Letter to The Guardian

Now let me see if I’ve got this right. Single people can only be in a bubble with one other household, but bigger households can meet with numerous other households and can stay overnight, but must stay two metres apart. And you can go into a pub as long as you stay two metres apart, unless you can’t stay two metres apart, then you must stay one-plus metres apart. You can go up to the counter in a shop, but not in a pub or restaurant. You have to give your name and address if you go to a pub, but not in a shop. You have to wear a mask on a bus, but not in a shop (not sure about pubs). You can have your hair cut from 4 July, but not your nails painted or legs waxed.

But that’s only in England. It’s completely different in Scotland or Northern Ireland. You can’t go to Wales, but you can go to Spain, but you can’t go out for two weeks when you come back. So just remind me: are we still supposed to be washing our hands?

Gail Mitchell, Gotham, Nottinghamshire.  (The Week, 4 July 2020)

 My comment:  0ne of the enjoyable things about England is the sense of humour and the witheringly funny critiques of politicians published in newspapers, on TV and the radio.  If you are a politician in England you have to know how to take a joke at your expense and put up with being taken apart at regular intervals.  Boris and his cohort oh, so wanted to be in power, and so far, approval ratings tanking, they are doing a truly awful  job.  The population is bewildered and confused, and the leadership a load of hot air. Boris thinks ( seriously!) that his policies, including Brexit , will “ make Britain great again”.  No one knows how to do that, least of all a conservative government, always a muddle.

Yes, O know, no party politics!  But what do you do when you have dual citizenship of two countries clearly being so chaotically governed?  Just sit here and shrug?