to wind down this ponzi scheme to zero for a certain amount of time for the country to catch up. The numbers arriving here since 1997 have been unprecedented.

    Too many of them seem unable to apply common sense . . .

    As my next doo neighbours like to say; “Mark, the think about common sense, is that it is not common.” And that is the truth.

    Turning back to Partygate and the behaviour of those there, and not to forget other prior government indiscretions, one is reminded of the former Soviet Union. There they had names for the various categories of citizen.

    The Nomenklatura – People who were in key administrative positions in the bureaucracy.

    The Apparatchik – A full time professional of the Party machine.

    The Commissar – A supervisory officer.

    The Proletariat – The plebs / workers.

    The Intelligentsia – Mostly PPE graduates. /sarc

    I mention the above as I think we all need reminding of what went on in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Block, not to forget elsewhere where this failed ideology was inflicted on an unsuspecting population. I say this as it seems to me, and others not just here, that Communism is once again rearing its ugly head and is being practiced. As before, it will not end well.

    1. Mark B
      January 14, 2022

      PS Thank you for finally posting my contribution for yesterday.

      And as for the person you deleted, may I add, that his work was not peer reviewed and taken as gospel by ‘others’ and presented to Ministers. ‘Others’ I might add, that should have known better.

    2. Sharon
      January 14, 2022

      Comment wonā€™t post – trying again.

      There was a very depressing view written in TCW yesterday, by a C of E vicar describing just what you are saying Peter B. We have been engulfed by neo Marxism in every institution and the list of things you mention.

      https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/apocalypse-now/

      1. Bill
        January 14, 2022

        Utter rot. The Conservative Party has run this country for the last 12 years, and 30 of the last 43

    3. Mitchel
      January 14, 2022

      Myself,I think it is fascism-sometimes it’s hard to tell between the two.I believe Himmler(or was it Goebbels) thought the most important person in history,after the Fuhrer of course,was Lenin.

      What is being done now is global planning by those who control the collapsing debt-based western monetary system ,not by governments who have to do what they are told because none of them are solvent.

  6. turboterrier
    January 14, 2022

    What they are meant to be, against what they do, is at times miles apart.
    The only people perceived to be running this country at times into the ground are the civil servants who do not and will not accept change and Mrs Prime Minister. In the real world in all walks of life perception is all there is. Doesn’t matter what the government and its civil servants think its the tax paying public who constantly are taking the hit.
    Too many areas of concern are perceived to be ignored. Yes dingy invaders have a carbon footprint and all that needs to be passed is a law that any invaders lifted at sea without their national identity papers will not be processed under any circumstances. The numbers being accepted are creating an imbalance with the indigenous people of this country especially in the area of religion and culture. Witness the high profile grooming cases of young girls and women.
    Politicians and their civil servants are accountable 24/7 it goes with the territory. My Shropshire MP making headlines for all the wrong reasons, all he seems to get is a tap on the wrist from his peers. Just not good enough.
    Some people in government are extracting the urine with their behaviour and expenses. They might be human but when you sign up it, it comes with warts and all. Nobody is holding guns to their heads to say they have got to do the job. Until its sorted nothing will get sorted.

  7. Nottingham Lad Himself
    January 14, 2022

    I don’t think that the majority of voters will be interested in over-nuanced sophistry to be honest, Sir John.

    However, many will already have discounted for exactly this type of behaviour before even voting Tory, in the self-deception that politicians – of whatever party – are “all as bad as each other, and on which yours relies very heavily for a significant number of its votes.

    1. No Longer Anonymous
      January 14, 2022

      The Conservative USP “We’re not Labour” is blown, NLH.

      The Red Wall was a rejection of Labour… not an invitation for the Tories to emulate Labour.

      It was yet another rejection of Leftism.

      “So. Boris is not right wing enough for you ?” as you said the other day is gas lighting, as usual.

      (He’s cowered before Leftism, even embraced Leftism)

      1. alan jutson
        January 14, 2022

        NLA

        +1

        The second and third lines are the real hard facts.

        Still yet to be understood by those who lead the Conservative Party.

  8. lifelogic
    January 14, 2022

    Jacob Rees-Mogg on Talk Radio the other day tells us Boris is not in favour of a green agenda that makes people ā€œcolder and poorerā€ he believes he can do this (go to net zero) with technology solutions development of hydrogen is a game changer ā€¦

    Such deluded lunacy for Boris, Mogg and government experts – of course net zero will cost a fortune, destroy and export jobs, make people colder and poorer and achieve virtually nothing for CO2 levels let alone climate (CO2 is not a problem anyway) . Time for Boris to grow up.

    How on earth is ā€œdeveloping hydrogenā€ a game changer? We have no hydrogen mines in the world it is just a very inefficient way of storing energy and a flammable gas much more expensive and rather less useful than Methane/natural gas. Production of which generates loads of CO2 anyway.

    We need Boris to stay but do U turns on net zero, tax levels, red tape and the size of government. Any realistic alternative to Boris will surely be even worse.

    1. lifelogic
      January 14, 2022

      Much sense available on Netzerowatch.com – ā€œRishi Sunak should reject proposal to quadruple tax on heating homesā€ and ā€œWrecking the private rented sectorā€ as examples.

      Start by scrapping the deluded and obviously etc ed ā€œCommittee on Climate Changeā€.

      1. Nig l
        January 14, 2022

        More political naivety. The climate change committee cannot be scrapped. Leave it as it is but ā€˜ignoreā€™ itā€™s conclusions.

    2. Mark B
      January 14, 2022

      Then Rees-Mogg and our PM need to show us all how it’s done. Let them eat lentils !

    3. Duyfken
      January 14, 2022

      I normally agree enthusiastically with your comments LL. In this case I demur since I believe there is enough talent within the Tory parliamentary Party for a suitable, Conservative and competent, replacement PM to be found. The obstacle is that there are too many wishy-washy MPs who are Conservative in name only, blocking the chances of anyone of substance (such as JR himself). On balance and despite that, I reckon it is necessary to ditch Johnson now since it seems most unlikely he will do a volte-face in the way you suggest.

      1. Gregory martin
        January 14, 2022

        While some speculation as to suit candidates for a new leader/PM is around, cannot any of the 268 Tory peers be considered as strong,patriotic and steadfast Conservatives to fulfil the role,after necessary election, and if not, why are they in the Upper House?I would be interested in nominations.

    4. alan jutson
      January 14, 2022

      Lifelogic

      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, afraid this is presently being shown up by some statements being made from Mp’s of all sides.

    5. Original Richard
      January 14, 2022

      Lifelogic : ā€œWe have no hydrogen mines in the world it is just a very inefficient way of storing energy and a flammable gas much more expensive and rather less useful than Methane/natural gas.ā€

      Correct, but the December 2020 Energy White Paper and the Net Zero Strategy in many places writes about hydrogen as if it were a primary source of energy and not one that must be first produced and then stored using another energy source. An inefficient and hence expensive process and of course hydrogen is not only highly inflammable but also requires very high pressures for storage and distribution.

      Boreas and BEIS believe hydrogen will be produced by ā€œthe breezes that blow around these islandsā€ (Conservative Party conference speech Ocober 2020).

      Well, wind is today supplying just 2% (0.85 GW) of demand as I write (not exactly ā€œtremendous amounts of powerā€ as often described by one poster on this site).

      And just 1 GW over in France because when the wind doesnā€™t blow here it is the same all over northern Europe.

    6. No Longer Anonymous
      January 14, 2022

      It’s not just about making us colder but the high taxes in order to pay for making us colder too.

      PS

      As predicted my EV owner friends are reporting that greater popularity of these vehicles is leading to shortages and breakdowns at charging points. The infrastructure is in no way ready.

      Those who have sunk their money into an EV car are in for a nasty period of transition. I’d advise getting an ICE car second as backup.

      1. Mark B
        January 15, 2022

        I watched a program on YT last night of a EV driver and his journey from Liverpool to Southampton and back. Along the way he discovered :

        a) Many broken charging points
        b) Queues for charging points as there was not enough.
        c) Very high prices compared to home charging – Up to 40p/kWh.

    7. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      The MPs and the party supporting Boris ‘green revolution’ need a U turn….he’s only doing it because of the support by his fellow MPs

    8. Mitchel
      January 14, 2022

      It looks like Hydrogen is coming-Japan is going for it and Russia intends to be the largest supplier from it’s designated green island of Sakhalin just off it’s Far East territory.They are also thinking about something similar in the Baltic.

      If you google “Hydrogen” and “Sakhalin” you will see a whole flurry of corporate announcements concerning new production facilities involving the likes of Gazprom,Rosatom,Air Liquide,Mitsubishi,BP,Shell,Eurasia Mining,etc

    9. DavdJ
      January 14, 2022

      +1

  9. Sea_Warrior
    January 14, 2022

    I look forward to your article on dismantling China’s ‘influence operations’ in this country. I want the whole thing – the individuals, the ‘fronts’ and the ‘institutes’ – shipped east. This is a test of government resolve.

    1. Sharon
      January 14, 2022

      The trouble with the China subject is that too many high level people, including Stanley Johnson, think China is the future. China now owns British schools, universities and Iā€™ve no doubt other things we donā€™t yet know about. Itā€™s been talked about by several presenters on GB News recently, and in the days when I used to listen to LBC, Majid Nawaas spoke of the dangers of chinaā€™s behaviour generally. Itā€™s been known about the dangers for some while, but ignoredā€¦

      1. The Prangwizard
        January 14, 2022

        ‘Boris’ is too deluded and gutless to do anything. He probably thought they were nice people, nice to him anyway. He may use some fancy wordwork from his classical education as usual but no more.

        We need Sir Iain Duncan Smith to be given the top job, a man of courage determination and principle.

      2. No Longer Anonymous
        January 14, 2022

        Sharon… China IS the future. Just not OUR future !

        Our kids are going to be slaves.

    2. SM
      January 14, 2022

      Interesting news about hefty Chinese donations to the Labour Party yesterday, SW.

    3. Nottingham Lad Himself
      January 14, 2022

      Do you think that China is the only country that tries to influence others, then?

      Most, that can, do it, including this one, with everything from the British Council to Foreign Aid to the BBC World Service.

      And that’s just the open stuff.

      1. Peter2
        January 14, 2022

        Depends what you think that influence is for.
        One of your examples has friendly wishes for better trade and relationships while the other…?

      2. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 14, 2022

        Patel has said that this woman’s activities are well below the criminal bar, so I’m not quite sure what the point is.

        Gardiner was completely straight from the start and raised the matter with the security services. It’s unclear whether they would have known about her if he had not.

        1. Peter2
          January 14, 2022

          Nice of her to give him a few hundred grand.
          For nothing.

          1. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 15, 2022

            So what do the Tories donors expect in return for theirs then?

            You might care to check who they are?

            But yes, and that is perhaps why he declared as required and reported the matter. Pity that they all don’t eh?

          2. Peter2
            January 15, 2022

            Hilarious whataboutery as expected NHL.
            You know what China are doing both here and in other countries.

    4. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      The Chinese have been influencing our universities for over twenty years and is obvious to anyone with eyes to seeā€¦. follow the money, the number of phd and under graduate students

    5. Original Richard
      January 14, 2022

      Sea_Warrior :

      Agreed.

