Suffer The Children.

In this frightful year of Covid-19 the Government has forgotten the children and in doing so has left many young children of both primary school age and high school age in a terrible dark and lonely place.

In their crusade of authoritarianism thrust upon us, Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock have sown the very dark seeds of mental health issues and depression onto a generation of youngsters who should be full of life and happiness living life to the fullest. The forced closure of schools and the separation of best friends has led to young children being left in a painful, lonely environment without the support of their friends.

Human nature and being human is to be sociable and mix. With parents unable to organise childcare many youngsters were left to their own devices as parents, especially those parents who are key workers had to continue working through the lockdown. Their children were not only scared about the pandemic but scared that their parents would catch it and possibly die leaving them by themselves.

With restrictions being put back in force up and down the country many children are in fear of sinking back into despair.

In a report on the Parliament website on the subject, a rapid response report, published in July stated and I quote “Kooth, a digital mental health service for children and young people commissioned by the NHS, has released a report based on data from over 75,000 users aged 11–25 years. The report shows an increase in sleep issues (161%), loneliness (63%) and self-harm (27%) compared with the same period last year. There has been a 133% increase in health anxiety, with many children and young people worried about contracting COVID-19 or passing the virus on to others.”

Now I am not expecting the Government to wave a magic wand and make these mental health issues disappear for these young individuals.

What I am asking is that Government change it’s strategy with the draconian measures and restrictions they are bringing in. Yes, where necessary protect the vulnerable and shield them if they so wish. The Government must look at a herd immunity strategy and stop kicking the can down the road with this virus.

There are a growing number of Doctors and scientists who also believe in the herd immunity strategy and have come together to sign the Great Barrington Declaration. The first paragraph of the declaration reads as follows: “The Great Barrington Declaration – As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection.

Last night Labour Leader Keir Starmer held a Labour Covid-19 press briefing calling for a “circuit break”, the new words replacing full lockdown. He and the Labour Party want to drag us into the darkness of Government controlling all. Both main parties are frightening people and especially the young into a place where those people and the young are starting to believe that lockdown is the new norm and Government can save them. Authoritarianism is raising it’s ugly head in our country and has to be stopped. We cannot allow the children and young of today to return to the the darkness of depression and mental health issues.

I myself have suffered with depression and at some points in my life I was in utter despair, but what helped me escape the dark place was having friendship and companionship.

Our young are the future of our nation and this Government is destroying their future with the policies of isolation they are forcing upon them.

Matt Hancock and the Government are playing devil’s advocate with the hearts and minds of our children. I worry so intently for my own two daughters, one at University and one at high school.

We as individuals and families need to stand up for our young and say enough is enough. The pandemic has taken the lives of many and my thoughts are with those families who have lost loved ones. We are also in danger of losing many more, especially children to the horror that is depression and mental health issues.

Glenville Gogerly – Home Affairs Spokesperson.

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