Grant Shapps | Mumsnet

Lissy23 · 2021-02-10T10:54:01+00:00

Just read this on Facebook this morning. I thought they were pushing for people to book holidays in this country to boost the economy this year? It sounds as though he’s saying it’s illegal to book a holiday, even in this country. This statement makes me worry that this summer will be worse than last...how can it be with the vaccines? Unless they know something we don’t. Really made me feel sad seeing this today [sad]

mythicalhairybeast · 10/02/2021 10:56

its these pesky mutant variants, each day seems worse than the last!

I am not even thinking about booking a holiday, was hoping for this year but now not even convinced of next year!

Sirzy · 10/02/2021 10:57

I think he is basically saying don’t be too hasty.

We have a holiday booked for Easter and know it will be cancelled. I am hopeful the one in July (U.K.) will go ahead but who knows

whatswithtodaytoday · 10/02/2021 11:00

We don't know what's going to happen with the new variants - if the vaccines don't work well enough against them we will have to wait for a new version of the vaccine to be manufactured. AZ have said this can be done for the autumn.

We just have to wait until the data is available, and hope very much that the vaccines have enough of an effect that restrictions can be loosened.

Original poster

Lissy23 · 10/02/2021 11:04

@whatswithtodaytoday surely the restrictions can’t last until autumn?

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whatswithtodaytoday · 10/02/2021 11:14

@Lissy23 We don't know. I think it's unlikely, but we will have to wait and see. If the SA variant turns out to be widespread and is making people who've already been vaccinated seriously ill, then maybe because the NHS will be overrun again. They already have very high levels of patients in now, we can't risk another wave.

We're not even sure to come out of lockdown for a few weeks yet, the government is being cautious because they've idiotically over-promised in the past... just wait and see what happens.

Original poster

Lissy23 · 10/02/2021 11:19

But Matt Hancock has booked his holiday to Cornwall and the G7 summit is going to be there in June too

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AlecTrevelyan006 · 10/02/2021 11:22

regardless of vaccines and variants, cases will drop once the weather picks up so we should be allowed to on holiday, in the UK at the very least

RhinestoneCowgirl · 10/02/2021 11:26

I have two UK holidays booked for the summer. One is a week in Cornwall which was originally booked for May half term last year and we moved forward to this year. One is a week in Wales which I booked last August when it was perfectly legal to do so.

Feeling fed up. We didn't have a holiday at all last year.

Original poster

Lissy23 · 10/02/2021 11:26

Lots of angry people who work in the domestic travel industry on Twitter.
I feel that Grant Shapps is going to have to withdraw his comments.

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Gottaloveacardie · 10/02/2021 11:29

I saw that story and feel utterly despondent about it. How can we possibly have more restrictions this summer than last summer?

Katie517 · 10/02/2021 11:30

All he really said is that it is too early to say when it will be possible but of cause that as a headline doesn’t generate enough clicks. It’s too early to say anything at the moment so tomorrow’s headline could be “Grant Shapps rules out being able to get a haircut for the rest of the year” when what he really says is it’s too early to say when hairdressers will reopen. People should listen to the whole story not just read the out of context headlines then do a panicked post on MN about it.

Chloemol · 10/02/2021 11:32

He is not saying it’s ilegal to book a holiday. He is saying it’s illegal to go on holiday at the moment

He is also just suggesting that people don’t book anything at the moment because we don’t know the route out, we don’t know how long it will be, and let’s not forget it’s not just us, it’s the country you want to visit and what their rules maybe

UK holidays could be different, and easier to book once we get a route out, but with the caveat that it can all change if we get more mutant virus’s. That said we know they seem to drop off in the warm weather

IloveJKRowling · 10/02/2021 11:32

It's all very well him saying this but I've been looking at self catering cottages. It would be just the 4 of us going so we'd be very low risk - wouldn't have any interaction with any other families - lots of the SC cottage owners have been amazing about their covid protocols - deep clean and cottages empty 8 hours minimum between guests etc. They're booking up really fast, if anyone wants even a chance of going away, it's really not prudent to wait. I doubt we'll be able to get any summer dates now for the places we like. They all seem to have good covid cancellation policies where you get your money back if it's still illegal to go - surely it's up to the business to decide whether or not to take that risk?