      In fact the corruption of our Parliament, civil service, quangos educational establishment et al started with the EU in the form of grants, awards, contributions, donations, fellowships, endowments, scholarships, subsidies and handouts etc. etc. plus of course the high MEP salaries and perks (including duty free purchases) and delightful HS1 day trips to Brussels for a moules & frites lunch.

      The Chinese saw how corrupt many of our ruling and busines elites had become and are simply following the EUā€™s methods to gain influence and power starting with employing business and civil service leaders and sending 250,000 Chinese ā€œstudentsā€ to our universities.

  10. Gary Megson
    January 14, 2022

    Shameful nonsense. If officials “asked the PM to drop by his own garden to thank the staff”, he should have said “no, that is against the rules, we cannot behave differently from ordinary citizens”. But he didn’t say that, did he. He launched into the wine, brought his girlfriend along to drink gin, and whooped it up. He is unfit to empty bins

    1. lifelogic
      January 14, 2022

      Perhaps, but the alternative Tory leaders are even worse. And Labour, SNP, Plaid and that deluded Green MPā€¦ even worse still. They all wanted even more damaging lockdowns!

      1. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 14, 2022

        Thanks for the standard zombie response, LL.

        Yes, keep pushing that one, it might work for a bit longer, but not a lot.

      2. Fedupsoutherner
        January 14, 2022

        Quite right L/L.

    2. Sir Joe Soap
      January 14, 2022

      For once agreed. I actually think BJ didn’t even want or believe in these rules, got steamrollered into them, but didn’t think they were really necessary. Therefore not a leader.

      1. Sir Joe Soap
        January 14, 2022

        Likewise green fanaticism, EU group think. It’s all advisorworld stuff. Most Tory politicians don’t necessarily believe in it.

    3. Roy Grainger
      January 14, 2022

      And all the civil servants who were there too

  11. PeteB
    January 14, 2022

    Your quote “It implies they did not think the virus was as serious as they told us it would be.” says it all.

    The media and opposition are wailing about the hypocrisy of holding ‘parties’. The bigger failing is setting the draconian restrictions that made the ‘parties’ improper.

    When will people wake up to the fact that the costs of restrictions (on mental & physical health, societal freedom and the economy) were vastly higher than the benefits. PLEASE ensure the C-19 enquiry can assess this area.

    1. lifelogic
      January 14, 2022

      +1 and why they did not choose some better & more sensible experts. Also why the sensible ones were rubbished by government attack dogs?

      1. Nig l
        January 14, 2022

        Sensible as in ones you agree with.

        1. Bill B.
          January 14, 2022

          No, Nig L, ‘sensible’ as in… ones that haven’t got it wrong again and again e.g. Neil Ferguson (Foot and mouth, Bird flu, Swine flu etc.).

    2. Sharon
      January 14, 2022

      ā€œIt implies they did not think the virus was as serious as they told us it would be.ā€ says it all.

      When you look around when out and about, there are, Iā€™m sure, greater numbers of people wearing masks outdoors than before! Whatā€™s been done to this country by the people supposed to be running it, is more than shameful, itā€™s wicked! Itā€™s abuse!

      1. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 14, 2022

        It doesn’t imply that at all.

        It suggests that they were probably vaccinated, or had already been infected, were youngish and in reasonably good health, and did not care whether they assisted the spread of the virus, because they were personally unlikely to be gravely affected by it.

        That is entirely different.

        1. PeteB
          January 14, 2022

          You are confirming the point on seriousness of the virus. For the majority of the population this risk is miniscule. For some (old, existing co-morbidities, obese) the risk was higher. Far better to set a strategy to protect those at risk and allow others to get on with life.

          Worked for Sweden…

        2. R.Grange
          January 14, 2022

          So in other words, lad, “they knew the virus was not as serious as they told us it would be”.

          NB: There was no Covid vaccine in May 2020.

          1. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 14, 2022

            No, no, no.

            The point of the measures applying to most people was to stop the virus spreading and from reaching the vulnerable.

            It was not to save everyone’s life.

          2. Micky Taking
            January 14, 2022

            Wrong – – Trials of the successful vaccine were being held in April 2020. Limited numbers to prove each stage admittedly, and planning by AZ to produce millions of vials, instead of hundreds in Oxford.

      2. No Longer Anonymous
        January 14, 2022

        +1

        It is shocking. I know intelligent, fit 70-year-olds who have spent two years cowering in fear and who are never likely to go back to normal.

        Yet we have Andy and NLH wanting to ramp up that fear again. Quoting death rates without facts and as though no effort has been made and as though there are no options but to lock down again.

        Neither mention (and I take this from widely broadcast NHS anecdotals – because no-one in Govt will give us the facts) that nearly all people on ventilators have rejected the vaccines. That the vast majority who are ill but not on ventilators are in hospital *with* covid rather than *of* it.

        If you’ve had the vaccines you are vastly safer than two years ago.

        Lockdown lovers don’t want you to know this. They don’t want the crisis to end.

        It is God’s gift to the Left.

        So, Andy and NLH. Tell us.

        Are we to stay under restrictions and masked up for the sake of the unvaxxed ????

        1. Nottingham Lad Himself
          January 14, 2022

          There are no serious restrictions atm.

          Let’s act reasonably and keep it that way.

        2. Andy
          January 14, 2022

          It gives me immense pleasure watching you rage against the policies of the government you voted for.

          I donā€™t notice any real restrictions. Weā€™ve been told to work from home if we can. Most of you are retired so thatā€™s hardly a problem. And weā€™ve been asked to wear a mask. Again, that is to protect others. I can understand how selfish Tories would not want to protect others but most decent people donā€™t care.

          As for the unvaccinated – I just donā€™t think we should treat them. If you can be vaccinated but choose not to and you get sick – tough. Problem solved.

          1. Peter2
            January 14, 2022

            You live in a little happy bubble andy.
            People I know who are in hospitality are struggling to survive.

      3. LJONES
        January 14, 2022

        It is indeed. And it is the bovine acceptance of these pointlessly draconian ‘rules’ that is the most appalling thing. It seems that to hear any kind of debate on the subject one has to move away from the ‘mainstream media’, and then be labelled a ‘conspiracy theorist’ for seeking an alternative point of view!

        1. R.Grange
          January 14, 2022

          And what’s more, labelled a conspiracy theorist by ‘fact-checkers’ working with, and partly paid by, the media themselves. The corporate media will struggle to survive once the Covid boondoggle is out in the open and they’re no longer bankrolled by millions in government Covid advertising campaigns.

    3. Cynic
      January 14, 2022

      There were no benefits from lockdowns other than for those with their snouts in the trough.

      1. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 14, 2022

        We don’t know who they are, but the perhaps 300,000 who are alive today, but who would have died without them might disagree.

        1. PeteB
          January 14, 2022

          300k alive today? Evidence for this claim?

          And don’t say a Ferguson model

          1. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 15, 2022

            Extrapolation of the well-known death rates against infection rates if the latter had not been drastically reduced by anti-pandemic measures.

        2. Narrow Shoulders
          January 14, 2022

          300,000……
          Make a number up double it and add a substantial figure. We’ll make a government scientist of you yet

  12. Oldtimer
    January 14, 2022

    In my working life alcohol was banned from the from the working environment whether it was the factory or the office. Drinking alcohol at work lost you your job. The reasons were obvious; it could cause dangerous accidents and poor judgment or bungled tasks. The No 10 drinking culture cannot be conducive to sound government or efficient administration. As for smuggling in a suitcase full of bottles of wine for a booze up during the lockdown, words fail me.

    1. Roy Grainger
      January 14, 2022

      Agree. I worked in USA, any alcohol at work and you literally lost your job the same day. However we’re dealing with the Civil Service here, no way of firing anyone there without months of process involving warnings, union agitation, cover-ups, meetings and eventually a quiet move sideways into another post. You can see this now, the papers suggest one of these civil servants who actually organised a party will simply be given a job as an ambassador as a “punishment”.

    2. Micky Taking
      January 14, 2022

      Johnson’s style is ‘laugh it off, spend whatever it takes, have a drink’ – the mark of a hedonist, but not fit to lead a country – a rural pub much more appropriate.

      1. Mark B
        January 15, 2022

        Or a club filled with arrogant over privileged brats.

    3. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      +1

    4. Ian Wragg
      January 14, 2022

      Same in the armed forces. Random drugs and alcohol tests. Immediate loss of job and pension entitlement if found positive.
      No such checks for the bloated civil Serpents or Parliament.

      1. glen cullen
        January 14, 2022

        Not just the armed force, randon drug and alcohol tests, as a condition, is now included in most private contracts of employment

    5. a-tracy
      January 14, 2022

      Old timer how did they smuggle booze in, the bags are checked at the entrance of downing st.

      1. Micky Taking
        January 14, 2022

        never heard of the rear entrance? Oh dear.

        1. a-tracy
          January 15, 2022

          MT – no? OMG with the bunch of two faced charlatans working there, working against the elected Prime Minister briefing the press, tittle tattling I would hope that even a rear entrance for staff had bag checks and if they donā€™t they should have from tomorrow. The airlines are quiet Iā€™m sure they could borrow a couple of scanners and trained staff.

      2. Oldtimer
        January 15, 2022

        I expect there is a back door to enable discreet entry to and exit from No 10 when it is required whether for official or unofficial purposes.

      3. hefner
        January 16, 2022

        Could it be that the ā€˜lackā€™ of police oversight around No.10 is why the PM had given two more years to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner in September 2021 and why the police does not plan to investigate any of the ā€˜parties/work eventsā€™ in absence of complaints?
        In order of magnitude, where does it stand? Above or below the MPsā€™ expenses? The cash for questions?
        Ah, the Mother of Parliament, such a soft and cuddly environment.

  13. lifelogic
    January 14, 2022

    PM Scott Morrison on Djokovic: “Rules are rules” – well indeed but so many government rules clearly do far more harm than good Scott. Is he suggesting Djokovic is any risk to anyone (other than at tennis)? I see that on Question Time last night that Ministers are still repeating the ā€œ90% of people in ICU are unvaccinated or un-boostedā€ claim – this seems to be totally untrue and misleadingly worded too.

    The rest of the programme was entirely a ā€œget Borisā€ edition. Alas a replacement would be even worse. What is needed is just a U turn on net zero, tax levels, cheap reliable energy and a bonfire or red tape.

    1. Sharon
      January 14, 2022

      ā€œ Ministers are still repeating the ā€œ90% of people in ICU are unvaccinated or un-boostedā€ claim ā€“ this seems to be totally untrue and misleadingly worded too.ā€

      Agreed, and I notice theyā€™re still trying to shame the unvaccinated by reducing the isolation time down to five days for the vaccinated, but the unvaccinated still are 10 days.

      Canā€™t see what difference it makes if youā€™ve been vaccinated or notā€¦ if youā€™re unwell, youā€™re unwell, stay home!

      Having said that, my nephew works in the offices of one of HM Prisons, so is tested frequently. Two LFT negative, one PCR test positive! No symptoms, perfectly healthy, but 7 days off work. Crazy!

      1. Lifelogic
        January 14, 2022

        +1

      2. Bill B.
        January 14, 2022

        Welcome to the New Normal. How much longer people will put up this I cannot imagine. Two years ago it would have been utter insanity to go on like this. If you weren’t unwell, you went to work. If you were unwell, you didn’t. But now what’s been obvious since time immemorial doesn’t seem to register with a lot of people. Not sure about the rest of the British Army these days, but we must have the best psyops force in the world.

