Freedom’s too dear to treat freely

Tomorrow we take the first steps on the path back to normal life. The easing of the lockdown in England means friends and families can again be reunited, outdoor markets and car showrooms will reopen, and more restaurants and cafes will be offering deliveries and takeaways.

We will soon be cheering on our football teams, albeit as they play behind closed doors, and horse racing is coming galloping back.

Within a fortnight almost all the major stores will be welcoming back customers and there is hope some pubs will soon be able to reopen.

Even the weather gods have been kind. Our emergence from the hibernation of the lockdown happily coincides with a burst of sunshine.

We have reached this stage thanks to a great collective national effort over the past 10 weeks.

With one notable and ignominious exception – the Prime Minister’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings – the vast majority of the British people have followed the instruction to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.

By sticking to the rules, families across the country have made great sacrifices.

People have missed out on weddings, anniversaries and birthday parties. It has been agonising not being able to visit lonely relatives, call on grandparents or attend funerals.

PLEASURES

Children have missed out on education. The world of work has been disrupted.

That is why the gradual lifting of the lockdown will be a moment to savour. Having given so much, people can enjoy again some of the simple pleasures that make life worth living.

Yet we should remember that not everyone will be able to share these new freedoms. There are many sick and elderly people who need to remain shielded. They must be in our thoughts.

It is also essential we continue to abide by social distancing measures and follow the medical guidance.

Advisers fear the Government has been too hasty to ease the lockdown, with some claiming the decision was political rather than scientific.

They are worried ministers have rushed ahead even though the infection remains stubbornly high in parts of the country and the test and trace system is not fully operational.

It would be scandalous if the timetable had been dictated by the wish to distract attention from the Cummings scandal rather than what was best for the country.

We must pray that the Government has got this right. Lives and livelihoods are at risk.

A second lockdown will be much harder to enforce, not least because Cummings’ behaviour has opened the door for others to interpret the rules as they wish.

We have reached an important milestone on the journey through the coronavirus outbreak.

Let us enjoy the chance to be together again, to shop again and to watch sport again.

But let us not forget that reaching this stage has come at a terrible cost for so many families.