Clap key workers by all means but call the government out when coronavirus is over

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While as a retired nurse I can see why people might want to applaud us, I would like to remind readers of a number of facts. Those Tory MPs clapping us are the people who cheered in the House of Commons when a pay rise was blocked in 2017.

Remember the magic money tree? The debt caused by cancelling the bursary? The nonsense over 50,000 “new” nurses. These are the facts that show their true attitudes towards us and other public sector workers on low pay, having to use food banks while they award themselves £10,000 in extra expenses. Clap all public sector staff by all means, but call these slugs to account when this is over.

Terry Maunder
Leeds

PPE failure

As the UK’s death toll from Covid-19 continues to grow appallingly, our health secretary Matt Hancock’s commentary also continues to “expand to fill the void”. Not content with witnessing “first hand” the austerity-led lack of preparedness within the NHS, he too contributed further to the predictable unfolding disaster by his lack of urgency in taking decisive actions.

He so far has resisted acknowledging that the lack of PPE has in any way contributed to widespread ill health and premature death of frontline doctors, nurses and other care workers. Furthermore, we are witnessing members of the public, putting him and his colleagues to shame by manufacturing at home, much needed face visors using crowdfunded 3D printers.

Almost predictably, Matt Hancock now alludes to certain elements within the NHS of misusing PPE, thereby exacerbating demand of a precious resource. His words reveal a disgusting and disingenuous attempt to deflect blame for the shortages of PPE onto frontline staff. It’s no wonder his ill-chosen words have stirred a spirited response.

I would argue that it is Matt Hancock who is guilty with his exorbitant use of PPE, but in his case PPE stands for Politically Pathetic Excuses.

Nigel Plevin
Ilminster, Somerset

Close the borders

The government justifies not closing our borders to stem the transmission of coronavirus on the grounds that this has not worked in countries such as Italy. Yet New Zealand, which secured its borders and imposed a lockdown before a single fatality from the virus, has managed to keep its death rate minute compared to that of the UK.

Admittedly, keeping our borders open prevented the disruption to transport experienced in parts of Europe following the emergency border closures in mid-March, which further aggravated the economic problems there arising from Covid-19. Possibly, a foretaste of what the UK can expect if the government doesn’t manage to achieve a deal securing frictionless trade with the EU.

Roger Hinds
Surrey

Call him out

Can’t we simply call him out? Boris Johnson behaved recklessly and made unnecessary demands on our NHS – directly contradicting his message in his ridiculous, money-wasting, ineffective, egotistic letter delivered to households across the land.

Three weeks before his Covid-19 diagnosis he boasted that he was “shaking hands with everybody”, including coronavirus patients, and would continue to do so – despite scientific advice warning against the greeting.

Then, Johnson and other ministers clearly sat close together on the government’s front bench in parliament, contravening their own advice that we should all keep two metres from each other.

We can all be very sorry for him – he’s very ill, after all – but can’t we, at the same time, ask: “What on earth were you thinking?”

Beryl Wall
London

Unfair criticism

Much comment has been focused upon a small minority who are disregarding the protocols on distancing. But it would be counterproductive to impose the rules with a severity that engenders collective resentment or to do so without the approval of local communities, which are, after all, the ones put at risk by this behaviour.

The wider concern about the reckless and selfish actions of the few is that many others may see these as an example to be followed. But media and official reactions are a major factor in the transmission of this toxic culture. It might be better if politicians, police and press were to stop flaunting the disapproval they feel for the flouting of rules.

John Riseley
Harrogate

A useless government

We are on lockdown because of the pandemic. We are in uncertain lockdown because of a useless government.

The fact remains that as the nation to have had universal healthcare first, we should have been the most able to deal with this. Now we are mired in mediocrity and muddle. We are in dreadful limbo.

Testing is still not happening on any scale that would help us out of this. And, just like Brexit, it is the young who are being sacrificed at the alter of the mendacity and stupidity of those who are older and should be wiser.

Amanda Baker
Edinburgh