However it is looked at, yesterday's announcement by the government that all Covid restrictions in England are to be lifted was historic. With case numbers rising, and it being acknowledged by the Prime Minister that we must reconcile ourselves to many more deaths, which the Chief Medical Officer seemed to shrug off as being inevitable so that we might as well get on with them, the actual evidence for the benefits of ending restrictions now simply does not exist. The best Johnson could offer was “if not now, when”? My suggestion might be “when the risks justify it”, but it is very clear that what is happening has nothing to do with risk appraisal and everything to do with politics.
The trouble is that this is the politics of the madhouse. People are being asked to accept more deaths for political reasons, just as we have been asked to accept lower incomes and employment as a result of Brexit for political reasons.
We are told that removing masks will be a “freedom day”. We are told we must not be “demob happy” though, to extend the wartime metaphors. The request is that we act responsibly. Both the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer suggested that acting responsibly would include continuing to wear masks in indoor situations with limited ventilation where mixing in close proximity with vulnerable people was likely. Places like schools, shops, public transport and many hospitality venues then, in that case. But the requirement to do that is being abolished. The very obvious implication (and how either an stay in post when this is so clear is hard to work out) is that public health considerations are being abandoned.
This is also very apparent from the politics of this. Tory MPs are queuing up to condemn mask wearing as an assault on civil liberties. It is, they claim our right to infect other people if we are spreading this virus, which we cannot know until it is too late to protect others from the risk we create in that situation. After all, no one suggested mask wearing was primarily about protecting the wearer, although it might help. It is all about acting in the interests of others.
Acting in the interests of others is, however, now considered anti-social in a perversion of logic that I will never understand. The government is saying, quite explicitly, that we should have the choice to put others at risk with regard to Covid. This, apparently, is a human right. And Tory MPs are lining up to agree.
The logic is, of course, indefensible. Unless that is you think we should also abandon laws about, for example, driving on the left to protect other drivers, or to prevent smoking in public places to protect people from secondary smoking, or to create an age of consent in an attempt to limit the sexual exploitation of children. We know that such laws are reasonable. We know they protect lives. We live with them. Measures to prevent Covid fall into the same category. But apparently they are now to be considered abusive, except for the fact that this requires the protection of others to be considered abusive to be true.
The protection of others is not abusive. It is one if the basic tasks that we expect government to deliver. Achieving that goal is something for which we expect to compromise our own rights. And we do so willingly, accepting codes of conduct for behaviour that we adapt to and which become normal. Drunk driving laws are one perfect example of that in my lifetime. When I was young this was tolerated. Now the right of the drunk to drive is rightly considered wholly unacceptable. The right of the potentially Covid infected person should similarly be constrained during a pandemic, which we are without doubt continuing to live in, contrary (yet again) to the claims of Tory MPs.
So what is this all about? What is the motive? And why is it that this policy can be promoted, successfully, to some in this country who seem to think protecting others a massive affront to their rights? The answer is simple. It is implicit within the framing of that question. This is all about a newly explicit Tory belief in the promotion of personal rights at cost to those of others.
The logic is to be found in the comments of Tory MP Lee Anderson who said in June that he could not support the England football team in the Euro 2020 championships because they planned to take the knee to show their commitment to Black Lives Matter. He said:
For the first time in my life I will not be watching my beloved England team whilst they are supporting a political movement whose core principles aim to undermine our very way of life.
As Gareth Southgate has patiently explained, the England team take the knee to show their commitment to equality, and to each other as a multicultural group, and to make a gesture in solidarity with those amongst them and in the much wider community who have and do suffer continuing prejudice. Anderson, in that case, is suggesting that the Tory way, which he considers our way of life, is to oppose equality and to instead support division and prejudice and those who promote it.
I suspect that he is right. I think that may now be the Tory way of life. I think it can be summarised as being the logic of Ayn Rand. That is, this belief is that there is no duty of care except to oneself, and that we not only can be but apparently should be indifferent to others, which was her prescription.
