I think its a very tough call. Of course we all hate lockdown, the impact on the economy and jobs, on people's mental health and their relationships, isolation and loneliness. And our liberties and freedom. and I think one group who have been treated worse than any other are students - who are having the police coming into their homes and restricting them and threatening them.
But the pandemic has reinforced social and health inequalities and killed those that are already the worst off. its not just the old and those with underlying conditions who have died, its not just just frontline workers like nurses, doctors and ambulance men, its bus drivers and supermarket workers and ethnic minorities and the poorest in society. And many more are still suffering with long covid. And with all conscience, not being in any of those groups, I don't think I could happily nominate them to die or get severely ill whilst myself and my children live in relative safety.
So in the end, I hate the loss of freedom but I hate more the impact on people worse off than me.
I'd not be marching for my freedom. I'd try to be acting in the best interests of our society. And I say that as someone who wanted to show my displeasure about male violence last week. And I still do.
We do also need to understand the political philosophy of this government. Sure like any Tory government they don't like the voices of dissent. But the very reason Boris Johnson was so slow to order lockdown - which he has been heavily criticised for - is because he's a libertarian, he believes in a free market and limited state interference. Its a finely poised argument and decision making - and mobs don't express subtleties. What freedom do we want? To express our dissent? Sure. To expose others, even our friends and family, to a public health crisis and death? No thanks.
This all happened in 1918 with the Spanish flu. There was huge suffering and protests too. Less government protection and government funded safety nets. A terrible cost. and time will tell what worked, what was proportionate, what we would do again. And we will need to learn from this.
What we are going through now isn't anymore a deprivation of liberty than any other European country. Many have been much more restrictive than the Uk. Maybe those that closed all borders - like New Zealand and Australia - and Sweden who have paid the price with death rates have been more relaxed. Apparently. But its one freedom versus another.
And I think there is a huge risk of complacency in the UK. Our infection rates have now plummeted and we are ahead of most countries (except Israel with a much smaller population) with our vaccination programme. We might now feel safer and freer. But Italy, France and Germany are now going through a further peak in infection rates. We may not be immune from its impact. Time now for cautious optimism and a roadmap towards more freedom. Cautious not reckless and aware. False steps could cost.