Quarantine

From today, most people entering the UK from anywhere in the world is required to enter quarantine, with restrictions far more severe than those who have received a positive test or might be isolating because they're showing symptoms.

For example, a traveller from New Zealand, which declared itself COVID-free today, would need to quarantine upon entering the UK, despite being less of a risk tan almost any British person is is already here.

Good work, NZ, by the way.

And bear in mind the UK already leads the world in many of the metrics used to compare countries around the world in negative terms.

Since March 12th, people have been able to arrive in the UK, because flights have continued, have received no checks upon arriving and could travel on with no expectations or requirements on quarantine or medical check ups. That was true until last night.

Maybe this is the UK Government showing its caring side by keeping overseas visitors safe when they visit this, one of the most dangerous COVID countries in the world.

But we know the truth, the Government wanted some good headlines and editorial comments.

Already there were so many exemptions to make the requirement a joke, and now someone inside the Government has leaked that the whole of the EU maybe exempt so to allow summer holidays to take place.

I am all for keeping the country safe, but the stable door has been wide open for months, this is just useless posturing by HMG, and will do yet more harm to airlines and ferry companies. But a few good headlines for 24 hours don't come cheap.

Over the weekend there have been protests for Black Lives Matter. Social distancing has broken down at times, there can be no denying. There will be a cost for this. But what should people do, just sit there and accept that the subjection of one whole race should be forgotten again?

Again, there are no right or wrong answers, and people are angry. Even many white people.

The people of Bristol have been trying for 11 years to get a Victorian statue of Edward Colston removed, instead tore it down, carried it to the harbour and threw it in the water. Colston grew rich on slavery, 84,000 slaves were transported under his watch, 19,000 of those slaves died in transit from diease or being thrown over the side of the ships. Each slave was branded on their chest by the name of his company.

Once slavery was abolished, slave owners were compensated for their loss of property. By the Government. By the country. The Government issued bonds that we only paid off back in 2015. So much of my working life, a part of my taxes have gone to compensate slave owners.

Freed slaves received no such compensation.

Victorians decided to erect a statue to Colston 200 years after his death. There is a entertainment venue with his name, and a school, his name lives on in the city, despite his wealth, and that of the city built on human trafficking.

But the bringing down of the statue has brought a furious response from the Home Secretary, far harsher than response to anything else in her time in post. The statue was a symbol that the Victorians didn't care where their wealth came from, and that the statue glorified Colston. A statue of slaves in chains would have reminded people of their city's past, but this was another old white guy who grew rich and powerful on human suffering.

And the Home Secretary wants those who did it brought to justice?

For what?

99% of people attending demonstrations did so in a legal and respective manner. Some on the fringe did not, but in focusing on those few we ignore the huge, but angry majority.

And marches and demonstrations can begat moments that can topple Governments. Worth bearing in mind that Brexit is around the corner, with little or no planning on the UK side having been considered, let alone taken place, there will be shortages, anger for all to share.