We’ll stay home but deserve real action

IT WAS as welcome as it was unsurprising – although the more eagleeyed among you might recall it was this column’s rallying call to him at the end of last year. Suddenly last Monday, when he addressed the nation about the Covid pandemic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson eased up on the “sunny uplands” and “short sharp shock to guarantee us all a proper Christmas” guff and told it the way it was.

With more “ifs” than a punter coming up short after losing their shirt on the Grand National, the PM spelt out the realities of what we all face. As the entire nation hunkers down for possibly the toughest part of the 10-month horror show that has been this grisly pandemic, he made it crystal-clear that if we can deliver enough vaccines in the allotted time and if we can get them in enough arms at a blisteringly rapid rate and if the dreaded R number falls and if that is accompanied by a drop in the demand on the NHS, then we can start looking to resume lives as normal as can be expected in the aftermath of a crisis.

However, as we are told to pull down the shutters once again, and remembering we have been assured before that each of the preceding ones would be the last, it is crucial we enter into what is effectively a “contract” with the Government. And it should read something like this:

We, the great British public, agree to yet again give up virtually all the liberties for which our forebears fought and some even died. We will only make essential journeys and surrender again the once unalienable right to go down to the pub and moan about the Government.

We will not visit our children, grandchildren, friends or loved ones; not partake in team sports; not keep fit in the gyms nor swim in the pools. Our hair will again grow out of control and we’ll raid our freezers to the point we are eating turkey curry made on Boxing Day 2012.

We’ll close theatres, cinemas and bingo halls – something even the Germans didn’t manage to bring about 80 years ago.

We pledge to educate our children at home and accept there will no exams this school year, despite that dashing the dreams and trashing the work of millions

of our children, our most treasured possessions. Youngsters attending our universities will be forced to stay at home and rue the thousands of pounds’ worth of debt they’ve taken on for courses they cannot physically attend.

In return, YOU must honour your pledge to get the jabs in our arms at a speed that would make Lewis Hamilton giddy. You and all other agencies will work seven days a week, as will the clinics manufacturing the vaccine. Wherever possible you’ll keep out of all supply and logistics and leave it to the military.

Then, and only then, we will have the confidence in your ability to deliver on YOUR side of the bargain.

In fairness – and to gladly highlight any

area in which we do seem to do well – the start has been positive. At the time of writing, the number of people vaccinated in the UK stands at around 1.5 million. That compares well with all our European counterparts. In Germany, once hailed as a world leader in responding to Covid, the number is around 532,878, in Italy 512,824 and in France just 116,000.

But this has to be just the start. The goal of 13.9 million of the most vulnerable being vaccinated within six weeks is laudable and the decision that as of tomorrow daily figures will be published is a positive sign and will focus minds and lead to rapid responses.

And if they deliver on that they deserve that we all, again, sign up to the deal.