Houve como sensação de inevitabilidade sobre o anúncio na segunda -feira que o 'Dia da Liberdade', planejado para 21 de junho, estava sendo adiado. A oposição oficial Keir Starmer e, aparentemente, as pesquisas mostram que a maioria do país continua apoiando a abordagem do governo.
In the week leading up to the Prime Ministers presser enough hints had been leaked to the press to suggest that restrictions would continue, at least for another month.
Unless I missed it, the news was met with the equally inevitable compliance from the leader of the official opposition Keir Starmer, and apparently polls show that the majority of the country continue to support the government’s approach.
No entanto, uma coisa significativa mudou após o anúncio. Um dos principais políticos trabalhistas decidiu chamar Boris Johnson e expressou sua desilusão com a última decisão. De parlamentares de backbench conservadores, podem finalmente fornecer àqueles de nós que são céticos em relação a medidas contínuas de bloqueio uma voz há muito atrasada. No entanto, na ausência de qualquer pressão do trabalho, ou mesmo da grande mídia, talvez seja natural que o governo continue sua abordagem de um truque para combater o vírus. Mas agora que Khan falou - espero se juntar a outras vozes do trabalho - Boris Johnson pode ver a necessidade de pensar novamente.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has, maybe a little belatedly, woken up to the reality that his city and the businesses within it are being crippled by the failure of the government to take advantage of the fact that the UK is the most vaccinated country in Europe.
His change of direction, alongside the growing discontent of Tory backbench MPs, may finally provide those of us who are sceptical about continued lockdown measures a long overdue voice.
The cabinets strategy of taking its decisions entirely through the lens of the COVID pandemic, without balancing this with the consequences around wider health issues, education, jobs, and the economy, has been baffling. However, in the absence of any push back from Labour, or indeed the mainstream media, perhaps it is natural for the government to continue its one-trick approach to tackling the virus. But, now that Khan has spoken up – hopefully to be joined by other Labour voices – Boris Johnson may see the need to think again.
