WELL, there’s no pretence that we’re following the science now, is there?

Despite the joint editorial from the British Medical Journal and the Health Service Journal pointing out that it will cost lives, the Government is going ahead with its plan to allow people to criss-cross the country on an unintentional killing spree on which granny has suddenly become expendable. It is a bit of a contrast with the situation many Muslims faced when tough restrictions were imposed on the eve of Eid. A big contrast, too, with what happened when the virus broke out in Wuhan in January, when the entire city went into lockdown, public transport included, just days before the start of the planned Lunar New Year celebrations.

The difference of course is that once again - as with the Brexit negotiations - Bungling Boris has painted himself into a corner, this time when back in July he dangled the prospect of a “return to normality by Christmas”.

Since most of our transport network closes down at Christmas anyway, why on earth didn’t the Government say: “Christmas will be tough this year, but we’ll all have a couple of extra days holiday and go on a spree at Easter”, by which time hopefully many of us will have been vaccinated?

Timothy Cannam, Durham.