      3. glen cullen
        January 14, 2022

        Maybe Donald Trump was right when he said donā€™t test everyoneā€¦only test those with symptoms

      4. hefner
        January 14, 2022

        At the end of Decemberā€™21, according to the Intensive Care National Audit & Care Centre that collects data on ICU admissions for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 61% of patients admitted in ICUs were unvaccinated.
        In Mayā€™21, 75% of ICU admissions were unvaccinated. The figure had fallen to 47% in Octoberā€™21 and has gone back up since.

        1. a-tracy
          January 14, 2022

          Hefner, did the stats provider you used also give more information, age, race, co-morbidities? Iā€™m intrigued who the unvaccinated turning up in hospital are? Are all of them British nationals? Did they go into hospital with covid or catch it in there? What did they go into hospital with?

          1. hefner
            January 16, 2022

            This level of details appears in these statistics.
            See icnarc.org then look at the reports in the column on the right ā€˜ICNARC_COVID_19_Report_ ā€¦
            These reports are all around 100 pages but usually have a detailed list of contents and of figures so are relatively easy to manage.

          2. hefner
            January 16, 2022

            For the 14 January 2022 NI, W, E report, see figures 26, 27 and table 16 all around pages 44-48.

    2. Sir Joe Soap
      January 14, 2022

      It’s the way the rules are made that’s at the root of the problem. Just because stupid rules are made, it doesn’t give celeb tennis players, advisors, politicians or anyone else a reason to break them. Get the right people making the right rules, not obsessives.

  14. Donna
    January 14, 2022

    I think you’ve nailed it there Sir John.

    Basically, the Prime Minister and his Officials have been systematically lying about the lethality of the virus for the past 22 months. If they genuinely thought that everyone was equally at risk and could only be protected from death by the sometimes ludicrous rules they put in place (remember the Scotch Egg farce?) then they would have followed them.

    They knew full well that only the very elderly and people with serious co-morbidities were genuinely vulnerable; but they carried on with the evil PsyOps campaign and draconian restrictions which have wrecked the mental health of millions.

    I isn’t just Johnson who needs to go. So does every other Minister and Official involved in the decision-making around the Covid policy. Never again should a bunch of Scientists, many of whom stand to benefit personally from their links with Big Pharma and the Global Medical Establishment, be allowed to dictate to us. And the appalling Psy Ops Team who advised and then set out to terrify the public must be disbanded.

    Johnson’s enduring legacy will be that photograph of the Queen sitting alone, masked, at Prince Philip’s funeral …… whilst we now know that No.10 Officials partied away the night before. How on earth can he face her?

    1. Micky Taking
      January 14, 2022

      Exactly. A Leader totally out of touch, the very questionable advisers making hay out of the limelight. Cabinet full of sheep hoping for change but not doing a damn thing about the total mess. A culture of ordering nonsense on the people, but carrying on as if there is no real threat to health -which the people are slowly recognising and ignoring commands. Even the most eloquent medical head used by Johnson has decided to step away – when was his decision made I wonder?
      Churlish sniping amongst Johnson’s closest -the cracks are opening up.

    2. No Longer Anonymous
      January 14, 2022

      The Queen picture is the killer.

      1. alan jutson
        January 14, 2022

        NLA

        Indeed, but remember that Photograph was taken before the Funeral proper had even begun, she entered the Chapel via another entrance, before even the coffin had started its journey up the aisle, followed by the rest of the family, and before anyone else had sat down.
        I think from memory, the then Prince Andrew was sat next but one to her, with an empty seat between them for the actual Service.

        Not trying to minimise your points in any way, but that photograph does not reflect the actual situation, other than for a few minutes.

    3. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      Totally agree Donna

    4. Enigma
      January 14, 2022

      I think youā€™ve nailed it there Donna!

    5. BOF
      January 14, 2022

      +1 Donna
      I don’t think any of my friends believed me when I railed against the fear tactics and introduction of a police state in March 2020!

  15. Stephen Reay
    January 14, 2022

    Boris does need to stay ,but needs to get on game. There’s no suitable candidate at the moment I can see ,Sunak no,Javid please no, no.

    1. Roy Grainger
      January 14, 2022

      Worse would be Hunt, we’d be back into lockdown the next day.

    2. Lifelogic
      January 14, 2022

      Tax to death and piss down the drain Sunak, (just respect the NHS) dope Javid, strong remainer Liz Truss, (20% vat on school fees) Michael Gove, hot air but zero action Priti Patel, the half French & remain voting Tom Tugendhat! These are the betting favourites – No thanks.

      Steve Baker seem to be the first sensible person in the betting odds and he clearly has no chance alas.

      1. Andy
        January 14, 2022

        We will not let Steve Baker become PM. The man is dangerous.

        1. Micky Taking
          January 14, 2022

          It is always a worry for PMs – when people use their brain instead of tugging at forelock and saying ‘Yes Sir!’

    3. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      We need a seasoned MP, a full on brexiter, a patriot whoā€™s not afraid of the media or international treaty, a leader that will transform our country according to the wishes of the majority and its manifestoā€¦there are still a handful but only a handful

      1. Andy
        January 14, 2022

        You arenā€™t ā€˜the majorityā€™. You are a loud and increasingly extreme minority.

        1. glen cullen
          January 14, 2022

          How rude

        2. Micky Taking
          January 14, 2022

          I am so pleased and reassured that we are. You’ve made my evening, thank you so much Andy.

  16. lifelogic
    January 14, 2022

    Fraser Nelson today.

    The regicidal Tories wonā€™t oust Boris until a successor steps up
    Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have failed to convince MPs that they have the mettle to take the top job.

    There is no sensible successor any better than Boris who has any real chance of being elected! Sunak has increased taxes hugely (even before Covid) and wastes Ā£billions on HS2, test and trace… Truss was/is(?) a strong remainer (so very poor judgement), Hunt failed for 5 years to sort out the dire NHS and worse still they all read PPE Oxon just like the dire abandon ship green crap remainer Cameron!

    We need someone in favour of abandoning net zero, cutting taxes, cutting government, rectifying the NI betrayal and cutting red tape please. But it surely will not happen.

  17. Nig l
    January 14, 2022

    Wow. Powerful, honest accurate. The last sentence sums it up. Too many concentrating on trying to keep everyone happy and their political careers on track (eg sucking up their sponsor/not upsetting Mandarins) and therefore ending up doing/achieving nothing.

    Made worse by being totally in denial and thick skinned enough to constantly justify what is patently utter failure. Getting Brexit done/Red Wall/NI deadlines/stopping illegal immigration examples of (so far) meaningless slogans.

    Mea culpa. Reverse manifesto breaking legislation, drive potential Brexit gains and spending efficiency (NHS) reduce green levies slowing down move to net zero to match technology.

    LISTEN to your voters.

    1. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      Spot On Nig I
      Especially your comments about how they try to please everyone….including the EU & the UN over the people of the UK

  18. Wokinghamite
    January 14, 2022

    I have not felt, when watching COVID conferences, that ministers are unduly influenced by medical and scientific advisers, and I think I recall the latter having reminded us more than once of their respective roles. I would say the government has managed COVID well overall – it must be hard to please everyone.

    1. Roy Grainger
      January 14, 2022

      I agree. Overall they have managed Covid OK. Some things they did badly (care homes), some things they did well (vaccines, furlough) and some things they did just OK. As a result we’re around the average outcome for the EU. Of course the Remainer Little Englanders think that somehow just by being British we should have done better than France or Italy etc. Their main complaint seems to be that Boris was too slow locking down right at the start but at that point he was 100% following SAGE advice and “the science”, so blame them.

      1. BOF
        January 14, 2022

        R.G. Interesting that Sweden has done best of all in Europe, without lock down and Florida in the USA is one of the best, without lockdown!

        1. hefner
          January 16, 2022

          Where did you see that, in the Beano magasine?
          Deaths/million population: Sweden 1,517, Denmark 598, Finland 316, Norway 252.
          worldometers.info 15/01/2022.
          As for Florida, have a look at VeryWellHealth.com the statistics there do not seem to agree with you.

    2. Hoof Hearted
      January 14, 2022

      Really? Well it was pretty clear to most of us who was in charge and itā€™s wasnā€™t Bozo the Clown. He was just the warm up act.

      1. villaking
        January 14, 2022

        I’m surprised Sir John let that name pass! Brightens the tone at least!

    3. Nottingham Lad Himself
      January 14, 2022

      New Zealand and – it must be said – China, are two very different countries which have managed covid 19 “well”.

      It is a relative term.

      However, they have kept their deaths-per-million down to the order of only one hundredth of the UK’s.

      Let’s have some proportion and perspective.

      1. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 14, 2022

        Incidentally, they did not require the repeated, general lockdowns that this country did precisely because they managed things extremely well right at the very START when things were possible to control.

        1. SM
          January 14, 2022

          It has been reported this very week that China has been locking down major cities because of infection rates.

          1. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 14, 2022

            Yes, but the country has escaped national ones.

          2. BOF
            January 14, 2022

            SM. Covid denied is Covid postponed.

          3. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 14, 2022

            Perhaps, but we now have vaccines and therapeutics.

            So their timely and effective actions saved millions of lives.

      2. Micky Taking
        January 14, 2022

        Yes NZealanders are nearer thousands of sheep than people. China have several times locked down cities of up to 14m people, with kalashnikovs at the ready.
        We didn’t think that was for the best, vaccines making a better fist of it, but then the Chinese ones were not very effective.

        1. Nottingham Lad Himself
          January 14, 2022

          So the Chinese locked down 1% of their people.

          Seems like a success story.

          1. Nottingham Lad Himself
            January 14, 2022

            PS, say that to the faces of the All Blacks, eh?

          2. Micky Taking
            January 14, 2022

            yeah – locking down forcibly – not our weak and disobeyed farce – of 140 million Chinese is a pretty strong show of force – or else you will go missing.

    4. No Longer Anonymous
      January 14, 2022

      Really ?

      Well I think that freedom is under great threat in this country and in the west in general.

      A total overreaction by the vast majority of governments including this one.

      Two things are for sure. The centralisation of hospitals and made them funnels for covid spread. The second is that the State has made unhealthy lifestyles viable and increased our vulnerability to covid and not once have we heard “Lose weight, save the NHS” in the fight against Covid.

      Lock downs have made obesity a lot worse from what I’m seeing. But right enough. Instead of a bit of discipline the State came up with a medicine to make it all better.

    5. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      Only an idiot couldā€™ve imposed lockdown for a flu virus and only an incompetent couldā€™ve spent Ā£37bn on an ā€˜Appā€™ and only a fool would call anyone that doesnā€™t agree a ā€˜loonyā€™ ā€¦.I donā€™t believe that Boris has managed Covid well at all

    6. David L
      January 14, 2022

      You might care to read the open letter from Professor Ehud Qimron, head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Tel Aviv University and one of the leading Israeli immunologists: it castigates just about every aspect of the management of this issue.

  19. michelle
    January 14, 2022

    With all due respect to you Sir John I do genuinely feel you are a nice man, but this ‘us’ you use throughout your article rather assumes that you are part of the much downtrodden and ignored you are addressing and you are not.

