Can we be tolerant and patient this year?

GREAT crises, health, war and famine bring out the strengths and weaknesses of a country and its people. I think in this great country of ours we have seen just about every side of the human condition as it struggles to fight the Covid invasion to these shores.

On the one hand great sacrifice, dedication and resilience shown by care workers, NHS staff and the emergency services at many levels.

Way beyond the call of duty. The Government has had to weather a political storm, trying to get everybody on board, and ramping up massively its resources to deal with the crises. Let us not forget the officials in the Health, Revenue, Treasury, Bank of England and Employment Departments who have had to bear the brunt of all this and yet cannot speak out for themselves very much, if at all.

Then there is the army stepping up to the plate to provide medical resources at short notice in different parts of the country.

The massive vaccination rollout is the long-term answer to our economy getting back fully on to its feet. The sooner the better.

The cost to the country has been huge. Our national debt exceeds £2.1 trillion and will doubtless go higher. Decades will be needed to bring it down to manageable levels. But do we see unity in the country?

Of less worthiness is the local political situation. Mayors and local authorities complaining they want even more money, heedless of the cost to the Exchequer. Ditto the private sector. Scotland bleating on

about wanting to be separate from England, even though they cannot remotely survive on their own financially. Their leader in Scotland of course not mentioning that! An outgoing Cabinet Secretary described the Prime Minister’s job as being one where a “tragedy of choices” had to be made. Boris Johnson has certainly found that out!

Dealing with all the armchair critics who want to run the country via Zoom meetings and venting their ill-considered views and opinions, knowing of course it is not their responsibility to take the decisions.

As for the public, it is mixed. We have seen a lot of resilience in the country and willingness to go along with the restrictions. On the other hand we have seen great selfishness. People wanting to ignore the rules and have parties in their houses, quite oblivious to the risks to others.

Let us try in 2021 to have the tolerance and patience to keep behind our leaders nationally as they continue to struggle with the Covid problems and getting the economy back on its feet. Theirs is not an easy job.

Brian George, by email