...to think that Matt Hancock has a very strange idea of grandparents' day-to-day lives?

[Jourdain11]

His "don't kill granny" type comments. Does he really imagine that all grandparents are these poor, housebound people who do nothing but sit at home waiting for their children and grandchildren to waft past and pay the occasional visit?

My mother and stepfather, both in their early 60s, still work (part-time in my mum's case, full-time for my stepfather). They are both going to work, seeing friends, seeing family. They haven't seen me or my children since last New Year, incidentally, so if they catch Covid it won't be from their grandchildren! (They are in Paris.)

Does Matt Hancock honestly think that the contact circle of the average grandparent is limited to their children and grandchildren?

I get that it's to make people feel accountability and all that, but it's a little insulting!

Matt Hancock, our health secretary, doesn't even know that pharmacists and midwives can give some injections! I don't think he knows much to be honest...

I think one of the hardest adjustments of this pandemic has been getting otherwise fit, healthy, active older people to recognise that where this virus is concerned they are vulnerable. My parents were livid at the idea but their offence doesn't change the facts of the situation.

There are plenty of elements of this government's communications and handling of the situation that you could get angry or offended by but honestly I really don't think this is one of them.

He's talking about the generation who are 18+ rather than young children - the ones old enough to be going around on their own and visiting family without being taken by their parents.

I'm 30 with a 92 year old grandmother. My 22 year old cousin visited her every Wednesday until covid started - I'd see her a couple of times a month too. It's situations like that that it's aimed at.

Blimey, my grandparents were all over 70 when I was born and they all died when I was in my early teens.

How times change.

I don't think you are meant to take it literally for every grandparent, it's one of those buzz phrases and it's actually pretty clever really as people have picked up on that sentence and are talking about it. Housebound people/grandparents are probably the most vulnerable and it's just pointing that out (and I am no fan of this government).

What a ridiculously pedantic thing to get worked up about OP. Surely it’s obvious what he meant?

I get who it was aimed at, and I get that he's talking about everyone's granny, not just your own. I still think it's an unnecessary way to phrase it.

Hancock is a twat

You people do realise that the messages from government aren’t personalised to you and your individual circumstances, don’t you. They’re trying to appeal to a broad group with a common message. They don’t know that 66 year old Shirley works in the local Spar despite being a great grandmother. Good on her. This message isn’t for her particular situation. It’s trying to get the attention of the 20 - 30 year olds who barely realise there’s a life outside of social media and have a horrible tendency to think they are the sun, moon and stars to simply everyone. Trying to appeal to their better nature and remind them to protect vulnerable people in their own family. Don’t take it so personally for goodness sake.

A lot of Boris Johnson's more inflammatory phrases are picked up and talked about too, but it doesn't mean that they have the effect he desired!!

@Cocklepops

You people do realise that the messages from government aren’t personalised to you and your individual circumstances, don’t you. They’re trying to appeal to a broad group with a common message. They don’t know that 66 year old Shirley works in the local Spar despite being a great grandmother. Good on her. This message isn’t for her particular situation. It’s trying to get the attention of the 20 - 30 year olds who barely realise there’s a life outside of social media and have a horrible tendency to think they are the sun, moon and stars to simply everyone. Trying to appeal to their better nature and remind them to protect vulnerable people in their own family. Don’t take it so personally for goodness sake.

I'm not taking it personally - I am not a granny!

@Thisismytimetoshine depends where you live. It's common in my demographic.

In the early days of the virus there was the idea of

• protecting yourself (try not to catch the virus from anyone else)
• protecting others (act as though you have the virus and avoid passing it on)

It feels like most people have forgotten about the second altogether.

He was addressing it to 20 to 29 year olds wasn't he. So they wouldn't be in their 50s, could be in their 60s but more likely to be in their 70s and 80s and therefore more vulnerable. The biggest danger factor is age, I think they said an 80 year old is 500 times more likely to die of it than a 20 year old. So I think he was perfectly reasonable and that's not a thing I thought I'd say about him.

It very much depends on the age that people have their children doesn't it?

My mum was in her late 20s when she had me, and I was late 30s when I had DS .

Therefore at 19, DS's grandmother is mid-80's and very vulnerable .

Some of his friends OTOH have grandparents a similar age to me and DH, late 50's, still working, no health issues .

I agree, OP. It's like those dopey pseudophilosophical puzzlers people come up with about art vs life, like 'In a burning art gallery, do you save the Mona Lisa or the granny?' which presupposes the woman in question isn't entirely capable of 'rescuing' herself and getting the Mona Lisa out too into the bargain.

not all people in their twenties have grandparents in their seventies i have a 22 year old grandaughter and a great grandson and im 64, was a young mom, and due to having to work till 66 to get my state pension i work two jobs so why are the majority on here steryotyping grans and grandads as all in their 70s because grandchildren are in their twenties

@Jourdain11

I get who it was aimed at, and I get that he's talking about everyone's granny, not just your own. I still think it's an unnecessary way to phrase it.

I think if he had phrased it differently/ more soberly it would probably have been lost in all the other news. It seems like those sort of sound bites are needed in the current 24/7 news cycle.

Actually as a granny I would appreciate my teenage grandchildren not killing me or my husband who is in his 70s and vulnerable. Maybe he should have included granddads.

I agree, I know grannies who have been working this whole time. Hancock's entire job seems to be fear mongering and over counting positive cases and deaths.

I’m 30 and my grandma is 86 and has pre-existing conditions plus her age which make her vulnerable. For my grandma, yes, her social circle does consist of her children and grandchildren. She calls her siblings and would occasionally see but they’re all of similar ages, so that angle has been completely cut off for her. Ironically, the biggest risk to my grandma (from me) is if the government get their way and everyone goes back to the office. At the moment both my husband and I are working from home 99% of the time and could not go into the office for two weeks before seeing my grandma. We don’t have children, we live away from all our family. We have been out but infrequently and follow all precautions. We see friends but maintain social distance. I am the lowest risk of all my family (apart from living 200 miles away) to my grandma. I have family at uni, working in retail, nurse, teaching and manufacturing or living with someone in those sectors.

I take great issue with Matt Hancock blaming me for any possible risk to my grandmother, without realising that he has isolated her by herself for months and months (she hasn’t been allowing any family to see her) and wants to force me back into the office where my risk of exposure increases.

Therefore at 19, DS's grandmother is mid-80's and very vulnerable.

Some of his friends OTOH have grandparents a similar age to me and DH, late 50's, still working, no health issues

But in 10 years time their grandparents will be late 60s and definitely in the vulnerable group. He wasn't just talking to 19 year olds.

No real danger of us passing it on to Granny here...
Grandma: late 50s, working full time.
Granny: late 80s, another country, not seeing her this year due to the risk and logistics of travel and staying in the area.
Great Grandma: early 80s, enjoyed eat out to help out with her mates, CBA with anoying great grandchildren cramping her style. I suspect she had the virus in Feb during a hospital visit that resulted in a stubborn chest infection, followed by a DVT scare. She needs the NHS back to normal function to sort out the issue that had her in hospital plus a longer running issue that had surgery cancelled 10 months ago. They're cramping her lifestyle far more than Covid 19.

Yes, Great-Grandma is younger than Granny.

Tbh the bit that pisses me off the most is that it should be "don't kill GRANDAD" as, bring female, granny is significantly less vulnerable than grandad. But hey, let's not let facts get in the way of a slogan.

They needed a quick sharp message all kids see there grandparent as old irrespective.
In very loose terms the older you are the higher the risk we need to protect them.
Even if it's not relevant to you it opened up the conversion.
TBH what ever he did wouldn't be right