I know all the limitations with opinion polls, but they have some uses. This from YouGov is fascinating:
The majority of Britons say face masks should continue to be mandatory on both public transport (71%), as well as in shops and some enclosed public spaces (66%) beyond when restrictions are liftedhttps://t.co/hlpfOq16kg pic.twitter.com/hxva59kEiC
— YouGov (@YouGov) July 5, 2021
Let's allow margin for error, and suggest that what this means is that the vast majority of people do not agree with the government's policy on masks.
I have three thoughts. The first is on why they are doing this if their own polling suggests that this is the case (and you can be sure that they have done that polling). I suggest that what Johnson is deliberately doing is pitting those who eschew masks against those who wish to perpetuate their use in a reckless culture war. As Tim Snyder, Yale professor of history and an expert on fascism would suggest, like Goebbels he understands that his power stems from division and chaos, which is precisely what he is seeking to promote.
Second, how long is it in that case before we see intimidation against those wearing masks becoming commonplace? I do expect it, and soon.
Third, what happens in that case when this policy backfires? It will for a number of reasons. The most obvious is because cases will spiral out of control (as the government itself predicts) requiring that mask-wearing become compulsory again. The second is that so many will feel threatened by unmasking that they will not go out and there will be an effective lockdown again, with all the economic consequences that follow without any support for business being available. I see that as quite likely. I also see that as a quite likely as a rational response by many to what is proposed. And I also think that if there is stress arising from this relaxation, as is likely, including around those businesses that will, entirely reasonably and quite rationally continue to ask for their customers to wear masks (as I am sincerely hoping will actually happen on public transport, for example) then new measures to enforce the right to impose that request will have to be taken.
The reality is that people like mask-wearing because they know it improves their safety and the safety of others. They would appear to be in the majority. That may not appear to be the case when out, but the mask wearers are not out as much, of course. But I cannot see the stress that the government is deliberately creating on this issue being sustainable. Brexit and the 'woke' wars are deeply damaging, but don't directly hurt enough people to create a backlash. This issue does; it impacts everyone. And if, with its deliberate 'freedom day' rhetoric the government incites stress in society as a consequence - which is the intention of that language - then I cannot see how the resulting pressures can be contained.
I imagine a right-wing minority will be angry and very vocal in pursuit of their right to not wear a mask. I cannot see them taking readily to the inevitable reimposition of mask-wearing. And I can see that anger spilling over into ugliness, and all because the government will have deliberately created that risk. Where does that lead to?
Ask why it is that the government is now rushing through law to make peaceful protest much harder, right now?
And wonder too why it is that they want to control law-abiding citizens by limiting time-honoured rights?
And then appreciate whose side they are on. This government is on the side of the minority who wish, through their recklessness and indifference, to impose their will on others. And it is doing all it can now to make sure that can happen. I fear that this is going to get very scary, and soon. But I will still wear a mask.
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
Yes.
The electorate are not stupid as the toryz. The People are smarter.
The charges against the Whitty two should be be:
(i) Not wearing a mask
(ii) Going under two metres.
(iii) The physical manhandling. (common assault).
?
Scary? Yes, especailly if we have a government which has abandoned any responsiblity for controlling the pandemic, and maybe, as you suggest deliberately promoting conflict and illness – among children, the unvaccinated and vulnerable people.
But I still think that it might backfire, that people are more cautious and more sensible than they expect – so the govt. could end up looking stupid . with their credibilty undermined. ‘Let more people get covid and go into hospital so as to tackle the backlog of people on hospital waiting lists’..?????
Early on in this third wave they were repeating their failures with the first two waves, – not to nip it in the bud, or to control it by rebuilding the test and trace system, or to improve ventilation in work places and in schools, or to support people who had to isolate, or to control borders. Yet they were intent on a ‘roadmap’ – progressively relaxing control as infections were increasing.
Where would this end ? Logically they would surely have to put the breaks on again as infections and illness got out of control.
But no – the precise opposite: remove all controls – let more people get ill and die. Much fewer deaths than before vaccines – but hundreds and maybe thousands, and thousands in hospital, and maybe hundreds of thousands getting long covid – again with unknown long term consequences. Ideal conditions for cooking up even more deadly variants.
They seem rather proud that other countries are looking on with incredulity at the this ‘experiment’ with millions of lives.
But they no longer have got any ‘we are doing all we can’ cover for their actions. Even tame BBC questioners are being a bit more pointed, and the Oppostion ‘this is reckless’ a bit more courageous.
But yes – scary times.
Interesting interview today on BBC Radio Scotland’s Lunchtime Live show in which a clearly very angry SAGE member, Prof Robert West of UCL, makes an impassioned, if slightly rambling appeal for the Scottish Gov to ignore the decisions of the UK Gov and instead to follow its own scientific experts and its own sensible judgement. He makes the point at the outset that he is talking for himself, not SAGE or anyone else. Given the prevailing hostility of BBC Scotland to the Scottish Gov on pretty well every topic, this is a surprising item to pop up right after the midday news which was full of narrative about the UK Gov’s relaxation of restrictions. Prof West had high praise too for Nicola Sturgeon’s role as clear communicator and focused leader, and he sounds extremely pissed-off with Johnson and his so-called government.
