One day early

In a metaphor for his Premiership, the day in part ended with it being unclear when the lockdown in England was to end. The legislation currently in force says it ends at midnight on the 2nd December, news outlets were carrying news that the "new" three tiered system would begin at midnight on the first. The Sun even carried both in its reports.

But in the end, the current restrictions will end a day early, at midnight on the 1st, although another legal loophole will have to be closed to remove them off the statutebook rather than the calender doing that 24 hours later.

But that the legal texts were available for review the day of the announcement show that there has at least been some forethought, though for the most part the texts are little changed from the ones in force at the end of November before the lockdown begun. One of the major changes is that up to 4,000 people can gather at outdoor sporting events, and some indoor events can go ahead too. The outdoor sport thing never made sense, so hopefully this will correct some of that.

But on the negative side, even in the very high areas, shops can stay open, even no essential ones. And at all elvels pubs cannot serve just drink, they can only serve booze with a "substantial" meal. This is will add further pressue on an industry that is reeling after nearly 9 months of restrictions, not sure if this makes sense.

And then there is the plan for several days of easing over Christmas. No news on the exact rules on that, but blowing any gains made in the lockdown for 5 days of patying seems dumb as Greyling to me.

Like my Maths teacher, I would like to see the working out of the these regulations, the scientific advice backing some of these new laws, and they will be laws. In order for people to obey them, they will have to feel they are just and in accordance with science.

For Johnson, it was a jolly wheeze: "Tis the season to be jolly careful" he japed about a virus that has killed 70,000 plus UK citizens. The papers have, this morning, lapped it up. Again.

In the end, as Starmer pointed ou, returning to the 3 tiers means a return to a system, a plan, that failed through the late summer and autumn. The only way areas exited one tier was to enter the next strictest. As a plan, it has totally failed, but more of the same is what we have going forward. The PM talked about testing and vaccines, but nothing about track and trace, nor could he explain how it has currenty cost 20% of the annual NHS budget, but, apparently, has delivered good value.

So, lockdown will end next Monday night, and we can go and get our hair cut, nails done and so on.

But the virus never sleeps. Is always out there, waiting to exploit our weaknesses.