Let’s shift focus to the economy

WHERE has the libertarian, buccaneering Boris Johnson gone?

The man I knew is now the infringer of my civil liberties and the maker of criminals from decent, law-abiding citizens. It is not that the Government doesn’t recognise that we have a crisis, it just seems that they are unreasonably focused on the wrong crisis.

A denouement of events that are in real danger of leading us back to the horrors of the 1970s. Smell the coffee – it is not Covid-19, it is the response to Covid, the consequent, impending economic catastrophe and the resultant effects on people’s mental and physical health and prospects that is the real crisis.

Our Seventies Government has nanny state policies fit for a full-on Marxist administration, effectively having taxpayers pay for the state to employ nearly half of workers in the UK and, in the case of those furloughed, to be idle.

‘Only private sector can create wealth’

This might have been fine for a few weeks while the mist cleared, but people have been scared witless.

The Government caved in to long term economic (and health) national self harm, such that we face the real prospect of mass unemployment and for those in employment, a three-day week in the office, if that.

The 1970s writ large – we are only missing piles of refuse and power cuts.

Public sector unions are enjoying the limelight, having been irrelevant for so long. Like the grave diggers in the 1970s, teachers are refusing to work.

The same should be said of the civil servants refusing to return to their offices. Thank goodness for Brexit.

In the 1970s we were joining the Common Market, a flawed policy of a failed political class. Now we have left and have the policy freedom to manoeuvre.

But it is of no use if the Government do not take the opportunities presented, do not create the economic environment for enterprise to thrive.

Only the private sector can create wealth and generate taxes. Only enterprise can improve productivity and grow the economy and employment. The Government must create the conditions for this to work, not try to take control.