Hot on the heels of Boris's much awaited announcement about the relaxation of restrictions, Labour has finally decided to come up with a policy (albeit a rather half baked one).
In essence Labour don't want restrictions to be relaxed, they want masks to remain and there to be more ventilation.
This is all very well and "conservative", however it is a policy that would make bugger all difference to the ongoing rise in cases. The government has considered four very different options:
- Delaying “Freedom Day” by a month or two was seen as ineffective because, with the country already largely unlocked, cases would continue to rise anyway, and could then spike further when children go back to school in September.
- Delaying to later in the year was a nonstarter because the virus transmits more easily indoors and the pressure on the NHS is worse in winter.
- Proceeding with the July 19 date but with some restrictions remaining in place was also seen as ineffective because, at the current level of prevalence, minor measures would do little to prevent the spread of the virus.
- The only other option was to implement harsher lockdown-style measures again now, which was seen as unjustifiable as the vast majority of the most vulnerable people now have double-jab protection.
Labour's "policy" (such as it is) has been considered and rejected in the above (grubby pieces of cloth hung around people's chins won't make any difference, if anything they will make things worse).
Thanks to Labour and the MSM's fetish about masks, there will now be a tedious argument on social media and in the MSM about one of the least effective aspects of the restrictions, namely masks.
Labour, for reasons best known to themselves, have hung their policy on a grubby chin strap (which Keir says he will wear in busy places with other people - see above photo...oh hang on!).
