Boris Delays Again & Empty Shelves, Time to Save our Planet

Boris delays again as Rome starts to burn

A recent parliamentary report confirmed what many of us already knew: Boris and his cronies' dithering and delays to act prior to the first lockdown in March 2020 resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. (See my blog dated 1st April 2020).

Once again, as we approach winter, the number of covid cases, the number of deaths and the numbers of unvaccinated people are all far too high but Boris and Co insist that everything is tickety-boo. You just have to look to our neighbours in countries like France and Spain where I have spent time in recent weeks to see the startling differences. In France, the requirement to show your vaccine passport (or pay for a covid test if you are not vaccinated) to visit restaurants, cafés and public buildings is being extended to next summer. In Spain, everyone wears a face mask inside shops, transport systems and public buildings without fail.

In the UK, the government in England's mixed messages mean that even on the London Underground and at Heathrow Airport where mask wearing is still compulsory, many people don't bother any more. I asked a couple of young men who weren't wearing masks whilst standing next to the 'Wear a Mask' notice in a lift we were all travelling in at Heathrow airport to comply. The told me that I was out of date and should listen to the news more carefully as it was no longer a requirement. This is fake news, but maybe they actually believed what they were telling me. Well done Boris for the mixed messaging. Let's hope he doesn't kill too many people this time round.

Empty Shelves

Initially I ignored the lack of choice and empty shelves at our local supermarkets, thinking it was mainly restricted to a few goods and to a bit of panic buying. However, I am now shocked by the lack of goods available. Recently, at one of our better supermarkets, normally overflowing with attractively packaged foods and seasonal produce, the gaps were more striking than the efforts to display what was available. In the fresh fruit and veg sections, more than half of the crates were empty; efforts had been made to fill some of the gaps with pumpkins. The shop was not busy and there was no mass buying, just a very apparent lack of goods - particularly fresh produce.

Boris and Co will tell you that it's due to the disruption caused by the pandemic to global supply chains. How is it then that the supermarket shelves where I have been in France and Spain are all over-flowing with goods of all types? No gaps. Couldn't possibly be due to Brexit of course.

Are we going to save the planet?

As I write this blog, the COP26 in Glasgow enters its first day with leaders from around the world flying in, with a few notable exceptions such as major polluters China and Russia, who are not now expected. Are our leaders going to take this seriously and try to save our planet for future generations? I will no doubt talk more about this next month. The next fortnight could be the most important in the history of our planet.

Quote for the month

"Brexit need never have so devastated the British economy. The damage has come from one decision, to depart the single market. The sensible path now would be for Johnson to eat humble pie and seek, as far and as fast as possible, readmission to that market. Britain would imitate the protocol it has agreed for Northern Ireland. This would not mean rejoining the EU, just rejoining Ireland – the most delicious of historical ironies."

Simon Jenkins, The Guardian.