I, however, suggest that this is not our actual way of life. I would suggest, even more, that it was not the Tory way of life to which they supposedly for so long subscribed. That way of life was typified by adherence to the teachings of Christianity. It was not for nothing that the Church of a England was described as the Conservative Party at prayer for such a long time. I think they have left that behind now, but in doing so they have also left behind its most basic prescription that “one should love one's neighbour as yourself”. There is, of course, nothing wrong with loving yourself in that formulation. It is actually implicit in it. But there is a duty to care for others at least as much. This was the way of life to which the Tories subscribed.
But they do not subscribe to that view any more. They have rejected this. That is implicit in what they are saying on masks, on Black Lives Matter, and so much else. They are saying that they now believe in “Love yourself, and stuff your neighbour”. This is the way of life that seek to promote.
There is nothing remotely akin to our actual way of life about this.
There is nothing remotely ethical about this.
There is nothing remotely sensible about this: it is simply not a viable way of living.
There is no basis for government implicit in this, because the logic does, of course, reject the whole notion and relevance of government.
There is no foundation for a society in this.
Instead this logic is wholly destructive, of the individual who believes it, and of society itself.
And it is this logic that informs the removal of all Covid restrictions. The argument is we should not care about others, and we should presume that they do not care about us. Quite explicitly, we are to make our own choices.
I have made that choice. I have decided we are ruled by psychopaths.
I will refuse to comply with their wishes.
I will wear a mask.
I will do so out of respect for others.
I will do so to show I care.
I will do so as an act of political defiance.
I will do so to show that I believe we can do better, for each other, for society, and as a country.
This will be a political act, just as taking the knee ie a political act. It will be a protest to promote the compassionate society I wish to live in, which will reject the indifference the Tories seek to promote.
I hope others will do likewise. We need to make the gesture. We need to show we care. We need to upset those who do not want us to wear masks. We need to build a better view of living. This small continuing protest will be a step towards doing that.
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Amen to all that.
I’m still wearing mine.
Freedom day is freedom to take risks with other people’s health.
Caring for someone who is extremely vulnerable, I will not be able to go out after July 19 – I cannot risk contact with anyone who is now free to assert their right to infect others. Even my opportunity to wear a mask in protest has been removed, as I will not be leaving home.
Very much with you Richard, but I think they may be onto a loser with this- the latest version of their ‘let them eat covid’ policy.
Going so far out of line with what the public themselves believe – namely that masks and other precautions should be retained – may undermine such credibility as they still have.
Hospitalisations may well go much higher – as transmission spreads up the age range and among the partially vaccinated, unvaccinated and susceptible. A new paper suggests pfizer is only 70% effective against delta variant cf 90% against origional alpha.
People will remain cautious – and so the fancied revival in hospitality etc may not fully materialise.
It’s no comfort to those who will get covid or long covid, but there is a significant chance Johnson /Javid and co. will end up just looking stupid.
Very nice aphorism. The analogy with Marie Antoinette works. Such recklessness.
Completely agree. Moreover, soaring infections will mean rising hospitalisations (even if at a much lower rate) and that will not only strain already exhausted healthcare workers, but will continue to prevent the NHS catching up with the huge backlog of cases. And because the rate of infections and hospitalisations are not evenly distributed, there will be some areas of the country where hospitalisations will not be a problem, but others where they definitely will be.
Well said! Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Once ungoverned we are on the slippery slope to ungovernable. Our government with its outrageous and rampant peculation and libertarian adherents is steering us remorselessly over the cliff, Brexit et al what a shitshow.
All sensible people will do the same. Perhaps somebody would provide us with suitably slogan printed masks? Obviously the shorter, the better and thus the more visible. Though the scathing and personally blistering, say on the ‘Moral Moron at No. 10’, might be tempting, I think I’d go for…..
