Michael Gove’s paper-thin case for Covid passports

Next Monday is ‘freedom day’ when all social distancing restrictions are removed. Clubs will reopen, pubs will be packed, sports crowds will resume and the bells of liberty will ring out across the nation. Well, that’s the theory at least. The reality is, as Sajid Javid told the Commons on Monday, that all these venues are being urged by the government to use ‘Covid passports’. Businesses operating in ‘high risk settings’ with limited indoor ventilation will be ‘supported and encouraged’ to use a certification system to check that customers have had either been double- jabbed or had a recent negative Covid test.

For those venues which take part, access will be restricted to people who have an ‘NHS Covid Pass’ on the official NHS App or have proof of a negative lateral flow test from Test and Trace within the last 48 hours. Naturally Mr Steerpike was keen to look at the evidence on which the government had made this decision and so turned to the 16-page report