Abject failure

So, it was announced today that London and large parts of Essex are to be moved into tier 3 later this week.

Starmer and I suggested that most areas under tier restrictions would ponly exit it to a higher tier.

And we were right.

London's pubs and restaurants were closed all through November, opened for the two weeks in December, and will have to close again.

And there is little evidence as to whether closing pubs and restaurants has any effect in the R rate. It could all be window dressing.

If you had said last year that the Government would close all of London's pubs and bars without passing a law, without scrutiny, you would have thought it impossible. And yet, here we are.

The SI closing them will be issued this week, with the only requirement is that Parliament reviews them in 28 days time. By which time they would have changed again.
Where there is scrutiny and/or a vote in Parliament, the session is so reduced so there are no ammendments allowed, and the vote is a simple yes/no.

A sham of a democracy.

Not that lockdowns are needed, seeing as track and trace has failed, but there are no proper reason why there cannot be scrutiny. Its just the Government have got used to ruling by decree. Weaning it of such actions will be very difficult, and pure power is intoxicating.

No easy answers, but rule by decree is not the answer to a pandemic.