    You have worked for and with this Conservative party that has gone from strength to strength in ignoring the wishes of the people and continuing with a different agenda (Johnson isn’t the first) The ideologies, wishes and wills of people put in place to ‘work for us’ seems to be the order of the day and not least on immigration of all stripes.

    This appalling fiasco over the virus has allowed the sick and elderly to die without comfort of family and that in itself will leave an ever lasting mark on their relatives.
    We have people who cannot see their GP’s in a timely fashion but are being diagnosed over the phone by a Practice Nurse. This has led to delayed detection of cancer, and that in normal times is a lottery as to where you live and how GP’s and hospitals can be bothered or are competent enough to act – yes that’s right such is the state of ‘our NHS’
    I speak of experience of all the above and I’m not in a minority on that.

    Two incidents throughout this debacle I will not forget and that have left me with great sadness.
    One was an old lady crying in a shop doorway because she’d been got at by some busy body for not having a mask on. She couldn’t wear one as she has throat cancer and said her Dr got really cross with her when she asked for an exemption card ( poor old dear didn’t know you could just buy them on the internet)
    She said she never thought she’d live out her end days in this way in this Country.

    Second incident was standing in the queue for the supermarket and hearing a woman say her 11 yr old granddaughter had been diagnosed with cancer the week before lock down. However the family had been told the hospital had absolutely no idea when her treatment could start ‘what with covid’.

    A population has been terrified out of its wits with 24 hr propaganda (although they should use their own eyes and ears to see not all is as being told) and threatened not least for assuming their right to their own decision over a vaccine which it seems does precious little. An opinion which I’m sure will soon be viewed as dissent to the great medical technocracy and anyone with shares in it.

  20. Sir Joe Soap
    January 14, 2022

    Your piece makes it sound as though in this government of scientific pygmies, advisors make the rules, ministers agree. That’s not democracy and it breaks down when advisors take over and make rules which are totally out of touch with the population and what we voted for. It strikes me we need to get back to ministers making the rules. That probably means getting back to ministers with far greater world and at least a little scientific experience. Perhaps even taking the whole sh-t show out of London and away from the wayward lost kids there.

    The Queen is far more in touch with the man in the street than these people at the heart of government.

    1. Micky Taking
      January 14, 2022

      An alternative might be emerging:
      Welcoming (Gary)Neville (ex footballer), Ms Powell, who is shadow secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, tweeted she was “very pleased” and backed him if he decided to go into politics. “It’s something he and I have been discussing for a while,” she said.
      While Ms Dodds tweeted to Neville: “Great to have you on the red team.”
      Neville has been a frequent critic of the government, often voicing his frustration on Twitter.
      On Friday, amid the latest Downing Street party allegations, he said that No 10 should be renamed “Hacienda”, in reference to the famous Manchester nightclub.

      Well, Gary not known for humour, hits gold with that one!

  21. jerry
    January 14, 2022

    “It implies they did not think the virus was as serious as they told us it would be, as they were willing to take risks themselves.”

    It tells us no such thing, otherwise why was the(May 2020) invite worded as it was – “socially distanced”. compare that to the behavior of those who genuinely do not believe the science, such as those who attend non-socially distanced protests etc.

    “The more people in the country the more CO2 they will generate themselves and in meeting their needs. “

    Nonsense, national borders make no difference to worldwide CO2 levels, it makes no difference if 5,000 men, women and children are in North Africa, the EU or in the UK. But our host is correct (assuming one has fallen for the “plant food is causing climate change” scam), some people will generate a lot of additional CO2 from how they live their lives, meet their needs, one of the largest contribution to CO2 levels being from business and tourist travel, especially air travel.

    1. Hat man
      January 14, 2022

      Look at the Downing St garden photos, Jerry. People weren’t socially distanced. SJR’s points stands.

      1. jerry
        January 14, 2022

        @Hat man; I was referring to the apparent wording of the email in question.

        If there was no perceived problem with holding such a gathering, as our host suggests, why all the ‘caged’ language, why did the email ask for it to be “Socially Distanced”, mentioned twice in the one email, in the subject line and then in the message text. It is clear those making the invite, at least, did consider there to be at least some risk to health (never mind political risk, although all such No.10 emails might carry the “OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE” branding).

        As for images, it now appears so many lock-down breaking events took place in the Downing Street gardens between March 2020 and Dec. 2021, along with what might well have been genuine and legal gathering, can anyone be sure images are being matched to the correct event?

  22. BOF
    January 14, 2022

    Not just ‘Partygate’ but ‘Downing Street – Party Central’.

    As a number of your recent posts have shown Sir John is that Ministers are not in control, the civil servants are in control of the Ministers and I have now come to the conclusion that Alexander Johnson, aka Boris, is weak and a narcissist. Not a man fit for the office of PM and certainly not in charge.

    I am glad to see you saying how bad and damaging the policies have been to ‘control’ the virus. I hope now that the power of the lockdown happy civil servants and Ministers will be weakened by Partygate sufficiently to get all of these shameful Corona policies reversed and the legislation repealed ASAP.

  23. Micky Taking
    January 14, 2022

    Minister Damian Hinds says he is “shocked” by reports of two leaving parties taking place at Downing Street on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in April 2021. He tells BBC Breakfast it was a “particularly solemn time for our whole nation”, as the Queen mourned the loss of her husband.
    However, he says he cannot talk in any detail about what happened at the alleged events – one of which has been admitted by the staff member whose leaving party it was – because he does not know any more about them and was not there.
    The security minister adds that an investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray is ongoing and it is right to wait for the outcome of that.

    Will that be this year?

  24. Sea_Warrior
    January 14, 2022

    NOT FOR POSTING

    Sir John, the deluded ‘Sakara Gold’, a regular here, appears to be posting on Guido Fawkes as ‘Sir John Redwoody’.

    1. Sakara Gold
      January 14, 2022

      Absolute tosh. Have you been caught out somewhere lying about your occupation again?

    2. Sea_Warrior
      January 14, 2022

      What part of ‘NOT FOR POSTING’ didn’t you understand?

      reply I have deleted your recent postings. Did not see a not for posting.

      1. Micky Taking
        January 14, 2022

        oooh – – how exciting! what part of ‘not for posting’ have I missed?
        Any chance you could send it in again Sailor?

  25. Fedupsoutherner
    January 14, 2022

    My post from yesterday’s says all I want to say John. I really don’t give a stuff who’s in charge. Just get on with the bloody job and do something useful.

    1. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      When you say ā€˜usefulā€™ do you mean
      Reduce taxation, Reduce illegal immigration, Reduce foreign aid, Increase UK gas and nuclear production, Increase fisheries zone, Revamp the lords, Revamp the tax book, Scrape the EU TCA & NIP etc etc

      1. glen cullen
        January 14, 2022

        It would also send the right signal to scrap HS2

      2. Fedupsoutherner
        January 14, 2022

        Glen. Yeah, something like that.

  26. Brian Tomkinson
    January 14, 2022

    The government is responsible for everything that has been done in relation to covid. The only scientific voices allowed to be heard were those the government wanted. They were there to give the air of respectability to the doctrinaire policies the government imposed on people. These measures were guided by behavioural scientists who disgracefully led the government in how to terrify the population ( a tactic of tyrants throughout history). This has never been about control of a virus but control of people. It has been implemented throughout the so-called Western democracies. It is telling that when even more extreme tyrannical measures have been introduced in other countries such as Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Germany….not one MP has publicly expressed alarm at this. You MPs may all want to live in a country like China but most of us do not. This is the
    worst government and Parliament in my lifetime. Why did you all buy into this? Was it threats? Was it payments? Or are you intrinsically lovers of totalitarian government?

    1. BOF
      January 14, 2022

      +1 B.T. I have said similar about tyrants throughout the ages.

    2. Jim Whitehead
      January 14, 2022

      BT, my heartfelt +1 endorsement of your comment

  27. SM
    January 14, 2022

    I fully understand that when a really major crisis hits not only one country but the world, it’s reasonable for Government to initiate draconian actions temporarily while absorbing information and considering what are the next steps.

    The fact that the 2016 report on the dire state of the NHS’s available responses to a pandemic was shelved is a disgrace that should permanently blot both Lord Stevens’ and Jeremy Hunt’s copybook.

    I can also understand that had the immediate and almost global response been weaker, Governments knew they would have had to take the full blame in the case of utter catastrophe.

    On the other hand, the whole No 10 parties issue, as with the COP26 Private Jet Convention, is a striking example of the most appalling stupidity on the part of our government, its advisers and its influencers.

  28. alan jutson
    January 14, 2022

    From your recent postings and with todays, most of us can see “you get it” John.
    I wonder just wonder, how many other MP’s do, but are still remaining silent, and for what reason, are they really letting their thoughts be known behind the scenes.?

  29. The Prangwizard
    January 14, 2022

    Putting things right? It won’t happen. ‘Boris’ and the rest of the elites in the leadership don’t know what’s wrong, being so detached from the real world.

    Thus when things are put to them they cannot possibly understand. ‘Boris’ and others are so fanatically tied to ‘net zero’, with what he thinks will be his glory our country continues its decline.

    There is also the wish to sell all our assets for foreign money – prostituting the country and people ‘show us your money and we’ll do whatever you wish, we are very experienced, you’ll like it’.

    1. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      It would only take one vote in the House of Commons to repeal the net zero green revolution
      And with an 80-seat majority they could do it tomorrow

  30. Cartimandua
    January 14, 2022

    Sir John
    They were in work bubbles outside so what? That May the rules changed and people were allowed to meet distanced outside in small groups. They will have worked 18 hours a day for months . I do not begrudge them fresh air and a glass.
    The important things are Russia and China NOT down with our side. Dont get sucked into spiteful trivia which ignores the important things.

    1. Mitchel
      January 14, 2022

      Get ready for another Russia-China love-in at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics next month!

      The New World Order is here.

      1. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 15, 2022

        Well, so far, between them, they have killed nothing remotely like the number of people that the British Empire did over its time.

  31. oldwulf
    January 14, 2022

    “……..unable to apply common sense to official advice and to reach sensible judgements that powerful advisers do not always like.”

    Sir – would you please describe to us a “powerful adviser”.

  32. Richard1
    January 14, 2022

    As the whole country is enjoined by the left wing media into hysterical moral outrage over the PM stepping into his own garden for 25 mins – admittedly for an event which shouldnā€™t have taken place – buried in small print is that fact that the Chinese communist party has reportedly channelled money to a leftwing Labour MP via one of its (supporters Ed)Also, it is reported that this person also channelled CCP money to the leader of of the Liberal Democrat Party.

    Isnā€™t this story 1000 times worse than the one which dominates the airwaves at the moment? How come, eg, the BBC arenā€™t very interested in it?

    1. Nottingham Lad Himself
      January 14, 2022

      The security services would reportedly not have been aware of this woman’s activities if Barry Gardiner had not reported the matter to them years ago.

      Nice try.

      1. Peter2
        January 14, 2022

        Did he ?
        I haven’t read that NHL
        Please inform us of your information.

        1. Nottingham Lad Himself
          January 15, 2022

          No, you wouldn’t have done, nor about most basic stuff.

          1. Peter2
            January 15, 2022

            So no information on your claim then NHL.
            Did he report this woman to the authorities years ago?
            And if he did why carry on accepting huge sums of money from her?

