Children and young people have spent the last two years trying to learn how to cope with isolation, loss and a world turned upside down. Why do we now need to harass them into making sure they’re at the same academic level as a hypothetical young person who hasn’t spent the last 2 years living […]
Cutting sick pay for unvaccinated employees – what do you think?
I’ve been really concerned this week that some major employers are cutting sick pay for unvaccinated employees to the statutory minimum. ITV reports how companies like Next, Morrisons and Ikea are only going to pay employees who have to self-isolate Statutory Sick Pay of only £96.35 per week, whereas those who have been vaccinated will […]
The damage caused by this Government now includes psychological harm – we need them gone
This morning I was looking on Twitter at the heartbreaking messages from people who had not been able to see their loved ones before they died in May 2020 due to the Covid rules in force at the time, or to attend family funerals or visit relatives in care homes. These are deeply hurtful and […]
Ed Davey: Boris Johnson must resign
Ed Davey has said that Boris Johnson must resign over the Downing Street parties. He said: “Boris Johnson has broken the law and lied to Parliament and the country, and he must now go. “Millions of people obeyed the lockdown rules, often at huge personal cost. They missed funerals, cancelled weddings and said goodbye to […]
Why we’re so livid about the Downing Street parties
I’ve not had a huge amount of sleep. I went to bed too late and woke up too early. Why? I’m livid. And, like many millions of people, emotions that I’ve been struggling with but keeping below the surface, are breaking through. We’ve been going through hell, and the more we hear about the culture […]
Daisy Cooper: Government must keep free lateral flow tests as long as they ask people to self isolate
They say that you shouldn’t believe anything until it has been officially denied. Education Secretary Nadim Zahawi has been doing the Sunday media telling us all that the Government “absolutely” has no plans to stop sending out free lateral flow tests to people. This is news to our health spokesperson Daisy Cooper who says that […]
Painting yourself into a yellow corner? The future Liberal response to Covid
The Lib Dems have a knack of swinging wildly on the side of public opinion (e.g., Iraq War) and back to the fringes (e.g., Revoke Policy). The latter is often buoyed by coming off the back successful elections, giving the party a false sense of confidence that such policies are far more popular than they […]
A Christmas Cracker of Covid Cheer? Perchance it is a dream…
Covid cases have been soaring across the UK and England just a few days ago been plummeting towards another lockdown or circuit breaker. We seemed destined to have a cracking Christmas followed by a New Year’s Eve singing Auld Lang Syne at a social distanced. Yesterday, though, there was better news. Separate analyses published by […]
The Christmas vaccine dilemma – what would you do?
Last night’s Radio 4 PM had a discussion with a mother and son who were dealing with an issue that many families will be trying to resolve this Christmas. This particular family had members who are particularly vulnerable to Covid and the son had chosen not to get vaccinated. The compromise they reached was that […]
Johnson’s nightmare Plan B debate – Lib Dem speeches (videos)
I used to look forward to a visit to the ice cream after school. “99”, I would cry out. Now 99 has a new meaning. It is the number of Conservative that rebelled against the prime minister on his Plan B yesterday evening. That vote has weakened his authority in his party, by which I […]