REPORTEDLY the government is desperate to avoid a second national lockdown and stresses there will only be local lockdowns. But the massive obstacle to this strategy is the strict rationing of testing for Covid-19. There is no way that local hotspots can be identified.
If it is not known where a local lockdown will be necessary, local hotspots will grow unchecked.
The huge problems with the promised “world-beating” Track and Trace system, overseen by Johnson’s aristocratic sidekick Baroness Diana (Dido) Harding, are totally undermining the government’s whole coronavirus strategy.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: 74 percent of Brits say Westminster is managing response wrongly
So, are we reverting to the government’s original discredited strategy of herd immunity?
Reportedly Dominic Cummings expressed the view that “if that means some pensioners die, too bad”. Well, pensioners have died in their thousands. Many see that as down to the government’s failure to put in place an effective Track and Trace system from the start.
The failures of the present system stem from its outsourcing to private companies, with no experience, run by cronies of Dominic Cummings; large contracts given out without competitive tendering. The failure of Track and Trace is therefore down to the corruption at the heart of government.
England faces a second national lockdown because of the corruption of Dominic Cummings and his former Leave cronies!
Andrew Milroy
Trowbridge
BORIS Johnson is a completely idle, incompetent buffoon. As well as this he is a habitual liar. He saw the likely affects of the pandemic and reacted far too late, yet Tory supporters will vote for him again anyway. This a man so cowardly he hid in a fridge to avoid answering questions from a journalist.
Before the pandemic, Johnson made a speech about being Superman during it and keeping the economy open. He was an early proponent of “herd immunity”, a dubious strategy that unquestionably led to unnecessary deaths.
READ MORE: Chief medical officers advise PM to raise coronavirus alert level to four
Due to this Tory incompetence mixed with hubris, the UK as a whole is now looking at a second lockdown. Now Johnson is about to make another TV address. The last one was garbled and confused.
Johnson hasn’t consulted with the devolved governments or the London Mayor since May. This despite being in the middle of the worst pandemic in 100 years.
He is now talking about £10,000 fines for those in England who break lockdown. However, this does not apply to his hatchet man Dominic Cummings. Nor to the Tory-donating Hooray Henrys – they are allowed to gather in groups of 30 to shoot pheasants. Presumably people will get off if they are breaking the law in a limited and specific way.
To pay for the lockdown the Tories are planning to freeze benefits and wages. Billionaire Rishi Sunak will not be raising taxes on the Tory donors.
The effects of lockdown have been exacerbated by a decade of Tory gutting of public services and living standards. All this to bail out the banks. Yet David Cameron was claiming that this actually made the UK more prepared for Covid-19.
This is a lie. Operation Cygnus showed in 2016 the NHS in England was not prepared for a pandemic. The Tories hid it.
All Boris Johnson is offering is Brexit. A fantasy festival or reactionary filth. All based upon nostalgia for empire. Rights won in struggles carried out over many decades, involving millions upon millions of working people, are now in the balance. Independence is the only way for Scotland to go to retain these rights.
Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee
I’M getting very irritated at the constant use of the word “divisive” in criticisms of indyref2. If we follow the logic of Keir Starmer and co, we (that is, Great Britain) voted for a Conservative government in large numbers.
Job done – decision made – clear majority. No need for any more elections. THAT would just be DIVISIVE. The people have spoken. The fact that this result was obtained on the basis of lies is irrelevant. The people have decided, Keir, so just take your divisive request for another election and shove it. NO? Another election wouldn’t be DIVISIVE, it would give us the chance to decide on an alternative to the current lot? Oh, wait a minute, that means us Scots could ALSO be DECISIVE about choosing our own future. Oh dear Keir, your logic would cause Mr Spock to raise an eyebrow.
Barry Stewart
Blantyre
CHARLIE Kerr (Letters, September 21) questions the intelligence of our Prime Minister. Perhaps Boris should read The National’s letters pages to improve his comprehension skills, for the NI/Eire border problem has been clearly set out here.
There is another even more entertaining aspect of this conundrum. A migrant who is in France can take the ferry to Eire unchecked as he is still in the EU. If the NI border is open he can then enter the UK and sail to Scotland. If a passport check exists in the Irish Sea to stop his entry, will I require my passport to visit and return home from Belfast?
When Scotland becomes independent and rejoins the EU, can we then look forward to Hadrian’s Wall being reinstated and Berwick-upon-Tweed returning to its previous role as Scotland’s chief port to Europe?
Iain WD Forde
Scotlandwell
DR I Hall (Letters, September 19) refers to “one in a generation”. It is worth noting that there is no reference to this concept in the Edinburgh Agreement. However, there is reference to a timespan with regard to a second vote – that being seven years – in the Belfast Agreement. Readers/voters should remind British nationalists of this fact at every opportunity.
Donald Wallace
Peebles
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