Alok Sharma bored his way through today’s press conference. That’s what he was there to do. The obvious choice would have been the woeful Gavin Williamson, secretary of state for education, following his embarrassing u turn today in abandoning the misguided policy to open all schools before the summer holidays, but the hand of Dominic Cummings was clearly at work. Put someone who knows even less about education than Williamson. Good afternoon, Alok. As it turned out, no one at the press conference bothered to ask about the schools. Children are our future indeed.
Williamson then announced that all schools will reopen in September. How the hell is that going to happen? Many scientists believe that the pandemic is beginning to plateau, which is to say that the daily infection and death tolls will stay the same for the foreseeable future. In which case, what will have changed after the summer holidays? In all circumstances, COVID-19 will still be with us. Schools will be the same size, pupil numbers will be much the same as they are now. Here is a circle that cannot be squared. It strikes me that government policy is to hope for the best and that something will turn up.
Today’s COVID-19 death toll was 286. The average number over the last week was 216. The excess death figure throughout this pandemic has now reached 63,000 and it is believed that there are still 17,000 new transmissions of the virus every single day. This compares somewhat unfavourably with New Zealand where COVID-19 has been eliminated altogether. Sadly, 22 people have died from COVID-19 in New Zealand and I send my condolences to each and every one of the family and friends of the deceased, as I do to the families of the 63,000 who have so far died in the UK.
I’m thinking about when the pubs will reopen. Where will we go? Our local pub is very popular and I doubt whether more than a dozen people will be allowed in at any one time. Put some people outside and you may be able to triple that number, but then what? Pubs without gardens will be a no no, which rules out most branches of Wetherspoons – tough shit, Tim Martin: couldn’t happen to a nastier bloke – and many of the big pubs in town.
I’ve got a few ideas, but I’m not telling you!
Bands are rearranging gigs for next year. Very optimistic, if you ask me. Can you imagine any of the small halls in Bristol being opened up for live music any time soon? Small, up and coming bands will probably have to become duos, trios at best. I look pessimistically at the future and don’t see how things can get any better. If there is COVID-19, there can’t be any gatherings, large or small. If we don’t get a vaccine, live music is dead, as is every other type of entertainment, including professional sport.
You never know who is reading so I won’t reveal how I have driven a coach and horses through the government’s lockdown instructions. I don’t think I have put anyone else’s lives in danger, just mine, I suspect. I take full responsibility for my irresponsibility, but sod it: if Dominic Cummings, the organ grinder to Boris Johnson’s monkey, can have a week’s jolly at his cottage on his father’s rambling estate, followed by a day trip to celebrate his wife’s birthday…sorry, to test out his failing eyesight…then I’ll interpret the government guidelines however I want to. If the Manchester City full back Kyle Walker can enjoy an evening of rumpy-pumpy with his mate and a few ‘sex workers’, politicians can drive where they like to do what they like with family members (even Johnson managed to go to luxurious Chequers when he was recovering from the virus) and even government scientists can choose their own guidelines, including more of that rumpy-pumpy, then so can I.
I’m not impressed with some of the ‘furlough shaming’ that’s happening on social networks, encouraged by the usual tabloid suspects. I can completely understand how it might feel to the three-quarters of workers who are still in work when 8.9 million of us are being paid to do nothing. Seeing many thousands of people headed for the seaside or enjoying all manner of outdoor activities, whilst getting their usual salaries, might grate a bit. But let’s look at what might have happened. Had the chancellor Rishi Sunak not brought in the furlough scheme, it is likely that the vast majority of that 8.9 million people would now be permanently unemployed because the companies they work for would have gone bust.
The furlough scheme at the moment is hiding the painful reality that we are heading for an almighty recession, one that will dwarf the financial crash of 2008. My loyal reader will know by now my concerns at the coming crash and how politicians are, disgracefully in my opinion, failing to prepare us for it. Many of those climbing down to Durdle Door beach and those enjoying their extended leisure time will soon have even more leisure time, but no money.
The final point about the furlough scheme is this: every person on it does so because their employer has told them to. Employees have no influence on the matter. Anyone who is angry about it should direct their comments to Sunak.
