The Baroness is a hero and a beacon of integrity,courage and intelligence. She is speaking for those she has been tasked to serve. History will prove she is on the right side of truth and humanity.
But why so few voices like hers? The evidence of moral and intellectual bankruptcy is terrifying.


Helena Morrissey: a CEO wouldn’t get away with this

Baroness Helena Morrissey criticised the Government in the House of Lords yesterday evening, as England began its second lockdown. The Tory peer, a former financier, began by drawing parallels between how a FTSE CEO would make an important decision, and the government’s approach to making choices:
When faced with a difficult choice, a CEO respects the need to bring along their company with them. No, the country is not a business, Morrissey admitted, because the stakes are ultimately much higher in government, especially during a national crisis. That’s why proper scrutiny and detailed evidence is necessary at every stage of the decision making process. The government, according to Morrissey, had not provided either in its justifications for a second lockdown.
Graphs used in Saturday’s lockdown announcement were criticised by Professor Carl Heneghan, from Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, as provably “out of date”. Morrissey argued that “real data” not just “numbers around the virus” was needed.
England’s second lockdown began this morning at 12.01 am, and will continue until at least December 2nd. It may, of course, last longer than that.
Where is the government’s report on the likely economic impact of lockdowns?
Hidden away no doubt. The ORR ( Rail Regulator) has some real hard numbers on the rail meltdown and they are horrifying.
Wales and Borders down to 4.5 % pre lockdown . Scotrail down to 5 %. Passenger numbers back to mid 19th centurt levels.
All the gains of the last 30 years wiped out. The network is bankrupt and has no chance of recovery any time soon. All that investment gone up in smoke. To go on with HS2 is lunacy.
In reality we should be look at closing 90% of the network. No lines in Scotland or Wales or west of Bristol . No East Coast line at all.
This is the logic of the numbers. And this is just one industry, The same devastation is everywhere and the government will not publish the figures. Shipping? Retail ? Hospitality ? Tourism? All dying and all defunct in reality.
No wonder Johnson looks worried. 60 plus million people in a small country without work, money and seriously depressed. What does he think about at 4 AM?
It’s becoming clear that even if this lockdown lasts the course there will be no tolerance of any more.
This may well be seen as the biggest act of national self harm ever.
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