Staying in a SC cottage seems way less risk than sending kids to school too and we all know that schools are safe (obvs sarcasm)!

Sirzy · 10/02/2021 11:33

I really don’t get why him encouraging caution is a bad thing.

Personally I wokld much rather that than the “it will be a normal Christmas” fiasco again

Original poster

Lissy23 · 10/02/2021 11:36

But he’s telling people not to book and as the pp has said, it’s very difficult to get somewhere, even now. As long as it has a cancellation policy I don’t see the problem.

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vera99 · 10/02/2021 11:37

is a twat....

Sirzy · 10/02/2021 11:40

But he is hardly going to say “you can book but be prepared it could well be cancelled”

People will make their own decision when they want to risk booking something or not but he is basically sending a clear message not to expect freedom of travel in the near future

IloveJKRowling · 10/02/2021 11:41

This seems to me to be another example of Ministers being out of touch. I'm sure on an MP salary, you can get something (overpriced) late on, but the cheaper lets are pretty much booked up for school hols now.

I want to get away in a covid secure way this year because of the fucking incompetence of Shapps and the rest of them - it's been a tough year. Just a change of scene would be nice. I don't see the problem in booking if there's a good cancellation policy?

They really really don't understand what normal people are going through - one rule for them and one for us.

BarbaraofSeville · 10/02/2021 11:41

It's all very well him saying this but I've been looking at self catering cottages. It would be just the 4 of us going so we'd be very low risk - wouldn't have any interaction with any other families - lots of the SC cottage owners have been amazing about their covid protocols - deep clean and cottages empty 8 hours minimum between guests etc. They're booking up really fast, if anyone wants even a chance of going away, it's really not prudent to wait. I doubt we'll be able to get any summer dates now for the places we like. They all seem to have good covid cancellation policies where you get your money back if it's still illegal to go - surely it's up to the business to decide whether or not to take that risk

^^ This. It's fine from his perspective, where, if it is legal to go away, he won't have to worry about sticking to a budget and will be just able to pay any amount.

But there's plenty of people who can only afford to go if they book early to get a good price, and if more people are holidaying in the UK, everything will be booked up, many times over, at any price and a lot of people won't be able to afford a holiday, again.

Now I know not going on holiday is nothing in the great scheme of the pandemic, but people want something to look forwards to.

We didn't get away at all last year, and holidays are one of our main pleasures. We have Easyjet vouchers that need using from cancelled flights from last year, and now I'm wishing we had booked something for flights for Sept 2021, because the prices have already gone up massively so looking poor value.

Plus if no-one's booking, the travel industry is without much needed income.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 10/02/2021 11:45

Surely it's up to us if we book holidays providing we realise they may not go ahead. I've got 4 UK holidays booked this year so he can fuck off with 'you shouldn't be booking holidays'. They are fully refundable or transferrable so I won't lose out so what's the harm?

vera99 · 10/02/2021 11:48

If we can't move from a locked-down household to another locked down household without mixing within the UK this year then we are well and truly doomed.

user1487194234 · 10/02/2021 11:48

We have 4 holidays booked in the UK this year,my choice. So sick of being told what i can't do,

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 10/02/2021 11:51

@user1487194234

We have 4 holidays booked in the UK this year,my choice. So sick of being told what i can't do,

This. I'm just waiting for the government to make it illegal to book domestic holidays unless one of their mates owns the property of course as you don't want to risk people enjoying themselves

user1487194234 · 10/02/2021 11:52

This. I'm just waiting for the government to make it illegal to book domestic holidays unless one of their mates owns the property of course as you don't want to risk people enjoying themselves
Indeed.

DarceyDashwood · 10/02/2021 11:59

Pretty much expect these comments to be back tracked upon very soon

As others have said Matt Hancock has a Cornwall holiday planned.

We have a SC cottage booked for August - we had 2 holidays cancelled last year so if this one gets cancelled then fine. But I wanted to have something to look forward to and also make sure we beat the rush and get something reserved!