Government Covid-19 restrictions won’t work with rule-breakers like Margaret Ferrier

First Catherine Calderwood, then Dominic Cummings and likely Margaret Ferrier – none facing criminal charges relating to alleged coronavirus rule breaches. Friends in high places? Then seemingly the narrative is “Don’t do what I do, little people, knuckle under and do what I say.”

Martin Redfern

Melrose Roxburghshire

In this time of crisis, we need clarity in what we should be doing as the present rulings leave some things to individuals to interpret. No one wishes to be locked down but we are in unprecedented times and we need clarity from the government in the rules they expect us to obey. 

To ensure we all conform and take precautions the term “face covering” (mask, visor, scarf, etc) should be used as some people cannot wear a mask and some cannot lip read other people. This face covering should be worn at all times when someone leaves their front door. This should then be worn until people actually sit down at a table (indoors or outside) to eat or drink and when they get up, put the face covering back on. 

Businesses, including pubs and shops, etc, should close at 10pm. People can go home, then obey an 11pm curfew. The exception for people being out after this time would be “key workers” who would have documentation to prove who they are and why they are out after curfew.  These measures would certainly go some way to help reduce the spread of the virus.

Douglas Beazer

Dorset

Re the prime minister’s comments about the cockpit lights flashing on the jet and we must take action to avert disaster. Is it safe to assume now that the jet has crashed?

Paul Morrison 

Address supplied

In democracies, there seems to be a clear polarisation between those who consider the individual comes before society and those who see the individual as part of society. The UK is governed by the first group, who see their liberty threatened by being made to wear masks or having their contacts recorded for tracing the spread of Covid-19 or just being told what they can and cannot do by any form of authority, from their local council to Brussels. 

I belong to the second group, who think the benefits of being part of a society, be it a local community, nation or Europe, totally outweigh the benefits of such liberties. What do you lose by wearing a mask or keeping your distance from people, or revealing where you are, who you are with, or obeying speed limits or respecting the environment, compared with the benefit it gives to others? If it is a loss to your self-esteem then surely there are more important things to build your self-esteem on?

On the other hand, I feel very threatened by a government that gives immunity to breaking laws on the nebulous grounds that it is better for society. That is the thin edge of a wedge that will allow “authorities” to act with impunity as judge and jury on the activities of others with no apparent accountability. It will be abused, innocent people will suffer, and it will become a political weapon to the detriment of democracy. I fear that we have a government that wants power for the sake of having power, with no intention of being accountable. It seems its self-esteem is based upon winning a game rather than a sense of public duty.

Jon Hawksley

London

While it is a tragedy for individual staff, it is hard to feel sympathy for the boss of Weatherspoons, whose sales are down [from £1.82bn to £1.26bn in the year to 26 July]. As the warning accompanying any investment goes, the value can go up as well as down. As he is so keen we follow Sweden, with their herd immunity, maybe he could prove his faith in this discredited idea by electing to sit all day in one of his pubs among the throngs of potential carriers and see if he can make himself immune?

G Forward

Stirling

Regarding Nicola Sturgeon and Blackpool, I am glad someone has the sense to stop people coming to the town in the midst of this pandemic. Rates are rising fast and people from even higher risk areas booked into hotels and guesthouses before they were moved to higher tiers. Sadly, Blackpool has no authority to stop people entering the town from anywhere. Sturgeon was showing something sadly lacking in this government, that is, simple common sense.

I want people to be able to come and visit but it is not safe just now. There are currently no adequate ways to enforce sensible rules, there is inadequate pay for those not able to work, and no adequate test and trace!

Gina Eastwood

Address supplied