"Valuable Lessons from the Covid Inquiry: We Can't Afford to Lock Down the Economy and Our Kids Again"

Don't Look Back

There were very few surprises in yesterday’s latest report from the £192 million Covid Inquiry.

The lockdowns that impacted Britain were deemed “too little, too late” and resulted in thousands of lost lives, according to the report.

The Covid Inquiry report rightly commends Boris Johnson’s vaccine rollout as a gamble that paid off.Credit: Reuters

Moreover, total lockdowns might have been avoided altogether.

These conclusions are ones that most people reached years ago—without the need for armies of costly lawyers.

Nonetheless, the findings are severe, and the State must ensure that such mistakes are not repeated in any future public health crisis.

The inquiry has faced criticism—especially regarding how its legal team reveled in the foul-mouthed WhatsApps exchanged between Dominic Cummings and others.

It also flatly refused to address the critical question of whether the pandemic originated from a lab leak in Wuhan.

However, it is appropriate to commend Johnson’s vaccine rollout as a gamble that ultimately paid off.

As Baroness Hallett observes: “This was a remarkable achievement and a decisive turning point in the response to the pandemic.”

Next week, all eyes will be on Labour, a strong proponent of strict lockdowns, as they confront Britain’s unique case of long Covid.

This includes millions opting out of work, a work-from-home culture that has hindered productivity, and parents permitting children to skip school at will.

We must never again find ourselves in a situation where the State feels compelled and able to shut down the entire economy and confine children.

Lessons must be learned.

Spoonacy

IF anyone understands how essential pubs are to society, it’s Wetherspoons chief Tim Martin.

Further tax increases will be detrimental to local communities.

Yet it appears the Chancellor is still willing to go ahead and undermine local businesses.

Businesses are growing increasingly frustrated with Rachel Reeves’s pre-Budget rhetoric, which seems more focused on her own interests than on alleviating the struggles of hardworking families.

One Love

To me, Stone Roses legend Mani was “my hero.”

His paint-splattered bass defined the groove of an entire generation.

It served as the soundtrack to the heyday of the early 1990s, a period that countless Sun readers will cherish forever.

Rest in peace, Gary Mounfield. You were deeply loved.