Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask: will Johnson’s gamble pay off?

97 replies

foxandbee · 19/07/2021 15:22

I thought it might be interesting to have a vote for posterity on how people think Johnson’s experiment will pan out. Personally, I have one or two reservations.

YABU - it’s going to be a great success and other countries will follow England’s lead.

YANBU – it will be a shit show with backtracking galore as well as many casualties of Johnson’s cavalier decision.

OP posts:
safariboot · 19/07/2021 15:23

I'm pessimistic. But more than that, why the fuck are we gambling anyway?

DrManhattan · 19/07/2021 15:25

The guy is a total tool. Who the f* votes for these people?????

MarcelineMissouri · 19/07/2021 15:25

Your options are too black and white.

I think it’s going to be bumpy but hopefully end up ok…..

Fingers crossed anyway!

mewkins · 19/07/2021 15:27

@DrManhattan

The guy is a total tool. Who the f* votes for these people?????
This.
newnortherner111 · 19/07/2021 15:33

Backtracking began with the change in travel requirements when arriving from France. Allegedly because of the number of Beta variant cases in France, the government not realising that Reunion in the Indian Ocean and two Caribbean islands are part of France and their Covid statistics.

millymollymoomoo · 19/07/2021 15:55

Don’t expect it all to be plain sailing but he should stick to his guns. We can’t be held in lockdown permanently
Stop counting cases
He’s right to open up but I’ve not voted as I don’t think either of your options will be what happens

nonono1 · 19/07/2021 15:57

Don’t expect it all to be plain sailing but he should stick to his guns. We can’t be held in lockdown permanently

This. We've got to open up some time or other and it's better to do it now than when we start going into winter.

Original poster
foxandbee · 19/07/2021 15:59

The next couple of weeks will be crucial I think, and will probably inform the decisions of the other UK governments on how far to go with their next stage of opening up.

OP posts:
Original poster
foxandbee · 19/07/2021 16:04

We've got to open up some time or other and it's better to do it now than when we start going into winter

I don't disagree with this, but going at it full tilt in the way England is is very risky. The pictures of nightclubs made me v uneasy. I know France and other countries have opened their nightclubs, but there are restrictions such as vaccine/testing requirements.

OP posts:
AlternativePerspective · 19/07/2021 16:05

It’s not that black and white.

We do need to go back to normal at some point, added to which opening up now means that the economy has a chance of a boost before things could potentially become worse again.

But actually I think that there is method in the madness of opening up amid rising figures. When we opened up last time figures were at their lowest, meaning that people were falsely under the impression that it was all over, so they were complacent.

Now that the figures are going up people are more likely to take more responsibility for themselves and to tread with caution.

My DS has been out today and he said he’s seen more masks today than possibly ever. Equally my parents have both been to separate places and they said the same. People know that if they’re not more cautious then we will go back into lockdown, and as the figures are going up there is less complacency than last time.

tgt123 · 19/07/2021 16:06

I'm voting in the middle as I think it's the right thing to do but I doubt many countries follow our precedent (bar our vaccine roll out).

In last week's briefing, Chris Whitty said the link between infections and deaths was largely broken and he agreed that it was the right time to ease restrictions. Otherwise you push it to the autumn flu season or into this time next year, at which point it's been two and a half years.

Although infections are high, this is mostly amongst children and young people, who are statistically unlikely to be seriously impacted from covid. Appreciate that double vaccinated people are ending up in hospital but most vaccinated people catching covid do not (according to CW's slides last week).

As sad as it is whenever anyone dies from Covid or suffers from long Covid, I think our response has to be proportionate to the positive impact that our vaccination program has achieved. Plus I think the government knows that people are fed up of continued restrictions when our so called fantastic border restrictions have been found wanting, particularly around the Delta variant.

1starwars2 · 19/07/2021 16:07

Definitely a Shitshow. It is preposterous, and surely Johnson knows that?

OP posts:
Pottedpalm · 19/07/2021 16:18

Yet another Boris-bashing thread in disguise. We should take responsibility for ourselves.
I have been to a cafe/restaurant fo r lunch, to two garden centres and the post office/village stores today, and everywhere was carrying on as ‘normal’; masks inside, hand sanitising etc etc.

Original poster
foxandbee · 19/07/2021 16:25

Did you see the nightclub pictures from last night plotted? No hand sanitising or masks there! Just thousands of sweaty people dancing and drinking and getting up close and personal. I don't blame young people at all for wanting to go out clubbing, but it is risky to not have some kind of entry requirement.

OP posts:
rwalker · 19/07/2021 16:25

If the last 16 months have taught us anything it's that lockdowns don't get rid of covid .
It will come back the only thing lockdown does is regulate the speed that said lockdowns come with a heavy price in other ways .

I think they have done the right thing the logic is vaccines have taken away the severity of it for the vast majority .

We need to be lead by deaths (proper figures 2 of my friend lost a parent to covid they were both in pitiful health before yet recorded as covid but had many many health problems and limited life expectancy)
and hospital admmissions .Not total number off infections.

DayKay · 19/07/2021 16:26

I don’t want any more lockdowns but haven’t Israel done similar to us and are now bringing restrictions back in?
We should try to learn from other countries.

BlatantlyNameChanged · 19/07/2021 16:27

I hope the gamble pays off because I don't want it to all turn to shit but given Johnson and his cabinet of clowns' tack record its probably going to turn to shit and pretty quickly.

Karwomannghia · 19/07/2021 16:28

I think the delay between opening up and contact isolating ending is going to cause chaos. That hasn’t been well thought through at all. I’d rather have more restrictions but an earlier end to contact isolations.

LouLou198 · 19/07/2021 16:30

I think things will get worse before they get better. I imagine cases will soar in August as more people will be travelling for days out/holidays during the school holidays. Hopefully the link between cases and deaths has been broken with the vaccine, but it worries me that the virus will mutate and the vaccine won't be effective. Probably a very pessimistic view but mentally I am preparing myself for further restrictions/possible lockdown from the autumn.

RandomLondoner · 19/07/2021 16:30

I'm pessimistic. But more than that, why the fuck are we gambling anyway?

Some expert on the news last night was saying that against some people still not vaccinated we have to offset that people vaccinated six months ago are having the effect wear off. I think he was arguing that there isn't any safer time to wait for, on the whole we are as protected as we're ever going to be.

I wonder if the alternative to going "back to normal" is leaving permanent low-level restrictions in place. For example, masks required on public transport and shops indefinitely. (I know public transport is going to require them anyway, but maybe it should have the force of law.)

reannneeee · 19/07/2021 16:31

I think we’re just going to end up letting it be treated like the cold.

Nobody I know with symptoms is bothering getting tested.

I think stopping of daily case numbers etc is imminent and other countries will see us and throw in the towel.

Samcro · 19/07/2021 16:33

it will be a shit show, the johnson will blame people for not being sensible.
doubt there will be more lockdowns, i mean who would go back to that.

Hollyhead · 19/07/2021 16:40

It might. Schools being closed will help as kids will be socialising in smaller groups. I also don’t think nightclubs will have a big impact as I think people who were wanting nightclubs will be the same group as those who have already been flooding into pubs etc. Think we’re almost at the peak of this wave. The good weather will also help as most viruses will be deactivated by strong iv light.

Original poster
foxandbee · 19/07/2021 16:40

I wonder if the alternative to going "back to normal" is leaving permanent low-level restrictions in place. For example, masks required on public transport and shops indefinitely. (I know public transport is going to require them anyway, but maybe it should have the force of law.)

That is more or less what the rest of the UK is doing. It is only England that is ditching everything.

OP posts: