According to the latest data from the ONS we have seen the highest UK excess death figures since World War 2 so there is no longer time for polite debate and gesture politics, we need leadership, firm leadership.
Instead of trying to pin the blame for the rise in cases on us, the public, the government must have clear consistent policies that everyone from Boris through Cabinet Ministers to Cressida Dick to us the public can understand and then we need to enforce them.
So, let’s start by first defining what "local" is, shall we?
In my mind that is simple, local is somewhere the average person can walk to in less than an hour.
So that is your local park, canal or beauty spot.
Local is your local shops or supermarket, not necessarily your favourite one or usual one.
So, by this definition, that means Boris' 7-mile ride was stupid. Why couldn’t he just do laps of Westminster? Let’s face it, Khan has put enough cycle lanes in! He must lead by example.
There should be virtually no cars on the roads at the moment as no one should be going to work apart from key workers and no one should be travelling more than five miles.
The added benefit of this rule being properly enforced, of course, would be that more people would be getting their steps in each day. Lock the car and leave the keys.
I want the Government to stop flying kites in the Sunday newspapers and on Breakfast TV and just make clear decisions. It shouldn’t be down to Morrisons and Sainsbury to make policy, should it?
Boris, stop pontificating and make a decision. You can’t wait for the figures related to your Christmas relaxation to come in. Look, it was dithering that got us into this mess in the first place.
If the boffins say we need to wear masks in all public spaces, including outside, then make a law and then get the police to enforce it. You can not fiddle whilst Britain coughs and the NHS burns down.
Playing the system
Make it clear you must wear a mask every time you leave the house and if you don’t, you will not pass the front door but you will pick up a £200 quid fine.
All this nonsense about exemptions from wearing one is being played by people.
If you have a genuine medical condition then get someone else to shop for you as you probably shouldn’t be out anyway.
However, the idea that a shop worker can’t ask you why you’re exempt is nonsense. It allows people to play the system. People are downloading mask exemption badges from the internet and buying them on E-bay. This has to stop.
We also need clear clarification on what exercise is permitted, and we need it now. Walking with a mate drinking coffee is NOT exercise, surely? This is people flexing the rules plain and simple.
Why are cafes still allowed to sell take away coffees? Can’t people make their own and use a flask if they want to walk with one in their hand. Is your life so shallow that you are not complete without a skinny latte?
People are also playing the system with the key worker status and using schools as unofficial child care systems. Boris needs to define who is and who is not a key worker and produce a definitive list now. This would be helped if Rishi gave the self-employed a scheme similar to furlough for those who are on PAYE.
Why are Estate agents still open and why can tradespeople still enter houses for non-essential work? It is crazy.
Click and collect is also being exploited and the queues are increasingly getting more and more dangerous.
Why are churches, Mosques and other places of worship still open? They should all be closed immediately.
I’m a great football and sports fan but for the life of me, I don’t understand why at the top level these games are still being allowed to be played.
Let’s be honest, we are not in a lockdown - we are in a faux lockdown.
We need a tougher lockdown
This needs to change. We need a proper lockdown with furlough extended and businesses compensated adequately.
Why aren’t we vaccinating 24 hours a day seven days a week? Matt Hancock says that "We'll do this if it's needed, absolutely. We'll do whatever it takes to get this vaccine rolled out as fast as possible."
Of course, it is needed and it is needed now. If the elderly and the most vulnerable don’t want to come out after dark then let’s use that time to vaccinate the police, fire service and other key workers. Let’s not be so rigid, let’s mix and match.
A minority are ignoring the rules and putting us all at risk.
However, poll after poll states that we, the public, will put up with a real hard lockdown, so why is Boris dithering?
We need an even tougher lockdown than we had in March, and we need it to start NOW.