” I WEAR MY MASK”
“TO CARE FOR YOU”…… to provide an overall slogan and two ‘each side versions as well. Entrepreneurs anywhere, please?
I have seriously wondered about ordering masks saying something like that
I was thinking of going with something a bit more abrasive like “I’m not a barefaced killer!”, but maybe that’s a bit too brash.
I like it, and have taken the bait on the word. How about:
‘This is more for you than me’?
Does anyone have better ideas?
That is good
My wife reckons ‘If you can read this you’re too close’
I like it; your wife’s idea provides the due corrective, and mine the public celebration of the Common Good.
So we could have both, one on each side of the mask.
This government thrives on the “culture war”. They love it.
When such a low cost/high benefit policy (compulsory mask wearing) is rejected it is clear that they are choosing to open a second front in this war for, what they perceive as, a political benefit. But I wonder, will it help them? I live in a rural Conservative (and conservative) village with quite a few older folk who will have their lives constrained if others don’t wear masks. This might backfire.
The alternative is that our new health minister really believes the BS about unconstrained personal freedom and to hell with everyone else. Now that is REALLY scary.
That is what our health mnister believes
I agree.
It is clear that Government policy is now geared towards getting herd immunity. To do that they need a large number of the population to actually get covid. Their hope is that the vaccine does its job in protecting enough of the population, that while the numbers infected go up, the number of serious, hospital cases and deaths remain low. This is the “learning to live with it” policy at work.
In my local regional area, the rolling 7 day number of infections went over 500 yesterday. The last time it was this high was just prior to the last lockdown when it went from 450 to around 950 in about a week. Given there is 500 now, I would expect it to be at 1000+ in the next week or so. Yet despite this the Government wants to open things up and give us our “freedom”. They are giving some people the freedom to die. Criminal.
The pound-shop-Churchill bringing even more doom to the civilians than the original- who as far as I know didn’t go as far as sounding the ‘All Clear’ clarion , whilst the incendiaries and doodlebugs were still falling.
The only thing this will achieve is further quarantining of the British Isles this summer – thus concealing from the populace the reality of BrexShit upon what they have become used to with their EasyJetting Ryan Airin buses to the various costas.
That easiest deal and all will be well crap as hundreds of thousands of migrants will flown in from far away places to do the jobs we haven’t got people willing to do.
Mussolini/Hitler at least achieved some public works on their way to ignominy and brutal deaths – this lot of scum have just destroyed all the good things that came out of the sacrifices by the poor of that war.
A housing minister giving directions on a medical issue! And the MSM Barbies singing along in tune.
Agree entirely Richard.
How about a snappy slogan “Love thy neighbour …wear a mask”
Great blog, thanks.
Paul
Good slogan
This idea has already been discussed with parliamentarians this morning
Javed is a joke, but a dangerous one. Just a couple of his gems today.
Javid says it “makes sense” for people who have been fully vaccinated to be treated differently from those who are not.
So now we are going to have vaccine apartheid.
He also says daily cases “could go as high as 100,000” when restrictions are fully lifted.
We have a Government that actually wants you to get covid! You couldn’t make it up.
And the vaccinated will be amongst those both getting and spreading it
Our Secretary of State for Health, no less, is reported today as saying he would feel free not to wear a mask even if it was recommended.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/06/covid-cases-rise-above-100000-a-day-sajid-javid-concedes-england
In contrast Chris Whitty last night was at pains to explain that he thought it would be appropriate to continue with mask-wearing where the “competent authority” recommended it. I assume he was thinking of things like public transport operators, or managers of care homes with vulnerable residents.
It shows how much the government “follows the science”, to use its own phrase.
Agreed
I assume that part of the approach here is based on the view that pots of money will protect individuals from the effects of Covid. In much the same way that some of the very wealthy believe that building and stocking vast underground bunkers will save them from nuclear war.
