Coronavirus diary, Boxing Day 2020

The most insidious result of the coronavirus pandemic is the drastic, unprecedented loss of our independence, our ability to control our lives. Just twelve months ago no-one would have dreamt that on Christmas Day 2020 we would be imprisoned in our own homes unable to see our elderly parents let alone give them a hug. And what about party goers being fined £10,000 for having a fun evening? Impossible, we would have thought in this normal, free and easy Britain. 

This nightmare, this clampdown on individual thought and action, we have always assumed, was the style of totalitarian countries with their all powerful dictators but here we are having almost daily examples of our own leaders issuing instant orders, not even passed by our elected parliament. 

Over all these depressing, dangerous months we have complied, sensing that we were saving lives.The danger is that this move away from a free state may become acceptable, tolerable, an excuse for future leaders to accept it as a pattern for our government. It is unlikely but we need to beware, to make sure that we regain and retain our ability to do what we like when we like, subject to democratically passed laws. 

During two world wars British people accepted the hardship created by restrictions on their daily lives as unavoidable and trusted the leaders. When the fighting stopped we celebrated victory and freedom regained. That is what we must do when we have forgotten this ghastly Christmas, just months away, we hope.