You can find the interview at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000xlpk and the item starts at 5:10 in.
Incidentally, infection rates in Scotland have been falling since 1st July, so it looks like the spike around 30th June and 1st July resulted largely from the widespread disregard of Scot Gov guidance by soccer fans, which doesn’t augur well for England if they progress to the Euros Final.
I hope Scotland has the sense to keep measures in place
Boris Johnson is a genius, he has found a way to get rid of the Delta variant of Covid, by removing all protections, with the Lambda ( as seen in Peru) variant has now been found in the UK and is possibly more infectious and vaccine resistant than the Delta Variant and so with no checks will displace the Delta variant. By the time the Lambda variant is filling the hospitals and killing people there could be new a variant to displace the lambda version and so proceed ad infinitum.
The rich are now more secure having vaccines and treatments available that will give more protection than they had in the first 2 waves, private hospitals are now in a position to offer these treatments and possibly private booster shots not available to the proles so let it rip is what Boris’s mates tell him.
Prof Christina Pagel has queried what is happening in the north east
I suspect it is Lamda
All I’ve heard said today is that our excellent (ha, ha, ha ha ha ha,) Track and Trace system provided by dear old Dido will keep us safe from infected persons during the (un) lockdown.
Well that’s what the very capable (ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho) Gavin Williamson said anyway.
Maybe the period after 19th July should be called ‘The Showdown’.
Not sure who they will be tracking and tracing anyway as no longer required to sign in to venues or use the NHS app – so total free for all and more millions spent on something now totally devoid of use – after all we all know who we live with so if someone in the house gets covid no need for T&T – and as it will no longer be required to isolate if you are double vaccinated we can all keep heading out and spreading it further!
Well, poor old Gavin needs to get himself up to date.
Either that or is just another Tory liar.
Yes, quite: control by chaos, keeping us in a perpetual state of emergency, stress, fear, or anger; creating division so people won’t unite to consider how it is the government itself that’s creating the problems. Meanwhile they sneak through all kinds of objectionable legislation – or don’t act when it’s needed – while everyone is distracted by their latest piece of stupidity. Interesting polling results there though.
Also, I only found out at the weekend there that there is a massive shortage of HGV drivers, and today Iain Lawson has written a piece on it here:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2021/07/06/when-idiots-are-in-charge/
This is remarkable – there is a crisis in supply of goods (transportation) which the government has done nothing about, but they plan to have everything open up on the 19th?? This is going to be total chaos. Alongside their new anti-protest legislation, and going wildly off the rails with their anti-mask wearing policies (and lack of quarantining or track and trace) ,,, the uk is not going to be a happy place for a long time to come.
How are businesses meant to survive? Like you say Richard, many (sensible people) will stay in self-imposed lockdown from ‘freedom day’, so not be out buying things, but meanwhile shops can’t get supplies anyway, but also the government will no longer be offering any financial support. Why does the government want businesses (and I assume the economy as a whole) to fail? I can’t see any benefit to such widespread destruction – short term gains have a limit surely, once the economy is trashed?
Extremely disturbing.
I’ve kept thinking throughout the pandemic ‘I bet their policies would be very different if it was something like Ebola with its 80% mortality rate’ (such a huge population reduction = no workers left for them to scavange off of = no economy at all) – but I’m beginning to wonder if they’d really even be that aware.
Agreed
Thanks
At least one NHS Trust is keeping Masks & Social Distancing from the 19th
Where precisely is the racism think tank in the Tory government?
Does the cabinet discuss the best courses for stoking chaos?
Can it be just Johnson? Do the others not recognise what is being done?
Is the Civil Service being asked to investigate and suggest policies for increasing instability?
Does “group thinking” allow the executive to go along with this policy without understanding there is an ulterior motive?
Will no one rid us of this turbulent BoJo?
My apologies, the spellcheck substituted “racism” for “fascism”, completely ruining the post!
I think there are all too many signs that the government has long known that their catastrophic handling of Brexit and the pandemic will eventually lead to widespread disorder. I fear they have come to the conclusion that their only route to avoid their own ignominious downfall is to radically undermine democracy and use totalitarian methods of controlling dissent. It is hard to see how else they can hope to avoid being held accountable in the long term for their appallingly destructive and dishonest behaviour and the historic damage they are doing to this country, and there is little to suggest they have sufficient scruples to baulk at what seizing control in this way would entail.
My meagre source of hope is that the government appear to be skilled at deceit but little else. The real and multiplying severe problems their failures have created cannot be managed indefinitely by misdirection alone , and to impose an authoritarian pseudodemocracy in this country would take organisation and expert, ruthless delivery of highly complex and challenging objectives when they have shown little sign of any ability to deliver anything substantial and successful, let alone something this big and difficult.
Johnson is frequently described as a ‘populist’ politician when he is obviously stirring up the crass and ill-informed minority to remove their masks and set this plague on its exponential path of death. As has been stated, the ones who will grasp this “freedom” will be the ones out on the streets most often; the wise ones will limit their exposure where possible. The one certainty is that many more will die.
How could any government be capable of making so many fatal decisions and learning so few lessons whilst claiming to follow the scientific evidence. It will be a travesty if they don’t all end up on trial in the Hague.