Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Grant Shapps

95 replies

Lissy23 · 10/02/2021 10:54

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

Grant Shapps
OP posts:
toocold54 · 10/02/2021 17:50

how would the 2 hour limit be policed? and two, what is your version of ‘a few months’?

It wouldn't need to be policed as if accommodation like hotels, holiday homes and caravan parks are closed then very few people will be traveling much further if they can't stay overnight.

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?

But your way means that those with money that can afford higher-than-normal priced hotels and holiday homes can go on their holidays and see whoever they want, whilst those who've lost their jobs and suffered the most from the lockdown, can't afford to pay those prices have to stay home but will still have to pay the price for everyone else mixing.

Alfaix · 10/02/2021 17:51

I was really hoping for a warm holiday abroad this year. However I have come to the conclusion that we need to close our borders with strict quarantine only so that we can get life back to more normal here. I love holidays but having less restrictions here would make it worth a few years of UK rainy holidays.

toocold54 · 10/02/2021 17:52

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

Do you not think that everyone else feels the same?

I am done with this lockdown and want it to end - which is exactly why I don't want a repeat of last year, where they opened everything up for summer only to lock it all back down again.

marieantoinehairnet · 10/02/2021 18:04

@toocold54

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

Do you not think that everyone else feels the same?

I am done with this lockdown and want it to end - which is exactly why I don't want a repeat of last year, where they opened everything up for summer only to lock it all back down again.

Don't you see though, this isn't going away no matter how many times we lock down, opening up last summer didn't cause a problem. I do despair though as some people clearly believe that we should stop living for the greater cause. At some point we will need to accept this is here to stay and we'll need to live around it.
PinkSparklyPussyCat · 10/02/2021 18:14

It wouldn't need to be policed as if accommodation like hotels, holiday homes and caravan parks are closed then very few people will be traveling much further if they can't stay overnight.

What a good idea, let's put hotels, holiday agencies and caravan parks out of business once and for all

lunapeace · 10/02/2021 18:19

Even with strict quarantine, we will still have too much travel in and out of this country. Take the premier league for example, footballers will be exempt and able to fly in and out. That is just one example, the privileged will find loopholes. The rest of us will continue to have our lives disrupted and mutations will still be getting in and out. Let's not forget the likes of Piers Morgan preaching and shouting daily and he himself jetted off to France and Barbados last year.

toocold54 · 10/02/2021 18:36

Don't you see though, this isn't going away no matter how many times we lock down, opening up last summer didn't cause a problem.

Of course it did. It transits person-person therefore the more mixing = more transmission. It is not that hard to understand.

toocold54 · 10/02/2021 18:38

What a good idea, let's put hotels, holiday agencies and caravan parks out of business once and for all

And how many businesses have gone out/going out of business because of the lockdown?
But you're ok with that if it means you get a holiday?

toocold54 · 10/02/2021 18:40

That is just one example, the privileged will find loopholes.

This is what I find so frustrating.
This pandemic has really widened the gap between those that are privileged and those that are not. It is one rule for them and another rule for everyone else.

jigsawaddict · 10/02/2021 18:43

Enough is seriously enough now.

Messaging like this is setting the tone for summer to be grim, when all the indicators (vaccines, cases dropping when the weather improves etc) should mean that we could start looking forward to summer soon.

Now, it just feels endless.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 10/02/2021 18:55

@toocold54

What a good idea, let's put hotels, holiday agencies and caravan parks out of business once and for all

And how many businesses have gone out/going out of business because of the lockdown?
But you're ok with that if it means you get a holiday?

Don't be ridiculous, that wasn't what I was saying as you well know.
peak2021 · 10/02/2021 19:07

I think this is one of the few sensible words to come from a government minister, much as they are disappointing.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 10/02/2021 19:10

I think we all know it's a risk to book a holiday but it's one I'm willing to take - UK holiday, fully refundable so what's the problem? His attitude of 'people shouldn't be thinking about booking a holiday' was the problem for me, anyone would think it was against the law.

ragged · 10/02/2021 20:14

Lots of people don't book refundable holidays - I never used to. Saying that planning a holiday is a risky is quite reasonable imho.

Original poster
Lissy23 · 10/02/2021 20:49

The media are now giving mixed messages on booking a UK holiday. So it continues!

OP posts:
User7458 · 11/02/2021 06:09

Matt Hancock apparently said again yesterday to some MPs that he had booked his holiday according to BBC breakfast.

marieantoinehairnet · 11/02/2021 06:34

This is it, they can't ever get their ducks in a row, so there's no way I'm taking any more of their advice!

Ponoka7 · 11/02/2021 07:13

@KriekAndWaffle

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

Having the vaccine coincided with allowing foreign travel, which people took advantage of over the Christmas period. We knew that we were going to have a bad winter, but inexplicably the government refused to stop non essential travel.

Holidays have been covered in the last few days Covid briefings. They'd rather people wait instead of giving false hope. The matter of some of the ministers already booking holidays was discussed. It's worth recording the briefings and the BBC catch up, which usually has experts on discussing things in more detail. People assume that all holidays will be reimbursed but if you book during a lock down, then they aren't unless stated in the t&cs. The government is just covering itself.

The worry is that the polls show that there will be poor vaccine take up by the under 35's. If the virus circulates then tbere is a chance of another mutation.

User7458 · 11/02/2021 08:00

Probably best to book only if getting full refund and using credit card for if holiday firm goes bust. Hancock just said he hopes for great British summer, he has booked but there is uncertainty and he said it was neither choice whether you should book so up to us really, like it always was before they totally confused the issue

We have booked our caravan into several sites during the year but they are all places that you pay on arrival and no deposit so no loss if cancelled or we can't go for any reason

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread