Are you sure about that?

[Link]

In any event, Sweden and the UK have different population densities and cultural behaviour patterns which will impinge on what the science suggests is the best course of action.

None of which is though actually the point. The point being that our government made "following the science" the central plank of their strategy in getting the public to follow the rules. They took the politics out of the argument and appealed to our desire to work together.

It worked! This stupidity though has broken that consensus. People will now feel empowered to break the rules because if "they" can ignore their own rules then so can I. Not everyone, but enough to make things much, much harder.

I wanted our strategy to succeed. I thought the government had handled it well. Mistakes were made, but that was inevitable in a fast-moving situation.

This though is an enormous error of judgement that will make ensuring that enough people comply with future requests very much harder.

It has nothing at all to do with any personal vendettas against Cummings, although he is clearly a very much disliked figure in many quarters. Rightly so too in my opinion but that really is not the point. The criticism is not addressed to Cummings but on the decision not to sack him. That's what is so wrong.

Are you sure about that?

[Link]

In any event, Sweden and the UK have different population densities and cultural behaviour patterns which will impinge on what the science suggests is the best course of action.

None of which is though actually the point. The point being that our government made "following the science" the central plank of their strategy in getting the public to follow the rules. They took the politics out of the argument and appealed to our desire to work together.

It worked! This stupidity though has broken that consensus. People will now feel empowered to break the rules because if "they" can ignore their own rules then so can I. Not everyone, but enough to make things much, much harder.

I wanted our strategy to succeed. I thought the government had handled it well. Mistakes were made, but that was inevitable in a fast-moving situation.

This though is an enormous error of judgement that will make ensuring that enough people comply with future requests very much harder.

It has nothing at all to do with any personal vendettas against Cummings, although he is clearly a very much disliked figure in many quarters. Rightly so too in my opinion but that really is not the point. The criticism is not addressed to Cummings but on the decision not to sack him. That's what is so wrong.

They don't need to explain the science! Its enough that it exists and the government has committed itself to follow it. That's the key issue that everyone seems to be intent on ignoring.

If you don't think this is already a catastrophe for the government and as a consequence the rest of us, then I suspect you will in the next few days.

I still think he will go.

Yeah the media have gone overboard, but when don't they?

Also there are key inconsistencies between his wife's account in the spectator and his account yesterday. Not to mention the 30 min drive to test competency behind the wheel – surely even the most ardent supporter of his would find that a little, how shall we say it, flexible with the truth.