‘The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe.’ These are the government’s own words. Yet, despite this almost sacred pledge, the four administrations of the UK have agreed to gamble on relaxing restrictions over Christmas, potentially rewarding Covid-19 with the biggest present of them all.
With any gamble, there are stakes, risks and prizes. The stakes in this case are people’s lives — they could not, therefore, be any higher. As for prizes, there are several that officials seem to be eyeing up. First is the prize of perceived compassion: that citizens see a commitment to balance, moderation, and kindness after the pain of a very difficult year. This seems a noble intention. After all, most people’s wellbeing and mental health would indeed benefit from a dose of social interaction with loved ones. Had no relaxation taken place, the governments in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland would have been roundly criticised, with many families choosing to ignore these rules anyway.