        2. hefner
          January 15, 2022

          lbc.co.uk, 13/01/2022 ā€˜Spy storm MP Barry Gardiner denies being made a ā€˜useful idiotā€™ by Chinaā€™
          publications.parliament.uk ā€˜Register of interests of Membersā€™ : Barry Gardiner, register as of 14 December 2017, ā€˜Paid by Christine Lee & Co (Solicitors) for the work I do in Parliamentā€™. NB: refers here to two helpers, Irini Hajiroussou and Daniel Wilkes. Similar declarations can be found at other times ā€¦

          1. Peter2
            January 15, 2022

            Yes hef we all know he put the donations into the register of members interests.

            That wasn’t my question to NHL

          2. hefner
            January 15, 2022

            If you had read the lbc interview you would know that Mr Gardiner had reported the lady to MI5 in 2017 where he started employing her son Daniel Wilkes and that the money he got was for his researchers.
            Have you read the lbc site? Have you ever looked at the HoC/HoL Register of Membersā€™ Interests?

    2. Micky Taking
      January 14, 2022

      I could despair, I’ve been banging on about the influence and criminal activity, plus the mass production of rubbish goods undermining UK industry for years. Nobody seems to listen, except Martin who ‘used’ to deny it all, pretending the sun shone out of its arse.
      Even ‘call me Dave’ helped the acceptance of the curse within.

  33. Denis Cooper
    January 14, 2022

    “Why hasnā€™t the government even taken VAT off green products yet?”

    A letter in the Belfast News Letter today:

    https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/vat-on-fuel-in-northern-ireland-cannot-be-cut-due-to-the-ni-protocol-3527084

    points out that Article 8 of the protocol deems Northern Ireland to be within the EU rules for VAT and excise, and consequently VAT on energy could not be cut below the present 5% rate which is the EU minimum. The same kind of EU restrictions will apply to VAT on green products, just for the province.

    Another letter in that newspaper today:

    https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/provincial-english-tories-have-killed-the-union-3527079

    argues that English provincial Tories have killed the Union.

    And the author certainly has a point; if you consider, for example, that the Tory MP for Uxbridge roundly condemned Theresa May’s Chequers proposals as “vassalage” and “Brexit In Name Only”:

    https://www.politico.eu/article/boris-johnson-chequers-brexit-plan-should-be-torn-up/

    but later when he had come up with his own proposals for a revised protocol:

    https://www.cityam.com/pm-johnson-scrambles-to-save-brexit-deal-ahead-of-key-saturday-vote/

    “Centre for European Reform trade expert Sam Lowe described it as ā€œChequers for Northern Irelandā€.

    So the “vassalage” and “Brexit In Name Only” which he was utterly determined should not be imposed on his constituents in England are perfectly acceptable for their fellow citizens in Northern Ireland.

    Indeed according to some other Tories elected in England:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jxViSQRL08

    those especially favoured people over there are getting “the best of both worlds”, just as the EU says:

    https://ec.europa.eu/info/system/files/benefits_of_protocol.pdf

  34. John Miller
    January 14, 2022

    I’ve always hated Socialists as they are definitely of the tribe whose motto is “Don’t do as I do, do as I tell you”.

    Sadly, it seems as though this concept is universal among politicians. What’s done is done. What worries me more is NetZero.
    COP26 showed that the elites feel it necessary to kill the planet (using their own logic) to tell the rest of us not to copy them. Biden had a fleet of aircraft fly him to this country. A carbon footprint a thousand times bigger that my family’s dainty steps once a year. They mingled together, maskless, quaffing my champagne and nibbling delicacies prepared by my cordon blue chefs (who paid?), a jolly old romp.
    In between the entertainment I laid on (who paid?) they took some time to tell us how virtuous they were (and promptly reneged on their promises).

    I fear COVID has set a precedent that politicians have seen they can tell us to do anything if they scare us enough. Brexit was ineptly handled because the posh boys felt we would believe anything and failed to convince us with their wild and obvious lies.

    NetZero will “follow the science” and most people are not taught science at school anymore, so will be easily deceived. Most business people will recognise the scam, but the politicians will live in hope.

  35. formula57
    January 14, 2022

    Dear oh dear! – “The government needs to reset, to show Ministers are in charge, and to demonstrate they can work productively with civil servants to deliver promises.” – living in the past there, are you not Sir John? This is not the Thatcher era when we had a government we could respect for its capability. Still, you do have a strong point and it would be very nice to see, if we were that lucky.

    (I have sent today’s diary to my own M.P. for educational purposes.)

  36. Richard II
    January 14, 2022

    Excellent summary of a lot that’s gone wrong, Sir John. We need an exit strategy agreed on at Cabinet level now.

  37. Elizabeth Spooner
    January 14, 2022

    No more press conferences from Downing Street with the Prime Minister flanked by 2 unelected scientists. Further announcements about restrictions should be made in the House of Commons first – as they always should have been.

    1. Mark B
      January 15, 2022

      +1

      It was done for impact and to convey seriousness and a sense of emergency. This better to panic people and make them more compliant. And it worked. Well, mostly šŸ˜‰

  38. Know-Dice
    January 14, 2022

    “The same policy would allow us to keep more green areas free from new houses, a popular green policy with many. “

    We received a missive from Wokingham /borough Council the other day and I will selectively quote from it.
    The housing target for Wokingham borough:

    “we need a new Local Plan that plans for an additional 6,000 homes.”

    ” we have no choice but to meet that target and there is no possibility of doing so without building on green space”

    Sir John this really isn’t acceptable, for over 10 years your Governments have promised to reduce inward migration to “tens of thousand” why has this not happened?

  39. acorn
    January 14, 2022

    The post Brexit UK Global Tariffs (UKGT) has made Freeports hardly worth the effort of setting them up. Intermediate tariffs now tend to be lower than final goods tariffs. Those that have higher intermediate tariffs than the final products, only represent a few percent of the UK economy. Also, Freeports are more likely to suck in businesses from the surrounding area rather than generate new ones.

  40. Bryan Harris
    January 14, 2022

    THIS all begs the question; Just who is running the country and making the real decisions, the government, their advisors, or the civil service?

    All too often it seems that nobody is at the tiller.

    Our system of government appears to be broken beyond repair, as ministers carry on day after day, making it appear that they are in charge, trying to demonstrate that all is running normally, when in fact everything is stage managed and they are but actors reading their lines.

  41. agricola
    January 14, 2022

    Yes we suffer government by rhetoric. It follows the illusion that if it is said it will happen. That it doesn’t is the source of general dissatisfaction.

    Brexit was to be the start of opportunity and a whole new way of doing things. To her credit Liz Truss got on with it and did so with some success. Many mostly did not. We witness:-
    1. Power generation hoisted on the petard of a green religion, causing strategic insecurity, exposure to malign world politics, and a vast increase in cost to the vast majority. Patently this has not been thought through because there are answers out there that do not entail supping with the devil.
    2. A reluctance to detach ourselves from the residue of EU law still on our statute book. It is the sea anchor on enterprise.
    3. We are still living under the last centuries tax regime of seven volumes to explain it. So complex ,a fortune is spent on living with it. This is no sea anchor, it is a dragging main anchor with ultimate fatal consequences. In the five painful years of extracting ourselves from the EU why was this not re-thought in preparation for freedom day.
    4. The NI Protocol was a legacy of May’s umbelical to the EU that Boris could not see in his haste to get Brexit done, but why oh why has it taken a year to get rid of when the tool to do so is lying on the Withdrawal Agreement bench. It really does beggar belief.
    5. I know from personal experience that the NHS can work very well medically, but administratively is overburdoned at a cost that impacts on the sharp end. It may be the hottest potato in the political pot, but that is what government is for.
    6. Devolution is helpful providing UK government realises its limitations. The light touch handling of it at present could lead to the breakup of the UK.
    7. Sort out immigration even if it means leaving the ECHR and having our own human rights bill. I include deporting all illegals or using them to fill all our current labour shortages. It is decsion time.
    8. Close the door that allows 129,000 to 200,000 chinese students to attend our universities and absord our intellectual rights in sensitive technology areas. Remain open to well vetted Hong Kong refugees. The universities shrink in size, so what.

    There are other headings I can’t think of for the moment, but I think you have enough to get my trend of thought.

    1. agricola
      January 14, 2022

      Long overdue for moderation SJR.

  42. Stephen Howard
    January 14, 2022

    “Many people would be happier to see a curb on the UKā€™s carbon dioxide output begun by reducing immigration numbers. The more people in the country the more CO2 they will generate themselves and in meeting their needs.”

    This is an absurd statement and I hope many people wouldn’t be this stupid! Whether people generate CO2 in the UK or elsewhere it still contributes to the climate emergency. Reducing the UK’s carbon footprint by moving the population elsewhere doesn’t achieve anything. There are valid arguments to reduce immigration but this certainly isn’t one of them.

    1. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      The UN have made the reduction of co2 a country-by-country competitionā€¦.and we can only win by dumping or transferring our co2 to other countries

    2. Mark B
      January 15, 2022

      These people need somewhere to live. These would be new homes and, such new homes require materials that are CO2 exhaustive. Plus. Many of these people come from warmer climates and, that requires more energy to heat said homes. That energy cannot be supplied by so called renewables so more coal and gas needs to be consumed.

      It is not difficult when you actually stop and think about it. But some people don’t. All they see is racism whenever immigration is mentioned because that is their mindset. Short and narrow.

  43. Sakara Gold
    January 14, 2022

    This is developing into an international issue, as other countries react in disbelief to what is going on here.

    Two years of failure to control the Chinese plague virus by parliamentarians without any qualifications in science, virology or clinical medicine. 175,000 fatalities and over a million with the long covid illness. Partygate, partygate and more partygate. The No10 flat refurbishment. The spectacle of Johnson – the British PM – at the despatch box lying through his teeth being broadcasted to the worlds’s news agencies. Sewage without end being dumped – now legally – in our rivers and seas with water company customers being charged for doing so. The royal crisis – in Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum jubilee year. Farmers being paid not to farm their land because we cannot get their crops harvested. Huge numbers of migrants getting in and being accomodated in 4 star hotels etc etc

    Labour’s lead in the polls has now increased to an average of 11 points. Starmer and a suprisingly effective Rayner are clearly impressing the public and scoring at PMQ’s

    A change of leadership now would give a new PM over two years to pull this back. Graham Brady should break with tradition and invite the disaffected – and clearly they are many – to get their letters in. It’s time for a change

    Reply It is not the job of the 1922 Chairman to exhort letters. he has to be neutral, impartial and discrete. Every MP knows how the system works.

    1. alan jutson
      January 14, 2022

      Sakara

      I certainly would agree Government is falling apart, as indeed is every Political Party.
      The media and opposition have been focusing on Boris and the Conservatives for very many months now (not difficult to do so given the chaos), so far the others have escaped almost unscathed, but the tide will eventually turn.
      Allegedly Labour now been accepting foreign donations for years, the very poor leadership by Starmer with internal splits in all directions.
      The SNP with the reported and alleged budget finances, and the Independence fiasco.
      The LibDems well against everything, and for never enough of anything policies.
      All seem to want to spend far, far more money than they get in with taxation.

      We are actually in a real time crisis, with little proper leadership, patriotism, or sensible direction or policies from anyone. Clueless, absolutely clueless

    2. Micky Taking
      January 16, 2022

      every MP knows – Except nobody ever uses it !

