Opinion: ‘Festive lockdown is disappointing...’

I wish everyone a joyous holiday season in spite of the present difficulties.

We need a break from 2020’s rigours. I hope that we all get a bit of rest, and that we can face into 2021 with a sense of calm and determination.

It’s a grave disappointment to me, as I am sure it is to all the residents of Peterborough, that we jumped from Tier 2 lockdown to Tier 4 in less than 48 hours. Those who had plans to meet with family and friends over the Christmas period now find their plans in ruins.

I was alarmed by the scenes from St. Pancras station, showing people cramming themselves onto the last train to Leeds. I have sincere doubts that this will do anything to curtail the spread of the virus. It’s highly likely that Peterborough is the northernmost outpost of Tier 4 because we are a commuter town. Now that people have left London for all parts of the country, sadly, it may be that we all are in Tier 4 in short order.

Did it have to be this way? No doubt the government would say so: they have shifted some of the responsibility onto the behaviour of private individuals. I don’t find this particularly helpful.

Yes, some people have acted foolishly. Some have ignored social distancing guidelines and made a point of not wearing a mask. However, there is a principle which is as old as democracy

itself: if rules are simple, clear, and fair, they tend to be followed.

New Zealand is often cited as an example of a country that handled the coronavirus well. Their sparse population, however, probably means their situation isn’t directly analogous to ours. I prefer Taiwan as a case study: they are a fully-fledged democracy, they have a densely packed city, Taipei, and they too are an island. Yet, somehow, they brought the virus under control quickly and their economy is on the mend. Why? Because they were alert, they reacted swiftly and strongly, and their systems worked well. There is no magic associated with this example, it is not some “Taiwanese miracle”. Rather, they just ably managed their affairs.

If only we had been as enlightened and organised. Now we are essentially cut off from the world, as they do not want to get the same variant of the coronavirus that we have. Our government apparently wasn’t alive to the risk that the more the coronavirus spreads, the greater the chance there was that it would mutate. This seems to be what has occurred.

Fortunately, as a country, we did the equivalent of stuffing the refrigerator full of food and the cupboard full of rice and pasta. But if we remain shut out of trade, how long will that last?

It’s now time to rest and find enjoyment in whatever good fortune we have: so many have lost loved ones, jobs, and a clear sense of what the future may bring. But I hope that each and every one of you has not lost hope.

We will turn the corner.

Things will get better.

I wish you a Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.