Opinion Matrix: Christmas and a question of trust
THE prospect of a “normal” Christmas and the implications of that and the difficulty of knowing who to believe were the topics raised by columnists and contributors in yesterday’s newspapers.
The Daily Mail
Stephen Glover said the Prime Minister had painted himself in the guise of Father Christmas over the past few days.
“It’s a rum state of affairs when being told that we can live fairly normal lives for five days over Christmas, and that up to three households will be allowed to mingle, is seen as a dispensation,” he said. “My goodness, we’ll even be allowed to hug!”
He said we had got so used to having our freedoms curtailed that even a partial suspension of draconian rules is received as a relief.
“Are we being softened up? Is Boris, having posed as a genial Father Christmas, about to revert to Scrooge?” he asked. “We could be sleep-walking into another lockdown not unlike the one from which we are about to emerge, though it will be called something else in the hope that we may be too demob-happy to notice.”
He said the small break in restrictions wouldn’t last because the scientists were still very much in charge.
“My bet is that the prospect of a vaccine is making them even more presumptuous,” he said. “They expect we will put up with a few more months of deprivation and incarceration in the belief that deliverance is at hand.”
He said we had a Government in two parts – one part epitomised by Rishi Sunak, ‘looking to the future, aware of the precariousness of our situation, but calmly planning ahead’.
“The other part, represented by Matt Hancock and a gaggle of scientists ignorant of business, is prepared to strangle the economy in a foolish act of sabotage. We are about to find out whether Boris Johnson is a prudent or a kamikaze Tory.”
The Daily Express
Virginia Blackburn asked what could possibly go wrong at Christmas, with limited numbers of households allowed to mix.
“Well, just about everything, actually,” she answered. “Is the Government insane? Christmas is a notoriously fractious time of the year under the best of circumstances, with families cooped up together, eating and
drinking too much and ending up in furious tiffs over the Monopoly board which are, of course, a substitute for what is really making you mad.”
She said someone would burn the sprouts, everyone will drink too much and no one would get the presents they wanted.
“Just as your nerves have stretched to breaking point, carol singers will pipe up on the doorstep,” she said. “It emerges they cannot hold a tune. And three families! What about the families with four grown-up children? Just how are you going to tell grandma that sorry, she’s persona non grata this year?
She said there could be “political” decisions made about who to invite due to fear over losing out on an inheritance.
“So well done Boris and Co,” she concluded.
“In the strangest year in living memory, they have arranged for quite the finale, but with the added fun that even the pubs won’t be open so there will be nowhere to escape. And bah humbug to you too!”
The Guardian
David Spiegelhalter, chair of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at Cambridge University, said you’d be forgiven for not knowing who to trust in the pandemic.
“During a crisis like this one, trust clearly matters,” he said. “It changes what people are willing to do: whether that be wearing a face covering or getting a vaccine when one becomes available.”
He said those who want to be trusted should consider how they present their evidence.
“Sometimes decisions have to be made in the face of little evidence, but it should be clear what evidence there is, and how strong,” he said.
“The ultimate test of evidence is being able to check it yourself. If people don’t tell you how to drill down into the evidence to find out more, or where to find the data, why not?”
He said what makes humans such an extraordinary species is our ability to learn from the experience and knowledge of others.
“It’s far better for communicators to be trustworthy from the start – to be honest about the complexities and the uncertainties, open about the trade-offs and reasoning behind policies – than it is to simplify for the sake of an easy message.”
VICTORIA BRENAN
public that that money would be better spent at home instead of being squandered abroad. Once such a narrative has been established, the public is likely to lose its confidence in the foreign aid budget.
Those who examine the good that our foreign aid budget does in poor areas abroad, and the merit it brings to Britain’s reputation, would not see this type of aid as wasteful.
If we want to talk about squandering of public money, we need look no further than the careless regard for public expenditure within our own confines. Of course, our GNI will be heavily depleted as a result of the ravages of Covid and the rise in unemployment consequent upon the virus and the hit to our economy thanks to Brexit, whether we have a deal or leave without one.
Despite such a dent in our national finances, Britain will not be a poor country: 0.7 per cent will still be affordable but will be less in monetary terms than it would be if our economy were booming. We should not be taken in by the scare stories and we should be aware that when a government says a reduction would be a temporary measure, it very often becomes permanent.
I do not take any comfort from the government’s declaration that even a reduction in foreign aid to 0.5 per cent would still be more generous a contribution than any other nation’s. No matter how this is dressed up, it still looks like a penny-pinching exercise, which does not sit well with our reputation as a generous nation. Denis Bruce, Bishopbriggs.
IT was interesting to note that luxury car dealer, Cambria Automobiles, had made a profit of just over £11 million, whilst putting 80% of its staff on furlough (“Covid-19 puts breaks on luxury car sales but Cambria says resilience remains”, November 26).
Given the grim economic forecast from the Chancellor and the impact of tax and spending decisions, would it not be appropriate for every company that has made a profit during the pandemic to pay back furlough assistance it has received, to help address the difficult financial times ahead?
Bill Eadie, Glasgow.
RISHI Sunak has pledged a £500 million package to support mental health services, and has outlined plans to tackle the backlog of adult mental health referrals after increased demand for support during the pandemic.
The funding is recognition of the immense strain the pandemic has placed on people’s mental health, in the same way it has devastated many livelihoods and businesses.
However, funding is just the first step. We must now consider how the money is best distributed, especially as we don’t fully understand the long term neuropsychiatric impact of Covid.
This funding will be stretched – preliminary studies suggest that those who have had coronavirus could be at a higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders, and the strain on frontline staff and families who have been bereaved is clear. What is absolutely crucial is that part of the funding is deployed to tackle the backlog of adult mental health referrals.
At Clinical Partners, we have witnessed a surge in demand from people who are unable to access services through the NHS, particularly in terms of diagnostic support and forward treatment. We need tight performance management in place, so organisations that receive funding are clear about how they will address the backlog, so we ensure that the right support is reaching the people who need it.
While we still need more detail about how exactly the money will be spent, I would urge that a proportion is ringfenced for Covidspecific work. We need significant investment in data collection so that we can begin deriving insight and learnings as quickly as possible, in the same way we have invested in research into the physical effects.”
Alice Parshall, Medical Director, Clinical Partners,
London.
WHO makes up the figures? Does Rishi Sunak actually believe what he forecasts? If he does, he is the only one.
Covid has had a devastating effect on all aspects of our lives; many are out of work, redundancy looms for others, household incomes have shrunk. Unfortunately, the country is facing another six months of Covid and that is only if the vaccines are approved and rolled out with speed.
This uncertainly and crisis for many is only exacerbated by the uncertainty of Brexit – no deal, negotiations failing on an almost daily basis, and surprisingly no word of comfort in the Spending Review from Sunak.
He was conspicuous by his silence on this issue, with only thirty six days until we exit the EU trade negotiations.
The country is being affectively hung out to dry by the Conservative Government on this issue, leaving businesses in turmoil and crisis.
The Chancellor’s omission does not sit comfortably with his commitment to save jobs. Scotland voted to remain in the EU. Surely that says it all.
Catriona C Clark,
Banknock,
Falkirk.