  44. LJONES
    January 14, 2022

    It is not simply that we know now these people were obviously not afraid of a deadly virus stalking the land – it’s the appallingly cruel sanctions they laid on the people – mainly not allowing people to visit hospitals – while they carried on as normal. No doubt, if any of THEIR nearest and dearest ones had been in extremis during that period, they’d have been at their side quicker’n a rat up a drainpipe.

  45. Maylor
    January 14, 2022

    Sir John writes;
    ” They should also test out the official advice by hearing from other scientists. There were other views to consider on treatments, air flows, infection control and expanding capacity that were not welcome as part of the official narrative. There were other ways than locking us up at home of limiting spread, abating the impact and fighting the virus that we needed to do more about. My questions and comments to get these actions were often accepted by Ministers but not progressed with energy or pace.”

    So, why didn’t our MPs, especially those on the opposition benches, do their own research from reputable sources available online ?

    Why did they blindly allow the government to implement such damaging and unnecessary regulations ?

    Parliament has blood on its hands and needs to be held responsible.

  46. LJONES
    January 14, 2022

    ”…Many people would be happier to see a curb on the UKā€™s carbon dioxide output….”
    Conversely, ‘many people’ know that CO2 levels are of no significance whatsoever in the ‘warming of the planet’ – but plenty to do with ‘greening the planet’. Many peasants are not ill-informed thralls. And they would NOT be ‘happier’ if it means their own lives and their children’s future are damaged by this ‘green tripe’.

    It seems obvious to me that this is simply another way of controlling the population. Another string to the bow of control is needed besides the fast-vanishing ‘covid’. And now I sound like a conspiracy theorist.

  47. Mockbeggar
    January 14, 2022

    Do immigrants create less CO2 when they are in another country? Or are we simply trying to keep the air round the UK freer from CO2 than elsewhere, and does that make a difference to ‘climate change’?

    1. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      Of course it does, its all about indivdual targets and carbon foot-prints

    2. Mark B
      January 15, 2022

      The have to live somewhere and that somewhere has to be built. That requires energy and that energy creates CO2.

  48. forthurst
    January 14, 2022

    The War time scale of impositions was necessitated by the fact the NHS was run by Arts graduates with zero knowledge or understanding of medical science; a consequence of this was over a period of time the capacity of our hospitals had been run down until there were serious staff and bed shortages every winter that there was a significant flu epidemic, whilst the numbers of useless Arts graduates acting as administrators on sky high salaries of every description increased substantially together with the costs of the organisation. When a respiratory infection arrived that spread as easily as the common cold, the Arts graduates running the government and the Health service panicked and decided that the main solution to preserving the woefully inadequacy of the Health service from massive overload was to lock down the whole country even though they knew from personal experience that the disease itself did not cause serious illness in people who were previously fit.

    A country run by useless Arts graduates is going to fall behind better run countries where the universities do not even produce such worthless people who claim to be educated and capable of running a country.

    Reply The main advocates and architects of lockdown were highly trained medical and scientific civil servants and science professors on Sage.

    1. forthurst
      January 14, 2022

      Reply to reply. They, including a mathematician with whose cursor had a tendency to fly off his slide rule, for the worst case scenario so they gave it and what was the government trying to prevent: news broadcasts featuring the best health system in the world becoming overloaded a la Italy/Spain.

      1. Micky Taking
        January 16, 2022

        I think Ferguson alway makes the mistake of doing forecasts using the financial definition ‘000 ie choosing thousands.
        So every time his dodgy calculation (SUM) operation was completed it had 3 additional noughts on the end.

    2. BOF
      January 14, 2022

      Reply to Reply
      None of course with political, or even vested interests?

  49. Andy
    January 14, 2022

    Johnson will not survive this.

    The question is whether he goes quickly and relatively painlessly. Or whether the Tories get destroyed at the local elections first.

    The hatred of this man – and it is a hatred – is visceral. We sacrificed so much – and he partied away.

    Any Tory MP who supports this morally bankrupt disgrace of a man, deserves removing at the next election.

    1. No Longer Anonymous
      January 14, 2022

      So. We have the vaccines largely because of what Boris did and the decisions he made.

      Were the 300 or so deaths you mentioned yesterday *of* or *with* Covid ? Were those on ventilators vaxxed or unvaxxed ? According to NHS doctors they are all unvaxxed.

      Yet you want masks and lockdowns to continue and therefore protecting the unvaxxed is your reason for this.

      Boris knew in his heart of hearts we should not have been in lockdown. So did his civil servants… or at least they knew there was a third way to deal with the virus so they applied common sense and lived by the Barrington Declaration in effect.

      They are hated for the wrong reason.

      We should not have been told to sacrifice so much in the first place.

      1. Nottingham Lad Himself
        January 14, 2022

        Lots of quite young people – and the vaccinated – are now getting omicron. For most it is not serious, but everyone knows someone for whom it has been rather unpleasant.

        The young parents next door are still down after nearly two weeks for instance.

        So the conspiracy theorist lie that the whole thing is a hoax is exposed for the murderous lie that it is.

      2. Micky Taking
        January 14, 2022

        ‘. We have the vaccines largely because of what Boris did and the decisions he made. ‘
        Wrong. We have vaccines – at least the AZ/OXFORD one, due to dedicated, selfless scientists, lab technicians and administrators who put their lives on hold in order to make a vaccine available.
        They found they needed to associate with AZ due to insufficient funds to continue the production, but got them to sell at the lowest price of all the Pharma, and to sell at cost to Third World poor countries.
        The only credit ‘Boris’ can claim is that he was encouraged to throw enormous sums of money at it, when the state medical heads explained what a disaster the virus was proving to be.
        This amounted to Ā£billions – – yet the Oxford vaccine researchers, and others, are poorly funded when a Ā£1m to three or four teams would make a world of difference.

    2. Richard1
      January 14, 2022

      We know that you harbour visceral hatred of Boris, and indeed anyone else who disagrees with you. But donā€™t assume the whole Country are like you. Fortunately very few are.

    3. acorn
      January 14, 2022

      There are still a lot of enexploded tabloid headlines that Boris will be kept in post to take the blame for. The next leader will be anointed only when the minefields are cleared and the sunny uplands in view.

    4. Philip P.
      January 14, 2022

      You may well be right there, Andy. I’ve thought this all along: By usually voting with Johnson on Covid, Starmer’s strategy was to egg him on and help him go down a path at the end of which he’d be destroyed. I think it’s working.

    5. Peter2
      January 14, 2022

      Hilarious andy
      You sound like a teenager in a FE college ranting.

      1. Bill brown
        January 15, 2022

        Peter 2

        Is this what you call debate?

        1. Peter2
          January 15, 2022

          Better than your little post bill.
          When you manage a post more than one sentence maybecI will take you seriously.

          1. hefner
            January 16, 2022

            So you do not want one-liner and cannot have ā€˜essaysā€™ either. Oh yes I understand, you just want to see your little writings on these pages to prove the world that you exist.
            I finally got it, you are an existentialist a la JP Sartre, Nietzsche or Kierkegaard. How could I miss that? Shame on me.

  50. Denis Cooper
    January 14, 2022

    Meanwhile in the Irish News they have printed the letter I sent in:

    https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2022/01/11/we-need-an-economic-policy-based-on-promoting-growth-and-limiting-inflation/#comment-1290741

    but the sub-editor gave it a misleading heading:

    “Helpful move to protect UK market”

    when the whole point of the proposed UK export control laws would be to protect the EU market.

    Obviously this is much more difficult to understand than I imagine.

    Meanwhile another letter reiterates the falsehood that Theresa May allowed to become well established because it suited the CBI and other business pressure groups replete with Tory party donors.

    “The only alternative to removing the protocol-related administrative requirements down the Irish Sea and keeping Northern Ireland in the Single Market …. is the return of a hard border in Ireland.”

    Cameron, May, Johnson … what a shower, why is the Tory party incapable of doing any better?

    1. Denis Cooper
      January 14, 2022

      https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/poots-sea-border-situation-could-get-so-much-worse-90-of-checks-arent-even-happening-yet-3527250

      ā€œWhat people need to understand at the outset is, in terms of the protocol, probably weā€™re operating at less than 10% of the checks that would be applied with the full implementation of the protocol,ā€

      1. Denis Cooper
        January 14, 2022

        So where’s that threatened hard border then, given that hardly any of those important “protocol-related administrative requirements down the Irish Sea” are being fulfilled? Why hasn’t the Irish government sent in the army to erect the barbed wire fences and instal the barriers and watch towers and floodlights and cameras and machine gun posts, and customs offices at just a few crossing points? Isn’t that what the Poles did along the EU frontier with Belarus, and why should the Irish treat the UK any differently?

        1. Penny
          January 14, 2022

          The UK needs to comply fully with the Protocol. Only then will the EU discuss reform. Until then the UK is not trusted. Act in bad faith Denis, and you do not even get a hearing. OK?

          1. Denis Cooper
            January 15, 2022

            And who may you be, to take it upon yourself to speak on behalf of the EU?

            In any case Michel Barnier, who could speak on behalf of the EU, already made it clear that the EU did not trust us as long ago as July 2018, as recollected here:

            https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2019/02/14/inflation-money-policy-and-wages/#comment-995554

            “It may be recalled that last summer Prime Minister Theresa May proposed a daft scheme under which the UK would continue to collect customs duties on behalf of the EU, even after we have left.

            Which proposal M Barnier rejected on the grounds that he could not trust us to do it properly, once we were no longer ā€œsubject to the EU governance structuresā€.

            As pointed out at the time, that raised a serious question about whether the EU would trust us to keep to any agreement, unless we accepted continued supervision by the EU institutions.”

            Nothing new in what you say, whoever you may be.

        2. Nottingham Lad Himself
          January 14, 2022

          If you really don’t know the answer to your final question then I’d give up posting, Denis.

          1. Denis Cooper
            January 15, 2022

            Pathetic, if anybody should give up posting it is you.

            Come back when you have something to tell us about trading standards officers in the Republic reporting that because they are not being stopped on their way into Northern Ireland there is now a black market in British sausages coming across the border.

            It has always been a load of nonsense, a mountain made out of a molehill by the Irish government because they feared that Brexit could mean high tariffs on their exports to the UK. Have a read of what Leo Varadkar said in the Dail on November 21 2018:

            https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2018/11/22/is-that-it-the-political-declaration-with-the-eu/#comment-975645

            including:

            ā€œI think that in a no-deal scenario we would find ourselves having to come up with a deal. We would have to come to some kind of agreement on regulations and customs to avoid a hard border in order that the UK would honour its obligations as a member of the WTO and that we would continue to honour our obligations as an EU member. The point I was making is that if we had no deal, we would find ourselves having to find a deal very quickly.ā€

            They better get cracking on that other deal, then, given that the forward defences of the EU Single Market along the coast of Northern Ireland have proved so permeable and the situation is so perilous that the Republic should now be fortifying the land border.

  51. X-Tory
    January 14, 2022

    Given that everyone with even an ounce of sense ignored the stupid rules, it is not the breaking of the rules that Boris needs to be crucified for, but the MAKING of those rules. So why did he impose such unnecessary and draconian restrictions on us, when we are told that he himself did not want to do so? Having considered this carefully I attribute it to a combination of his extreme cowardice (look at his fear of upsetting the EU over Northern Ireland!) and stupidity – or to be more precise, his inability to analytically review and challenge scientific assertions. This also, by the way, explains his recent conversion to global warming hysteria.

