Rebel MPs are insulting Covid victims’ memory
IT was not surprising but yet depressing to read the further spurious rant from Andrew Bridgen MP about this appalling killer pandemic (“Best Covid protection is to catch Covid - MP”, Mercury, December 17).
His main point, reflected ion the headline, probably has some degree of accuracy.
Then he uses this statement as part of his argument opposing measures taken by his government in trying to protect the whole population (particularly older, more vulnerable people) against a new strain of the virus spreading with exponential speed across all sectors.
In using such language he, plus 100 Tory MPs (including two other local MPs) who voted against the government restrictions are showing total disrespect for the nearly 150,000 people who have died from the virus, thousands who are suffering long Covid symptoms and also NHS workers struggling to treat the large numbers of patients still being admitted to hospital.
It was similarly unethical for the elected police commissioner, Rupert Matthews, to undermine his own police force in its work by questioning the need to enforce restrictions.
His comments suggest he knows more about Omicron than scientists.
Although it is quite clear to most people that this government has acted too weakly, too slowly and too late in its attempts to reduce the spread of the virus, at least the attempts are based on the ethical principle of looking at what is best for the whole population not just the right wing rump of the Tory party who cannot see that their stance is in the worst interests of public health.
I believe strongly that just as for smallpox, measles and polio there is a moral imperative for all members of society to be immunised and that restrictions and regulations which attempt to reduce spread should be followed.
Dr Peter Swift, Leicester