Lockdown the UK now to save lives and to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed

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The nation cannot afford for the government to dither (Getty)

There are now more Covid patients in hospital in England than there were at the absolute peak in April. Doctors and scientists pleaded with the government to initiate a nationwide lockdown from Boxing Day (or earlier!) to prevent total catastrophe. 

It is now the end of December, and over half of England remains outside tier four. Matters are worsening by the hour. It is absolutely imperative that a UK-wide lockdown starts immediately to save lives and to protect the NHS from being totally overwhelmed. The nation cannot afford to wait another minute, Mr Johnson. 

Sebastian Monblat

Sutton

Silence over Nashville

It's been three full days since the terrorist Nashville bomb went off and the president still hasn't said a damn thing about it. Unforgivable!

But the tweeter-in-chief has played plenty of golf and is too busy with his advisers searching for an airport in Florida to be named in his honour.

Had it been Isis or Al-Qaeda that committed the Christmas Day bombing, Trump would be tweeting about it faster than you can say sticks and bricks.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph

Ohio, USA

Independence crusade

The UK-EU tariff-free trade deal, which the SNP MPs are voting against in the Commons, will certainly pass since most other MPs will back it. However, the logical consequence of the SNP position is that, were they in the majority they would, a day before the transition period ends, be voting in a no deal – with, for example, many food items soaring in price. 

Does the SNP's voting decision suggest Nicola Sturgeon believes the chaos of WTO terms is advantageous for jobs and the economy of Scotland? Maybe she's secretly a hardline Brexiteer? Or does she believe that a no-deal outcome would benefit her party's independence crusade? It’s little wonder that #NoDealNicola is trending on Twitter. 

Martin Redfern 

Melrose

Brexit is still a bad idea

Labour MP Rachel Reeves writes that her party needs to back the deal, because a no-deal scenario is inconceivable. For what it is worth, I do not think the party has any alternative but as Sir Keir Starmer and Reeves state: this is the government's deal they own it and brokered it and should and have to take full responsibility for any deficiencies and broken promises.

So I hope there are no resignations from the opposition, because really that will be an empty gesture, as the government will more than likely safely get the deal across the line. Then when the inevitable “bumpy” (read: total chaos) ride happens, as warned by Michael Gove, it will surely inform the electorate what they have signed up for. 

The Brexit die is irretrievably cast and Labour needs to stand up for the many of us, who still think this is all a bad idea and will continue to think so, until proved that the opposite is true.

Judith A Daniels

Norfolk

Remainers are now returners

In 2016 I voted in the referendum to remain in the European Union. I was a Remainer until we left. Now I can't be a Remainer – as I don't want to remain outside the EU. Am I a returner, a re-joiner? What should we call ourselves?

There is some cheerful news for those of my ilk. Now I can call my leaver friends remainers! Or better still for those who wanted a no-deal Brexit: remoaners!

Simon Fisher

Sellindge, Kent

Vaccine promises

On the 8 December, health secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that by Christmas “millions of people” will have been vaccinated with the Pfizer Covid 19 vaccine. It was immediately obvious that this would be impossible to achieve, and sure enough, only about 650,000 vaccinations have been given so far. 

This is not to denigrate in any way the huge effort which must have been necessary to achieve such numbers, however, the reported difficulties that GPs are having in sourcing vaccine, together with the short notice before a shipment arrives, the changing nature of guidance, and problems with the dedicated IT system must have made the job of those trying to vaccinate their patients even harder.

I am afraid that this is yet another example of a government minister who should know better than overpromising with a blend of breezy optimism and wishful thinking, and without appearing to understand the difficulties involved in delivering such a huge programme. Surely, it is better to tell us straight and give us a realistic idea of how long the vaccination programme is going to take?

Mike Betterton

Skelton-in-Cleveland