    As a scientist myself, I am not willing to criticise ‘science’, but the lack – as you so wisely point out – to “test out the official advice by hearing from other scientists.” Real science works through questioning, experimentation and analysis. Boris listens to a couple of panicky old women presenting only one side of the story and then panics himself. That’s why he panicked when, at the start of the pandemic, he was presented with Niel Ferguson’s flawed predictions of the number of Covid victims there would be, and he panicked when presented with Michael Mann’s flawed ‘hockey stick’ global temperature analysis.

    On Covid, he should have reviewed Ferguson’s track record (appalling!!) and asked whether there could be a different way of responding – such as shielding the vulnerable while allowing everyone else to live normally. On climate, he should have asked what PROOF there was that greenhouse gases were responsible for climate change (given the fact that temperatures have varied throughout history, and that the UK was warmer in the Medieval Warm Period than it is now) and asked what difference UK measures would make to the global climate, given our minuscule contribution to greenhouse gases.

    When you have a PM who is both a coward and a cretin you have very little hope of success. He needs to be replaced by someone who is brave, patriotic and intelligent. Sir John, you know your colleagues best so no doubt you will have your own view as to whom you think would make a good PM. Liz Truss’s pathetic response to the EU the other day rules her out, so I certainly can’t think of any current cabinet members who would fit the bill!

  52. Malcolm White
    January 14, 2022

    I could forgive the Government, its Ministers and Civil Service for a myriad of indiscretions, if they were actually demonstrating competence and common sense in the duties they are supposed to be performing. i.e. Enacting policies that essentially provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the United Kingdom – including Northern Ireland.

    Common sense and competence, however, appear almost completely absent from the current bunch in the Westminster bubble – our kind host and a number of notable others excluded.

  53. X-Tory
    January 14, 2022

    “My questions and comments to get these actions were often accepted by Ministers but not progressed with energy or pace”.

    That’s because you don’t seem to have realised that ministers only pay lip service to you and all your backbench colleagues. Ministers do not give a damn about your views, no matter how self-evidentally right you may be. They view you simply as lobby fodder, and as long as you keep supporting them, nothing will change.

    Reply We often vote against their policies

    1. The Prangwizard
      January 14, 2022

      Sir John will stick with the Tory party no matter how horrible or dangerous and ruinous for the country it gets. The party is more important than anything and everything to him.

      Sir John holds on to the belief that he stays because being in the inside he can influence the leadership. Clearly it doesn’t – look what we’ve got.

    2. Micky Taking
      January 14, 2022

      reply to reply – – shame about the 250 who don’t.

  54. a lowly pleb
    January 14, 2022

    It’s going to be hugely interesting watching how this is rolled back ( if it can be).
    Diana used to say that there were some good guys in the security services.
    If there are, they need to come out of the shadows now.

  55. Barbara
    January 14, 2022

    The problem isnā€™t that they had a party – it is the fact that they banned others from doing so, under false pretences.

  56. Derek Henry
    January 14, 2022

    What really worries me John is it looks and sounds as if they are following the EU convergence program

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-convergence-programme-2019-20

    Which is a complete and utter disgrace. We voted to leave the EU.

    REPLY

  57. Elli Ron
    January 14, 2022

    While the parties at #10 during lockdown were foolish, and Boris’ participation in some – completely bonkers, the really large issues which should be addressed by Conservative MPs are those which might lose us the government in the next elections:
    * Energy and cost of living
    * Taxation and council taxes going up in April
    * The likely hammering in the May elections
    Boris was semi-good on Brexit, very good on vaccination, but his pointless central policy – green, is going to become a major issue starting immediately.
    I’m sure I’m not the only one to get a 50% increase in my monthly energy bill in January, this will be a disaster for the poor, expect a backlash.

  58. ed2
    January 14, 2022

    Globalism works two ways. The world is nowglobally united in seeing politicians as the problem. Time to go.

  59. Alan Joyce
    January 14, 2022

    Dear Mr. Redwood,

    You may well be right when you say people would be less angry about the office arrangements if they were getting what they voted for.

    I had hoped that Brexit would be the trigger for all the things you list as ‘wins’ including more self-sufficiency in power generation and food production but the present cabal of Ministers are not up to the job of implementing what the public voted for. Even worse than this, they seem quite prepared to allow their civil servants to interpret what is meant by take back control. I doubt they are much motivated by a desire to improve the lot of the common man. They have settled for ministerial trappings and an easy life. The rot probably set in a long time ago.

    Clearly, Michael Gove knew what he was up against when trying to implement his education reforms. As readers here will know, he labelled the civil service ‘The Blob’ – an amorphous mass of material based, perhaps, on Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

    It looks to me as though Ministers have given up the fight. Of course, a Labour government would have no such problems getting its programme through. We all know which way our public services ‘lean’.

    But if even the BBC has been forced to address its inherent bias (I set aside how successful it has been), why are Ministers not doing the same with the Civil Service?

  60. LJONES
    January 14, 2022

    ”Putting things right….”? For some poor souls this can NEVER be put right – those who were not allowed to be with their dying loved ones. Of all the unnecessary evils that have been lashed down upon us, this is probably the most cruel and the worst diktat that could have been imagined. And someone DID ‘imagine’ it, and then had it put into effect. This was beyond inhuman and callous – more like sadism. This rule didn’t HAVE to be made – there could have been ways around it. Just as there were ways found for the Very Important People to have social events.

  61. Ed M
    January 14, 2022

    I think the real issue isn’t Boris boozing in the garden but how to attract higher calibre Tories into the Tory Party. Tories with real business experience etc .. I accept this is a problem for countries in general not just the UK. But if anyone can crack it, then would be amazing, as a strong leader would make an important difference to our country in terms of economy and culture in general.

  62. Ed M
    January 14, 2022

    The tragedy is that Jung (the brilliant 20th psychologist), philosophy, the arts, and religion (all major religions) say that a man who wants to be a leader will only find real happiness if he governs properly like a real man / real leader. Power for its own sake NEVER satisfies (same for s-x and money). S-x, power and money all GREAT things but in the right context and for the right reasons.

    ALL men must learn to be Kings (in the Jungian, psychological sense – not literally) (and all women, Queens). Whether they are Prime Ministers or post men. And in order to inspire more true, kingly leaders of our country, would be great to have a statue of Cyrus the Great outside Parliament. Cyrus was a King Literally but also in the best psychological sense of the word. Although a ‘pagan’ (a Persian Zoroastrian), the ancient Jews of the Old Testament regarded him as a holy man (and similar for Catholics / Protestants in how they regard Cyrus).

    In fact, it wasn’t just the Jews and Catholics and Protestants who thought Cyrus was a great man, but also the Persian, the Romans and the Greeks, in particular Alexander the Great who was obsessed by Cyrus the Great.

    Cyrus the Great: great man, great leader – whose values / virtues / spirit would have made him a great man and leader in any age, including the present.

    1. Mitchel
      January 15, 2022

      Actually,Cyrus was King of Kings(Shahanshah)!

      Alexander quickly adopted oriental manners and dress.His men though he had gone native in the course of the conquest of the Persian Empire.You could say he was the first “Eurasianist”.

      In many ways you could also say that the Byzantine Empire,whilst the legal continuation of the Roman Empire (and known as the “Roman Empire” throughout it’s long existence),was ,with it’s oriental inclinations,also the true successor to Alexander’s Empire.

      The fusion of the Greek and the Persian(Roman culture was a pale imitation of the Greek)was a heady and influential combination.

      1. Ed M
        January 15, 2022

        What an interesting comment, thank you.

        How sad that so few people know about Cyrus – arguably the greatest political leader in history (or that people think that because he lived so long ago therefore he’s irrelevant to politics today – nonsense. Politics is ultimately about the spirit in which a country is governed (spirit such as honesty, hard work, imagination, courage, patience, perseverance and so on) not the particulars of the day whether that country is UK in 2022 or Persia 2,500 years ago – a great leader can adapt to any situation. The key is whether he has the real spirit of true leadership or not.

      2. Ed M
        January 15, 2022

        Cyrus also had the most wonderful, loving relationship with his wife.

        What a man!

        – The greatest benevolent leader in history. Blessed with a happy, loving relationship with his wife. Deeply cultural / interesting person. And praised for being a holy man in the Bible (the only pagan to be described as ‘anointed’ in the Bible which a huge honour, whilst being lauded as a hero by Alexander the Great (and by others such as, in modern times, David Ben-Gurion)! Wow! What a man. What a king in metaphorical, Jungian sense but also in literal sense!

        1. Ed M
          January 15, 2022

          ‘The greatest benevolent leader in history’ perhaps

  63. paul
    January 14, 2022

    Well in my opinion Wokinghamite, there are lot people around country feel like you as well as John, as the fact roll out over time I think the whole cabinet of this government should be replace by Troy backbenchers while a full investigate take place, on what going on.
    In 2017 i start hearing things like build back better, then 2018 i hear people in the cabinet saying same words and in 2019, at conference and the election that year. Then there is the Great reset which was wrote by person in 2018 and i thought, Build Back Better and the Great reset, what are they talking about there is nothing to build back and how can you have a Great reset with stopping world going round, then in 2019 i hear your be happy and own nothing, well i thought i have a bit but not much in great scheme of things and will what they want and there nothing i can do.
    Then out of blue comes the VIRUS and after a while it started to make sense, people not allowed to go to work and still not allowed to go to work and killing the economy i thought this must be the start of the Great reset the man wrote about, so it follow-on that build back better comes next and then, your be happy and own nothing.
    That why the whole frontbencher needs replacing, John, if you leave them in office it will destroy your party for good, you to need to some how show the public what a con party stands for and how to make a success of this country England before it too late. By the way, the printing of money has been obsene on behalf of these solgans and the people came up with them.

  64. Original Richard
    January 14, 2022

    ā€œIt leads to more questions about the way advisers used statistics and one strand of scientific opinion to take over government and dictate controls and interventions on a war time scale.ā€

    Back in April 2020 it was already apparent that deaths of people aged below 45 was negligible but we never had any policy which took this into account, other than older people were vaccinated first.

    It will be interesting to discover how the advice given by those leading scientists/virologists who knew that gain of function research on bat viruses was taking place at the Wuhan Virology Lab was affected by this knowledge.

  65. Edwardm
    January 14, 2022

    Absolutely well said.
    There is too much bumbling from Johnson’s government, too much eco nonsense, the costs of the fallacious net-zero and anti-car attitude, it wastes money on HS2, still pays the EU, yet wants to put up taxes, and it doesn’t enforce our borders and it tolerates disruptive political agitators, and victims of the agitators are given no redress – that way anarchy lies ahead.
    JR for PM.

    1. glen cullen
      January 14, 2022

      +1

  66. Original Richard
    January 14, 2022

    ā€œMany people would be happier to see a curb on the UKā€™s carbon dioxide output begun by reducing immigration numbers.ā€

    When we were told that we were to become ā€œGlobal Britainā€, I assumed this term applied to trade.

