To think we need a healthy secretary that will give us our freedom back?

[tttigress]

I am happy Hancock has resigned.

Apart from his hypocrisy, it feels like he became obsessed with rules and lockdowns.

Iabu, to think we need a health secretary focused on getting us out of this mess, not focused on petty pointless rules?

As we're all saying what we want I want a health secretary that follows the advice of the experts. The evidence at the time of the lockdowns suggested that a lockdown (or other similar measures) were needed to control the spread of the virus. If the experts in virology and covid think another lockdown could save lots of lives (including my own and other single vaccinated and unvaccinated) people then I hope that advice would be followed. The way out of this mess at certain points in the last 18 months has necessitated social distancing, mask wearing and lockdowns. We after all want to control the risk of greater mutations and more dangerous variants that make the vaccinations less protective.

My personal opinion is Hancock went too far with his rules, which he obviously didn't keep to.

Can the answer please not be Michael Gove!

We need one that truly 'follows the science', not one that claims to do it but can't tell his arse from his elbow. Led by experts, not the current load of donkeys.

Or Priti.

No, I would rather a HS that has both integrity, and the guts to put safety before popularity.

I want one with the balls to admit that this has all gone too far and that too much science has been shelved, silenced or hidden while they’ve kept up this endless nightmare. One that recalls that natural immunity does exist and so why do people that have had covid need a vaccine. One that acknowledges mounting evidence for effective and safe treatments that exist already, one that doesn’t award billion pound contracts to his mates, one that isn’t obsessed with restricting people’s social lives and travel and one that can attempt to reverse the immense fear that they have caused to large swathes of the population so that we can all get back to normal life and live with this coronavirus like we live with every other one without a second thought! I can but dream!

@MyDcAreMarvel

No, I would rather a HS that has both integrity, and the guts to put safety before popularity.

Me too. I don’t want more new variants that may escape the vaccine or more deaths or long covid cases. I’d rather we really try and suppress this so we can go back to how things were.

Do you honestly think Boris Johnson valued Matt Hancock's opinion on whether there should be lockdowns? Seriously?

I'd rather have a health secretary who takes account of the science and does what is needed, not one who comes up with policy based on populist hyperbole.

@MyDcAreMarvel

No, I would rather a HS that has both integrity, and the guts to put safety before popularity.

This^

@ IceCreamAndCandyfloss
Exactly how I feel.

I hate this “we need freedom now” rubbish. You want more variants, more deaths and a longer lockdown later? Just grow up, get the vaccine, mask up, socially distance for the next few months and we’d be out of this quicker than just unlocking and getting back to “normal” now rubbish.

Personally I want a health secretary who also buts mental health up there along side. By all means follow the science in lockdowns but when doing the cost benefit analysis they need to include mental health.

What we want doesn’t matter.

What we will get is a health secretary whose job will be to ‘reform’ the NHS — which in Toryspeak means dismantling it.

It is both sad and surprising that you truly believe that @Littlecaf
There will always be covid, there will always be variants and elderly people will always die. Doesn’t matter how long you lockdown for, how many people have a vaccine or how many people wear a mask. Unless you want to live like this forever then there is no such thing as “just 4 more weeks”

It will be Nadhim Zahawi surely?

Sajid Javid apparently (just mentioned on Sky News)

I accept that this country gave a majority of Conservative MPs. For a number of reasons.

All I want is the government they form to be of the most able members of the party in Parliament, not the least able. A government that carries on the traditions of the Conservative Party that go back to Robert Peel in the 19th century, of sound finance, competence, respect for the Monarchy, respect for our institutions, and basic moral values (akin to the C of E but other Christians and other faiths have them too).

Only one of the current cabinet, Ben Wallace, is able enough to be in the government, and the Prime Minister is the worst in UK history.

@Littlecaf

@ IceCreamAndCandyfloss Exactly how I feel.

I hate this “we need freedom now” rubbish. You want more variants, more deaths and a longer lockdown later? Just grow up, get the vaccine, mask up, socially distance for the next few months and we’d be out of this quicker than just unlocking and getting back to “normal” now rubbish.

hate this “we need freedom now” rubbish. You want more variants, more deaths and a longer lockdown later? Just grow up, get the vaccine, mask up, socially distance for the next few months and we’d be out of this quicker than just unlocking and getting back to “normal” now rubbish. You are wrong. Lockdowns and restrictions are causing much more damage than the virus

@tttigress

My personal opinion is Hancock went too far with his rules, which he obviously didn't keep to.

What are your credentials in public health? I bet you haven't got any.

Loud opinion based on zero knowledge.

We need an Health Secretary who responds to evidence.

Sajid Javid has been announced

@Lostinacloud really? Sad? Honestly you really don’t know what you are talking about. Of course there will always be COVID. But to have the best chance at a lasting freedom the vast majority of people need to be vaccinated, we still need to socially distance and unlocking now is not the answer. Let’s get the under 30s vaccinated properly first, let’s give everyone a good chance first - have you even seen the rates in 20-29 year olds?

@newnortherner111
Can you tell me why you have such a high opinion of Ben Wallace?
He's my MP but whenever I contact him to ask him about government policy and actions he never replies.

I don’t tend to take much notice of the rates of cases anymore. Cases mean nothing. They are not leading to unmanageable hospitalisations or deaths and they are testing way more than ever using tests that are known to throw up multiple false positives. All following the case rates does is keep the fear going, they are not the figures to concentrate on. Besides, cases spreading round young, as yet unvaccinated people is not really a worry based upon their 99.6% chance of survival. I’m sure most of this age group risk more than that on a big night out consuming too much alcohol.