The fun police

I repeat, there are no easy solutions. Never were.

The SI that brought in the travel restrictions and social distancing were brought in under public health law.

Nothing else.

It was the Minister for Health who signed it off, not the Home Secretary.

This is an important distinction.

The role of the police is mainly coercive, and should only get involved when public health is in jeopardy.

Everyone is allowed out of the house for not just shopping and getting essential supplies, but also for exercise. Not everyone lives in a house with a garden, or has access to the countryside at the end of their streets, like I have.

The police have been telling people who have been sitting in family groups in public parks that they are doing wrong, even if they obeyed the social distancing rules.

News came today that some public parks have been closed to due judged overuse. This means that the same number of people will be trying to get their legally allowed exercise and time away from their abode in smaller and smaller areas, meaning people will be jammed together, closer.

There is no doubt some people have flouted the restrictions, but that doesn't mean everyone has. Most have been sensible.

The police have been given a little power and in some cases have grabbed a lot. Threats have been made from Government that all outdoor travel except for food and supplies might be banned if people don't be sensible.

At the same time, there is nothing in the SI from stopping people driving a short distance if areas around where they live are crowded. So, some common sense should be used on all sides, but videos of police filming dog walkers on deserted hilly landscapes is clearly stupid, and give all police a bad name.

A poorly written law is a bad law, and this SI has had no oversight, no scrutiny. And the thing that isn't mentioned by the BBC for one, that had the Government taken the virus more seriously from the start we might not have ended up here, having to take such draconian measures.

That isn't mentioned of course.

Further restrictions would probably have to be under public order laws, and should be subject to scrutiny. Now that Labour has a new leader, Parliament, in some way, should now convene, or at least a representative selection of the main parties should scrutinise, and reflect on how we got here. We, the people, deserve that. As, so far, Johnson and co have had a free ride with no oversight.

Finally, two tweets posted two hours apart on the PM's Twitter feed.