    I did not expect ā€œGlobal Britainā€ to mean that we would accept everyone from across the globe with open arms, even those without documentation, whatever their previous history, culture or politics and would provide them with 4 star accommodation, Ā£40/week pocket money to keep in contact with all their global colleagues, and be free to roam the country as they wished for as long as they wished.

    I did not expect ā€œGlobal Britainā€ to mean that we would be expected to unilaterally control the global climate through making us use less power and electrifying everything, even if sub-optimal, at enormous expense.

    I did not expect ā€œGlobal Britainā€ to mean that our centre of Government and universities would be awash with money and ā€œstudentsā€ from all over the globe, including 250,000 from a hostile state such as China.

  67. BW
    January 14, 2022

    You want to put things right.
    Remove the knighthood from Blair.
    He did so much damage to this nation.
    Yes I know it was the Queen. Just get it removed any way you can. It is an insult to every Briton

  68. Original Richard
    January 14, 2022

    ā€œToo many of them [Ministers] seem unable to apply common sense to official advice and to reach sensible judgements that powerful advisers do not always like.

    As I write wind is providing 0.40GW of power (0.96% of demand).

    So much for Boreasā€™ idea that all our power will come from ā€œthe breezes that blow around these islandsā€ (Conservative Party conference speech October 2020).ā€

    The PM and Minister for BEIS need to ā€œapply common senseā€ and wake up to the fact that the Net Zero Strategy devised by the Marxist Britphobes at BEIS is designed to cripple our economy.

  69. Micky Taking
    January 14, 2022

    Two climate change activists who sat on the roof of a rush-hour train in east London have been cleared of obstructing a carriage on the railway. The Rev Sue Parfitt, 79, and Fr Martin Newell, 54, climbed on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) carriage at Shadwell station on 17 October 2019.
    A third activist, Philip Kingston, 85, superglued his hand to the train.
    Speaking outside Inner London Crown Court, Ms Parfitt said: “It’s wonderful that the jury saw the bigger picture”.
    So much for driverless trains – I suppose there are no low bridges on the line, when their maker might be called upon to protect.

  70. Peter Parsons
    January 14, 2022

    Another day, another party/gathering/work meeting or two, and a formal apology to the Queen.

    At what point will those responsible take responsibility?

    1. Peter Parsons
      January 14, 2022

      “Operation Save Big Dog”.

      1. Micky Taking
        January 16, 2022

        Big dogs do big poo……

    2. Peter2
      January 14, 2022

      What the civil servants do you mean?

      1. Peter Parsons
        January 15, 2022

        Those in leadership roles (which includes politicians).

        It seems there is a plan afoot to make some civil servants and staff take all the blame responsibility so certain others can avoid doing so.

        1. Peter2
          January 15, 2022

          When a party is arranged by civil servants for another civil servant who is leaving I think the civil servant is responsible.

          1. Peter Parsons
            January 15, 2022

            And when a party is arranged for the staff of 10 Downing St, that is surely the responsibility of the individual in charge, the PM.

          2. Peter2
            January 15, 2022

            Do you think Peter?
            Even if he lives next door and doesn’t know it is happening?
            No responsibility for the civil servants who organised the event.
            How odd.

  71. Rhoddas
    January 14, 2022

    Having a boozy No. 10 or Cabinet party on the eve of our dear Queen’s attendance alone for her husband’s funeral is frankly unforgivable and the final straw, when EVERYONE WITHOUT EXCEPTION was in LOCKDOWN. The height of elitist idiotic behaviour, more akin to banana republics and despots/dictatorships.

    So a new PM please, followed by new Cabinet, refer back to the Manifesto/Plan policies (quite recent) and get on with it as Sir J outlines. Preferably with Sir J as Chancellor and Steve Baker in a Cabinet role of his choice.

    Let’s get those Brexit wins really underway, open up the Cambo oil/gas field project ++ and self sufficiency in energy NOW. Otherwise we’re all voting Reform or just not voting next time!

  72. XY
    January 14, 2022

    Yes there seems to be a “We’re still in the EU” feel to all this, remoaners are still blocking change, or the government is pro-EU in reality, whatever it says publicly.

    Also, the partygate thing feels like a plot. A whole goes by, then we see an endless trickle of new parties being “unearthed”. Hard to believe – there is clearly an orchestrating force.

    They waited for Johnson to be vulnerable and then used it when the Article 16 negotiations were coming to a head, having learned from previous attempts that the public has most of Johnson “baked in”, they now try the tack where he does something they were not allowed to do.

    And coincidentally (?), at the same time the ConservativeHome web site starts putting a lot of people’s comments to moderation, never to be seen again – and even their up/down-votes disappear on refresh. That site has been increasingly non-conservative – inviting a number of people as authors who were at the forefrontg of the awful previous parliament’s shenanigans. Only the howls of protest from many there saw yourself invited to offer a fig leaf of apparent balance. Now only the remoaner accounts are left, almost every “discussion” has 10 upticks for a rabid remoaner viewpoint and nothing posted in rebuttal (because all th opposing views can’t post).

    I believe that there is a very concerted effort going on across many facets of the media and government to subvert Brexit.

    What can be done to counter this?

    1. Will in Hampshire
      January 14, 2022

      Oh my, you poor thing. Fancy being cancelled by ConservativeHome; whatever is the world coming to? As a Remain voter & commenter I was cancelled on that site for four years 2017-2020 so I don’t have the slightest bit of sympathy for you. I don’t know what system they use but based on my experience eventually your email address is likely to be unblocked. I just can’t tell you when that might be or what logic they use in deciding that.

    2. X-Tory
      January 15, 2022

      The only person subverting Brexit is Boris Johnson, who split Northern Ireland from the UK in the first place and who has refused time and time again to resolve the problem by scrapping the Protocol.

  73. acorn
    January 14, 2022

    BTW. There are another bunch of snake oil salesmen who want to fill the UK gas grid with 20% Hydrogen. Be aware that they will tell you this Hydrogen will be “green” not blue or grey. Hydrogen has one third the energy of natural gas by volume. Hence, the gas mixture you will get through your meter will have 13% less energy in it than pure natural gas, per meter cubed.

    So where will they get that green Hydrogen from? It will need circa 60 TWh per year of electric to make that Hydrogen by electrolysis; about half of the UK total renewable energy from wind, solar, biomass and hydro.

    Have a look at https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/french-city-drops-order-for-51-hydrogen-buses-after-realising-electric-ones-six-times-cheaper-to-run/2-1-1143717

  74. glen cullen
    January 14, 2022

    More than 550 migrants have crossed English Channel in first two weeks of 2022 ā€“ enough said

  75. X-Tory
    January 14, 2022

    It’s not only Boris who needs to ‘put things right’ – all the other ministers should too. SDtarting with the useless, useless Kwarteng. Why does he do NOTHING tro help businesses suffering because of costs – especially since these costs are rising due to the government’s own policies!?

    Here is the latest news from the trade press (with no left-wing axe to grind): “The UK glass industry is once again calling on government to support UK manufacturers against spiralling energy costs after a complete lack of action from ministers has left businesses fighting to stay afloat. Manufacturers have seen their gas and energy prices quadruple and triple respectively over the last year and their Carbon Compliance costs increase from lows of Ā£16 in 2020 to a high point of over Ā£80 per allowance in 2021. Glass is a relatively low-price material and due to high sunk costs, tight margins and limited ability to change operations in the short term, the rapid increase in energy prices means that production costs will soon outstrip the product value. UK companies are also paying more for their energy than those in the EU, putting them at a competitive disadvantage.”

    So Kwarteng and the British government are not just letting British companies go to the wall, they are actually pushing them there. Cretinous and treacherous.

  76. ukretired123
    January 14, 2022

    Fog and frost has once again descended on “Our Great leader” – just like the country.
    Is it the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end?
    Either way Houdini required asap.

    1. Micky Taking
      January 16, 2022

      Wrong….Houdini escaped – ‘our Great Leader’ must not !

  77. Magelec
    January 14, 2022

    Lord David Frost for PM.

  78. DB
    January 15, 2022

    At the university where I work, end of term drinks, leaving drinks, Christmas drinks etc. were all cancelled because they were against the government’s rules: there have been no such occasions for more than two years, since Christmas 2019. I cannot understand why drinks parties were still allowed in Downing Street. The civil servant at the top and the Prime Minister should have stopped them. It’s absolutely bizarre that they didn’t.

    Alongside this, Johnson has proved a total failure as PM. I don’t need to repeat his many disasters, his lethargy, his wasteful spending, his failure to capitalise on Brexit, his un-Conservative policies. To focus on just one point: we cannot have a PM who plans to make cars unaffordable for a large section of the population in just nine years’ time. That will be electoral suicide, probably at the next election but certainly at the one after. Any PM who is determined to ban cars, and gas boilers too, has to be removed. With all the parties in No 10, this is the time to get rid of him. There may not be such a good opportunity in the future. If there isn’t, we will be stuck with him, and that will inevitably lead to catastrophe at the polls and a decade out of government for the Conservatives.

  79. J in Burghfield
    January 15, 2022

    Dear Mr Redwood

    I very much feel that Boris Johnson should now go. This whole debacle in relation to the parties held at 10 Downing Street is simply not acceptable.

    I have worked since the start of the pandemic within local care homes and we have not been able to do the following:
    1) Celebrate anyones birthdays in a meaningful way in case it was seen to be a ā€œgatheringā€ this includes for example residents that were reaching milestones such as their 100th Birthday.
    2) Recognise residents milestone anniversaries for same reason above
    3) Recognise staff birthdays, good recognition awards, Christmas, leaving the job, maternity leave commencement etc etc – either indoors or outdoors for the same reason
    4) Celebrating life when a resident or staff passes away again not permitted
    5) Not even having more than two people at a time in the lift
    6) Not having more than two staff members in the garden at any one time
    7) Not having more than 3 people in the staff room at anyone time and on separate tables

    The list goes on. So all of my colleagues, contractors, residents families and myself have all lived, followed the regulations and religiously worn PPE for over 12 hours a day and yet all this time the government have been living it up – sorry itā€™s shameful and I would very much appreciate a response from yourself.

    Kind regards

    J

    1. Micky Taking
      January 16, 2022

      Millions of us mere citizens applaud what you all have been enduring, some restrictions being infantile and plain cruel – denied last visits to people in homes and hospitals have been the height of insensitivity.
      However, those (thousands?) in public service and politics continued to flout the very rules they insisted we adhered to, fines and Police stasi monitoring evident.

  80. Margaret Brandreth-
    January 15, 2022

    I do not think that lockdowns were a mistake. Many of us would not be alive today without these measures. well done and managed Boris. As for the dreadful arrogance of parties within lockdown to which Boris did not attend . In his position , he should be aware of what is happening in the state’s representative building or at least have loyal staff with integrity.
    Many outside politics had parties so I am told, but there are no figures re the health of those flouting the law.
    The vaccination programme is so far a success. Many of those who think herd immunity is something which is going to happen overnight do not understand the science of mutable Sars. Well done Boris.. if they let you stay don,t let them take control.!! a little No No No wouldnt go amiss

  81. Lynn Atkinson
    January 20, 2022

    I understand the Health Secretary has bought the 4th and 5th covid injections. I understand that whether you take delivery or not you have to pay, and that you cannot donate unused ā€˜vaccinesā€™ to other countries or peoples.
    How much has this cost and can you please confirm, Sir John, whether I am right? Iā€™m hoping Iā€™m wrong!

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