We risk being frightened back into lockdown
England has quietly turned into one of the most liberal Covid countries. It would be a crying shame to lose it
It doesn’t take much to spark panic these days. Our political climate feels febrile, anxious, characterised by sudden somersaults, fluctuations and over-corrections – plus an overwhelming sense that “something must be done, and soon”. Following the tragic killing of Sir David Amess, many MPS instantly demanded action against social media firms and bans on online anonymity, despite the investigation being at an early stage.
Words themselves can trigger a crisis, or worsen an existing problem. Industry warnings of HGV driver shortages sent motorists flooding to petrol forecourts. For Britain’s vulnerable, just-in-time supply chains, all it took was a sudden surge in demand to transform an imagined fuel shortage into a real one.
But on Covid, at least, we appear to have blessedly avoided retreating to our habitual “panic stations” mode. A quiet transformation has been taking place – one often only visible to those travelling abroad. England can lay claim to being one of the most liberal Covid societies on earth, save for the few that have removed restrictions altogether. Here, it sits in refreshing contrast to much of the West.
Italy, the first European country to impose a national lockdown, crossed another unhappy Rubicon last week. Its legislators enacted far-reaching laws requiring vaccine passports or a negative Covid test for the entire national workforce, both public and private, if they wish to earn a living. President Biden has announced a similar wave of vaccine mandates in the US, requiring all employees of the state and of larger private firms to be either vaccinated or tested regularly.
French citizens must show a health pass for long-distance train travel, or even to enter a restaurant, while police patrol outdoor cafes carrying out random vaccine passport checks. In Canada, “liberal” Justin Trudeau has banned unvaccinated children as young as 12 from travelling. With its curfews, draconian bans on protest and travel restrictions, Zero-covid Australia has descended into a nightmarish police state.
Within the UK, Wales and Scotland are notably more restrictive (Scottish children over the age of 12, for instance, must wear masks at school). In England, those rules which do remain, such as mask-wearing on public transport, are in practice largely voluntary.
Recent findings from the consultancy Kekst CNC by the pollster
James Johnson suggest a corresponding sea change in public opinion. Far fewer of us now believe that controlling the virus at all costs should be the country’s top priority; while a greater share than ever favour the once-heretical belief that protecting the economy matters more.
Given the UK’S widespread vaccine uptake, thought to have disrupted the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths by as much as 90 per cent, this seems logical. The end of furlough, rising inflation and a cost-of-living crisis has certainly fixed minds, while each day brings new reminders of the collateral health damage of lockdown.
There’s doubtless a general sense of “Covid fatigue”, too, just as Britons eventually tired of talking about Brexit all the time. But it’s also due to a decided shift in government rhetoric. The public generally followed the advice of politicians and official scientists during the pandemic. Not having them out there each day saying how terrifying everything is can only have made a vast difference.
This is not enough for some politicians, or that rich vein of commentary which consists of highlighting rules from more draconian countries and hinting, none too subtly, that Britain should follow suit. The recent spike in case numbers is driving this narrative. Britain, many say, has become the “sick man of Europe” through its complacency. They demand “Plan B” involve things like mask mandates and stay-at-home orders. Despite the UK’S high vaccine uptake – for all Monsieur Macron’s heavy-handed efforts, the share of the English population that is doublevaccinated remains marginally ahead of France’s – many more will demand vaccine passes, too.
A strong element of culture-war pantomime remains too: while Labour MPS all wear masks in the Chamber, Tories – with a few exceptions – don’t. Having attended both party conferences, I can attest that neither side bothered to cover their faces away from the main Chambers and out of sight of those pesky TV cameras.
Yet arguments over lesser issues like masks may shift vital political capital away from more important interventions, such as building up ICU capacity and doubling down on booster jabs for the most vulnerable as their immunity wanes. This, above all, should be the focus now.
The trouble with “panic mode” isn’t just that it sparks fear, it is that it often prompts rash over-correction for the wrong problem, while neglecting the most pressing concern.
If we can avoid a return to Chicken Licken-style alarm and despondency, we must, because we have a great deal to lose. It would be a crying shame if the Government were to change tack just as the public is learning to live with the virus.