THOUGHT OF THE DAY

I'm not at all sure that is either fair or helpful.

- PHILIP BOWERN

The desire to blame someone for an unnecessary death is entirely understandable. I might feel differently about the Government's handling of the pandemic if I had lost a loved one to the virus. I am thankful I did not.

But I have read and heard enough contrary conclusions about the way the pandemic was handled from those at both ends of the spectrum to be sceptical that there was a 'right way' to manage it.

Those at one extreme question whether there was a need to impose any kind of restriction on personal liberty. Those at the other think Boris Johnson and his colleagues were far too free and easy with the regulations during the crisis.

There is a general view - that I share - that closing schools was unnecessary and had and is still having a damaging impact on the young. And the imposition of fines on people meeting for a coffee in the park definitely went too far. But hindsight gives us all 20-20 vision.