Yet more on yesterday’s announcement

Without wishing to overload our readers with more views on yesterday’ s official announcement I too was initially utterly confused.

This government would not win any plaudits for clear English but after an hour of poring over the official announcement I reduced it to one paragraph:

The national lockdown will end on December 2 and be replaced by constraints and restrictions locally and dependent on what tier.  Because of pressure on the NHS and the need for up to date COVID incidence we cannot at this stage finalise the tier. Further announcements on this and Xmas will be made on Thursday.

Instead we got the usual florid Boris stuff of cavalry arriving with the vaccine, indications of tougher measures without specifying exactly what these are and no clear timetable of a roadmap. All this was reduced to farce when our self isolating leader went off the air and had to be told by the speaker “to push the button”.

When Dominic Cummings drove to Barnard Castle in the middle of the first lockdown – and a SNP MP to Westminster after being tested positive – the Great British Public took the attitude that if those bossy nannies don’t observe the rules, why should we?

We have been provided with no clear information that the lockdown will work but what is clear is the damage to business is incalculable as is the level of government debt and individual depression. My own view is the Lord Sumption one: let the individual decide