Grant Shapps

[Lissy23]

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

They've learned the hard way with the Christmas debacle that they can't make any promises but the media will keep asking at every opportunity when we can go on holiday, when will schools reopen, when can we go to the pub?

If he's asked directly in an interview, he has to manage expectations. It's easier to say 'don't book anything now' than 'it's ok to book something but it might still be illegal to travel by then so make sure you can get your money back if you have to etc etc.' We can work that out for ourselves.

We have booked holiday cottages for August, not going outside of England and with free cancellation just in case. We wanted to lock in a good price while there was still availability.

Oh, the “new variants”. That only magically started becoming a problem once we actually had a vaccine.

I don’t listen to a word any of these people say any more, they don’t have a clue and are just spouting out any old pish to keep people toeing the line.

@BarbaraofSeville

do people really need a holiday every year? Most people I know have one every 3-4 years

Well of course no-one needs a holiday every year, but despite what most people you know do, most people probably have one at least every year and many often more. We also usually go away 3-4 times a year most years.

I take it you don't do anything in life beyond the basic essentials?

This

I don’t know anyone who is so poor that they can only afford a holiday every 3 - 4 years.

Totally hacked off with this, got a week booked in June to goto Dorset, managed to get a UK break last year im absolutely expecting to be able to travel this summer. Ive already accepted I wont be going a abroad until 2022.
Throughly fed up.

He can probably afford to leave it until the last minute to get whatever overpriced, what's left place there is so it probably doesn't enter his head that many are on tight budgets for a family holiday and that it is more sensible to book a fully cancelable, refundable holiday well in advance to get a good price.

I don’t know anyone who is so poor that they can only afford a holiday every 3 - 4 years

I'm not disputing that there are some people that can't afford any holiday, even if it is only a few days camping, but I also don't think it's true that most people can only afford to go on holiday every three to four years.

Business cannot afford to shut indefinitely there will be nowhere left

The point is it’s hardly unusual to expect a holiday as an annual occurrence. Plus it isn’t just one year, it was last year as well. I don’t know anyone who would be happy with a holiday every 3 - 4 years, it’s certainly not a large proportion of the population. Not necessarily a foreign holiday but holidays in the U.K. are still holidays.

We have booked our caravan in each month except August at a different holiday place from March until October, I have scrubbed the March one, probably scrubbed the April one but May to October ones I am a bit hopeful.

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

Depends, doesn't it? You will need to fill the car with petrol (so potentially contact there) and anyone with young children will probably need to stop and go to the toilet on route at some point too and service stations are busy places so potentially lots of contact there. And if you're travelling several hours you may need to stop for the loo. And for something to eat or just to stretch your legs. I suppose we we should all take pack lunches and a she-wee....

We've got a holiday abroad arranged which was postponed from last year so we actually booked in it 2019 before the pandemic had surfaced anywhere. I'm sure we're just one of hundreds or thousands of people in the same situation.

Just because people aren't booking new holidays at this moment in time doesn't mean there won't be many, many people hoping that they will be able to get away to have the break they booked 2 years ago!

Yes, he can do one

This year I've taken cancellation insurance on mine, I never would have done this before. If they get cancelled it's fine financially.

I wasn't waiting until they were stupid money!

@99victoria

We've got a holiday abroad arranged which was postponed from last year so we actually booked in it 2019 before the pandemic had surfaced anywhere. I'm sure we're just one of hundreds or thousands of people in the same situation.

Just because people aren't booking new holidays at this moment in time doesn't mean there won't be many, many people hoping that they will be able to get away to have the break they booked 2 years ago!

I imagine many are the same, a lot of families would have booked a year ahead for last years holidays to take advantage of free child places, we always used to do that when DS was young and to get the dates we wanted. Likewise we have some concerts we booked in 2019 which have been postponed and will likely be postponed again.

Do you think the environment conference (has a far more correct name which escapes me) in Glasgow in November will still take place?

Yes I’m sure the kids love a holiday abroad. I’m pretty sure their right to an education and to everyday social interaction is even more important.

