Coronavirus diary, Tuesday 23 June

The question 'should government decisions be based on what they think is good for the country or what the public want' has been debated for years. 

Now, with the pandemic forcing our government to make so many critical, life or death decisions, it has become a key issue. 

The problem is the expense of getting the public's views.

Mr Johnson and his coronavirus 'war cabinet' seem to prefer  passing the responsibility to us, spending  an unprecedented amount in the process. 

The reported expenditure is staggering. 

Two main methods are being used: polling and focus groups.
The most intensive, and costly, is mass polling, a vast daily tracking survey being conducted by YouGov, a contract worth nearly £400,000. 

It is costing £800,000 a year for two companies to run focus groups with other projects for the departments of Education, Transport and Social Services  totalling over £3 million.
The grand total - an estimated £4 million plus.

Among the questions being asked in these massive fact finding exercises: what do we think of lockdown and the way out of it, the two metre rule and how the government should promote and advertise its decisions and plans.

So, is the government leading, or following?

Its critics believe the second, with money being wasted an a vast scale.

Its supporters say it is nothing new, that all governments have done it and the scale is justified because of the pandemic.

They are convinced it is wise to make decisions backed by the public.

They may be right, but do they need to spend our money by the bucketful?