I did not need Dominic Cummings to tell me that Secretary of State for ‘Health’ and Social Care Matt Hancock MP was ‘f****** useless’. His actions speak louder than any words and it has been obvious from his every decision taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet he is still, at least notionally, in charge. This week, following Boris Johnson—as predicted in this column—extending restrictions for a further month Hancock says that 19 July is definitely ‘freedom day’ and that laws covering, for example face masks, will be scrapped. But that was not what the Prime Minister said. He left the door open for continued restrictions if another big scary variant came along; not that any of the variants have caused a significant problem yet. We rejoiced in my area, Yorkshire and The Humber when it was announced that we had our very own variant. Our much-overlooked part of the country was, at last, on the map. But we never heard of the ‘eeh bah gum’ variant again and the disappointment is palpable.
And another picture is emerging from a leaked document that says the opposite to Hancock. Essentially plans are afoot to continue with the use of face masks, working from home and travel quarantine. I know that conspiracy theories abound. But the problem with conspiracy theories is they are hard, by their very nature, to prove. However, we are undeniably being manipulated by our government and the relentless use of Orwellian ‘doublespeak’ is, effectively, keeping people in a contradictory state of both expectation and anxiety. If you have ever been interviewed for your dream job, you will know the feeling: the interview went well, they were very nice, but the competition was huge. Maybe you cannot sleep for a few nights, until you hear the outcome. Even if the outcome is not favourable, at least you can forget about it and get on with your life. The problem with our current situation is that, as I write, we have been under some level of restriction for 16 months. It is hardly surprising that some people want the situation to continue and seem reconciled to masks, social distancing and regular dousing with hand sanitiser. It is, literally, the only way they can cope. For many people, hope is a dangerous state of mind.
The situation regarding travel is also chaotic. This week we are told that those who are double vaccinated may be able to travel to amber list countries. But the problem is, such has been the effect of our own ‘bigging up’ of the variant situation in the UK, that nobody wants us. Italy may let us in—jabbed or tested—but we will have to quarantine there. Under those circumstances, why would anyone want to go? The fact is, as described by Timandra Harkness in UnHerd we are ‘hostages to government fear’. Of course, a major aim of the government is to vaccinate everyone in the UK. Yet, despite a massive uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines, nobody’s life has changed. In the absence of tangible benefits without the sustained campaign of fear the vaccination campaign will falter. The government have no carrots to offer us here only sticks. And pour enourager les autres the campaign for compulsory vaccination has begun, starting with care home workers. Conspiracy? Perhaps.
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