Absolutely this!
I can't wait to go away as I was meant to go last year but it obviously got cancelled but I would rather postpone that and have life go back to 'normal'.

As there's sod all to do here I'd much rather spend my money somewhere else.

I get what you're saying and I think people should be able to travel but not far enough that they have to stay overnight. The only place I can think of that doesn't have local attractions within an hour or 2s drive are rural places like Cornwall, Devon, Wales etc but they do have the moors, beaches etc.
I also think it is important that we spend money in our local areas else they will become even more desolate.

@toocold54 by that logic I won’t get to see my parents/immediate family indefinitely then, as they live far enough away that we’d have to stay overnight somewhere if we were to see them.

[quote Lissy23]@toocold54 by that logic I won’t get to see my parents/immediate family indefinitely then, as they live far enough away that we’d have to stay overnight somewhere if we were to see them.[/quote]
Same for me, and I'm sorry but I won't stand for that, both our holidays involve visiting parts of the uk where are families are... I'm not spending my precious time off working feeding my funds into the local Londis and walking the same route round my estate forever more

by that logic I won’t get to see my parents/immediate family indefinitely then, as they live far enough away that we’d have to stay overnight somewhere if we were to see them.

But it won't be forever. It just about postponing it at max. a few months, because it is more important to get the country back up and running properly with businesses and schools re-opening than going on holiday.

How is it fair that businesses are closing, people are losing their jobs, schools are closed, you can't see your family members who live around the corner but yet it's ok for everyone to go on holiday?

There is no way that we can not mix for months and then everyone goes on holiday to mix, without repucussions. Surely, we want this all over with as soon as possible, what is the point in keep delaying it.

I feel that some people have had a really selfish attitude throughout this - why should they worry about other people losing their jobs, kids missing school etc as long as they get to have their week away in the sunshine.

I'm not spending my precious time off working feeding my funds into the local Londis and walking the same route round my estate forever more

Why is your time more precious than everyone else's though?
The entire country has to have a prolonged lockdown because you're bored of walking around your local area.

Just the tone of your post shows that you think that you are in some way more important than other people.

If we manage to get a self-catering cottage we'd bring all our food, we wouldn't stop at services (we'd make sure it was max 3 or 4 hours away).

As I said before that kind of holiday is pretty safe. I do think there are different sorts of holiday and some pose very little risk whereas anything involving an airport is obviously much much higher risk. A lot of the self catering cottages in the UK I've looked at have excellent covid precautions, far better than schools. You can easily go and not mix with anyone outside your immediate family at all. IF rates come right down (and that is an IF but they are coming down fast at the moment) and stay down I really think this should be allowed. As noted Matt Hancock has booked his holiday.

I feel that some people have had a really selfish attitude throughout this - why should they worry about other people losing their jobs, kids missing school etc as long as they get to have their week away in the sunshine.

I find your attitude selfish as well. You’re basically telling the that it’s tough that she can’t see her parents indefinitely as you think no one should travel even domestically

I find your attitude selfish as well. You’re basically telling the that it’s tough that she can’t see her parents indefinitely as you think no one should travel even domestically

If it was MY attitude then you would be correct but seeing as there are thousands of people losing their jobs, missing school, missing seeing their family members, suffering from all sorts due to the lockdown, and all wanting it to be over sooner rather than later; then no it is not being selfish to want people to only be able to travel within 2 hours for a few more months.

@toocold54 how would the 2 hour limit be policed? and two, what is your version of ‘a few months’?
It means that those who live near to their friends and family will be able to see them freely, but those of us that don’t will have to lump it?

@Katie517 i think the way the media has behaved has to be part of the inevitable public enquiry.

@toocold54

I'm not spending my precious time off working feeding my funds into the local Londis and walking the same route round my estate forever more

Why is your time more precious than everyone else's though?
The entire country has to have a prolonged lockdown because you're bored of walking around your local area.

Just the tone of your post shows that you think that you are in some way more important than other people.

No definitely not, you have no idea about me at all, we all have our limits and in the last year I've given up enough, which is quite a lot