Both premises are, of course, deeply flawed. In the same way that some business people believe that they owe the state nothing, having generated their wealth themselves, neatly ignoring all the inter connectivities and infrastructure like the roads they move their products on, the education their workers received and so on. In the case of Covid they may well find that they can mitigate the direct risks to themselves. Ultimately though, the connections and threads to the rest of society that cannot be avoided may well bring them serious problems even if they avoid infection themselves.
Spot on
One of your finest articles, Richard. It is a subject on which I have many thoughts, but you have stated them all with eloquence, humanity and a politically holistic analysis. I am posting it wherever I believe that is worthwhile.
Thanks
I fully agree with Richard’s splendid article above.
We need to protest against this Conservative Party madness.
Continue with masks and social distancing.
Demand for ALL to receive two vaccinations, 12-18 year olds too.
Then continue the research. Do younger children also need vaccinations in view of the latest type of Covid and mutations?
Build vaccine factories instead of allowing Covid mutation factories to develop as a consequence of government policy…taking over in an exponential, evolutionary, malignant growth…
I understand that this is from the Times, although I found it on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/david_hewson/status/1412283379949703168/photo/1
Is a picture worth a thousand words?
I retweeted it earlier today
How will we be able to tell the difference between people who are wearing a mask for other reasons and those doing it as an act of political defiance? There’s a danger that your brave stand against Nazi tyranny will be lost in the crowd.
Will you be writing “I am wearing my mask an act of political defiance” on the mask? I think that would help get a message across to people you meet.
As I did, that my be necessary
Fully agree Richard. This is the selfishness of libertarianism taken to an extreme where people are entitled to do what they like regardless of the consequences for others. I dread to think what else Javid will come up with as health minister.
Personally I expect to up my mask wearing to reflect the massive increase in infection rates. I might be fully vaccinated but that does not stop me getting it and passing it on to others. Learning from some of the respected medics I follow, Ive ordered some ‘higher strength’ (FFP2) masks as well – if Im anywhere near public transport or more crowded spaces, I think they will be essential.
I use them most of the time
On your personal doctors advice no doubt
🙂
Same here Robin, I’ll be ordering the medical grade masks for my partner and myself for use when (or if) we find ourselves in indoor situations with a lot of other people. These masks will be, unlike the ones I’ve been wearing at present, primarily to protect us from anyone nearby who’s got the delta variant, which as we know is now spreading at an exponential rate thanks to the ideological lunacy of the Tory party.
I’m sure plenty of people will continue wearing masks, but unfortunately, there’ll be enough fools who’ll be encouraged by this who’ll use it as an excuse not to wear masks, especially if they’ve had both vaccinations. From what I heard, there’s still an 8% chance of getting delta even after full vaccination; I have a robust constitution, so if I got it I think I’d be OK…..but I’d rather not chance it, and my partner is in the extremely vulnerable category, so if she gets it (despite having had both injections) she’ll really be in trouble.
Actually, what is even more worrying than the delta variant is the possibility of a more deadly strain emerging from the genetic mutation factory that the UK is becoming, thanks to this so-called government. Super spreader events like the football semis and final at Wembley anyone?
Bang on target for masks AND the big picture. What we need is a Prime Citizen rather than a PM. A Prime Citizen would be accountable only to the citizens. A PM is also accountable to their Party, and the latter seems to have the sway rather than the wishes of the citizens. Err.. what?! Say that out loud. Political parties were a temporary tool for the 19th and20th Cs. They are no longer appropriate for 21st C challenges and opportunities. Under the current system, this country seems likely NEVER AGAIN to have a leader with whom the majority are happy. Bonkers. Civilisation must surely have some higher ambitions? A Prime Citizen would also NOT not have to pretend pathetically to be all knowing. In fact, a key role will be to admit ignorance and ask the right questions. The best leaders are the ones who can admit not knowing. They can then build trust. Marcus Rashford is a million miles nearer being a Prime Citizen than any of the last 3 PMs. (PS: a Prime Citizen is not about 20th C communism. It’s about 21st C societies)