“Do as we say not as we do.”
In a statement yesterday the Prime Minister stated, in a major change in strategy, that instead of social distancing ending by Christmas this year, he said it will be more than likely be October 2021. The Government once again seems to be changing gear back into panic mode. After a relaxing of restrictions during the summer we are seeing the restrictions creeping back into our lives.
Matt Hancock seems to revel in his daily time with the press. Nicola Sturgeon is trying to go one step in front of the Government by introducing harsher restrictions. We have been told that everyone except those who are medically exempt have to wear a face mask to stop the increase in the R number.
The Government is asking us to “Do as we say and not as we do.” In a report on the Parliament website dated 6th October the House of Commons commission has just recommended that all pass holders must wear a face mask when in the Palace of Westminster. Now while we have all been made to wear face masks for months now and we look at this report and we can clearly read that Parliamentarians do not have to follow this “rule”. “While Members are not expected to wear face coverings in the Chamber – they are advised to wear them in the lobbies during a division.” * Parliament UK website. How can Government and opposition parties tell us to do one thing when they themselves do the exact opposite.
Why aren’t Parliamentarians not made to wear face marks in the Chamber, when shop workers have to wear them all day for eight hours or more each day?
How are we ever to beat this virus when we are wrapping everyone in a protective bubble. With universities returning over the last few weeks a big upsurge in reported infections has occurred. Death rates are much lower than the first wave so the following questions need to be asked of Government and answered by the Government. Why are we seeing such an upsurge in cases? Why is the death rate much lower than before? Why was the Government so intent on forcing everyone under the same lockdown rules in the first wave? Why did the Government abandon the herd immunity strategy and go for full lockdown and in turn ruin the economy?
Are we are now seeing the start of the herd immunity? A strategy that our friends in Sweden took from the beginning. This has been pretty successful with no stringent lock down and no forced wearing of masks. Pictures of Swedes out and about and using voluntary distancing and keeping on top of self hygiene such as hand washing has placed them in a much stronger place both health wise and economically. The South West of England has the lowest amount of cases but still has to follow the draconian measures as the rest of the country. Here in the UK, students are getting sick but not in a life threatening way. Lower death rates seem to indicate that possibly the virus has changed.
The Government has led us up the garden path and in the process taken our liberties and freedoms away from us. Now they want to extend the Corona Virus Act 2020 into 2021 – 2022. The sunset clause needs to be sooner rather than later. The current sunset clause is set for 26th of March 2022. But ‘a competent authority’ could extend for a further six months to September 2022.
Socialism has embedded itself in the Conservative party and will take more than a generation to remove. Boris will be remembered by many as the man who suffocated liberty.
Glenville Gogerly – Home Affairs Spokesman