I don’t like Mr Bone’s politics one little bit (although I understand that he is a very hardworking and highly respected constituency MP who says what he thinks). I seriously don’t see him ever being Sir Peter Bone.
However, my personal antipathy to his views, as a rule, doesn’t stop me thinking that he is right on these matters.
I’d add though, as I sure Mr Bone probably wouldn’t have thought of it, that the Prime Minister should have repeatedly made clear to his audience, the British people, that these matters referred only to England and that the other 75% of countries in the union had their own governments and their own policies about lockdown ending and about travelling to the countryside.
Had he had the courtesy to take the advice of the Speaker instead of ignoring it, and made the statement in parliament, then I am sure that MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would have drawn attention to the fact that he spoke only for England.
Mr Johnson should have rammed home the point that before travelling to Wales or Scotland (I imagine that very few flights or ferries to Northern Ireland are running at the moment), people should check what policies existed in those countries.
It is right for the government in Westminster to do what it thinks is the right thing with regard to the balance between protecting industry, the economy and, therefore, jobs, and protecting the public from serious illness and possible death.
It is also the absolute right of the governments in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh to make decisions on these matters for their countries.
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MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 