Tuesday 22 December 2020

Coronavirus diary, Tuesday 22 December


Crises are coming thick and fast for battered Britain.

One: the ‘new’ variant virus, said to be 70 percent more infectious than the original, is sweeping the country, filling the hospitals, creating more and more lockdowns.

Two: more than 40 countries have locked out Britain. France, with a brutal, instant decision, stopped cross channel trade, affecting thousands of lorries and causing a miles-long traffic jam on the approach to Dover harbour.

Three: Brexit. The talks deadline already past, whatever the outcome, evidence is mounting of the huge costs and disruption Britain will face, probably for years.

It is reminiscent of 1940, post Dunkirk, when we stood alone, driven out of Europe, our future bleak. Over 70 years later, what do our leaders have to tell us?

Captain Calamity

No consolation, no encouragement, no fighting spirit. All the harassed and palpably out of his depth health secretary for England can muster is that ‘it is out of control’, adding weakly, ‘we must control it'. Not we WILL. Not fighting words.



Can we imagine Winston Churchill telling us ‘it is hopeless? No, he set our pulses racing with his historic call to action, ‘We will fight them on the beaches...'

If the pandemic is a war we need warrior leaders, not a general who hopes for the best and delays and dithers, led by a team of rookies.

Britain deserves better.

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