We need a spirit of help and patience

INall the gloom of 2020, it is important to also remember the positives. Most of all the individual acts of kindness and heroism from NHS doctors, nurses and employees, and the many volunteers who have put in so much effort to help others get through this crisis and save lives.

It is right then that the delayed Queen’s birthday honours list should focus on some of these individuals, although we are sure that there are many more in the country who will not be officially recognised. But whether they receive a gong or not, anybody who has made a contribution to this great national effort should know that we are all grateful to them, even the smallest act of generosity can have a great effect on somebody else’s life.

As this crisis stretches out for months more we should all endeavour to maintain that spirit of helping others as we continue to struggle through the effects of this terrible disease.

We should, though, also take a pause when it comes to the anger over various measures which the Government has deemed necessary to stop infections spreading out of control again.

It is all too easy to attack the Prime Minister and his chief scientists over their handling but we must remind ourselves that this is fastmoving and largely unprecedented in nature.

Blue-collar MPS from the red wall seats are correct to point out that Boris Johnson is still the same leader who won handsomely in December and his clear leadership on Brexit is paying dividends for this country.

That said, politicians and scientific advisers need to be careful over their claims. A strategy of scaring the population will be counterproductive – as the protests in Trafalgar Square underlined yesterday.