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Original poster

" Go on holiday but don't"

51 replies

bookworm1632 · 17/05/2021 10:21

What exactly is wrong with this stupid government?

They simultaneously tell everyone they shouldn't be going on holiday, and relax restrictions preventing them from doing so....

If they think going abroad is a bad idea right now, why not leave the restrictions in place! If they DON'T think it's a risk, then why tell everyone not to?!

Whichever approach you think is right, you have to agree the mixed message approach is bonkers!

OP posts:
Alexapissoff · 17/05/2021 10:39

So the people that did can get the blame for another lockdown while the government says they warned us to be careful.

Same with the priming already of calling people who decline the vaccine “idiots” (and I know some of you agree, but it’s quite inflammatory to have that being said in the press, making people turn on each other).

It’s all to shift blame.

Schulte · 17/05/2021 10:42

It’s the same with ‘meet indoors but don’t’, ‘hug your granny but don’t’ etc. Utter incompetence.

LadyCatStark · 17/05/2021 10:46

I also thought it was a bit off that Good Morning Britain did a price where they sent a reporter on a plane this morning!

titchy · 17/05/2021 11:09

They're channelling their inner Matt Lucas.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 17/05/2021 11:11

YANBU OP.

Mixed messaging and arse covering, the staple of our government's approach to everything.....

RaspberryCoulis · 17/05/2021 11:19

They're following the pursed-lip, superior and condescending tone of our Scottish First Minister with the "just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD".

Welikebeingcosy · 17/05/2021 11:26

Trying to put all the burden on our own shoulders.

messeduppriorities · 17/05/2021 12:06

No more mask wearing in schools = apart from all those schools where masks are still being worn.

We're out of the worst of it and now have 'freedom days' = except for those poor school children who have to do home learning for 10 days and not leave the house because there is one single case of the Indian variant in their year group, but no need to panic, everyone else can go inside the pubs, hug their granny, go on holiday to Portugal.

No panic! Freedom! But if you are a child or young person, back to square one with you.

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 17/05/2021 12:15

The government just want to give good news and the papers are helping it with what is, at the end of the day, shameless lies.

Government: restrictions are lifted
UK press: happy pictures of sunny holidays, triumphant headlines
Reality: you can choose between Israel, Iceland or Portugal. But remember a family will have to pay thousands of pounds in tests.

By the way do we know who is making money from these tests? Nothing to do with the government I'm sure...

Anyway. It is clear the government think the UK electorate is stupid. Telling lies and shifting blame has worked beautifully for them so why change?

LadyCatStark · 17/05/2021 12:25

@messeduppriorities

No more mask wearing in schools = apart from all those schools where masks are still being worn.

We're out of the worst of it and now have 'freedom days' = except for those poor school children who have to do home learning for 10 days and not leave the house because there is one single case of the Indian variant in their year group, but no need to panic, everyone else can go inside the pubs, hug their granny, go on holiday to Portugal.

No panic! Freedom! But if you are a child or young person, back to square one with you.

Yes this!
EileenGC · 17/05/2021 12:37

They do it so they can blame the citizens if things get worse again. The UK government is not renowned for taking responsibility for their own actions.

Summercocktailsinthesnow · 17/05/2021 12:44

We do need to start taking responsibility.

So I expect more of this, depending on your own circumstances, risk factors, health etc etc you have to decide if it is safe for YOU to hug a granny/holiday etc.
This is a return to adults making decisions for themselves. They are telling you the risks, they are outlining the dangers and now it is for you to decide what you want to do.

We do not need to be told what to do, if we are adults and of average intelligence. You can weigh things up and use your judgement.

I find it scary that so many people have become reliant on being told how to live!!!!!!!! Time to wean the country from the nanny state.

What do YOU want to do op?

TokyoSushi · 17/05/2021 12:46

It's so further down the line if people complain about being too restricted, then they can say 'well we let you go on holiday'

And if things go wrong, they can also say 'well we told you not to go'

EileenGC · 17/05/2021 12:52

This is a return to adults making decisions for themselves.

The shocking part is that the word ‘return’ is needed. I completely agree with you, I don’t understand why people have been so reliant on government guidelines instead of taking their own decisions! We’re not children. I never stopped hugging people and thank goodness I live somewhere where the government treated us as adults throughout this things.

EileenGC · 17/05/2021 12:53

Thing*

CryingAtTheDiscotheque · 17/05/2021 12:55

Agree with PP, govt knows that lifting of restrictions is risky so is preparing to blame the public if/when it all goes tits up.

It is dishonest and irresponsible. Plus ca change, eh...

memberofthewedding · 17/05/2021 13:19

Many of these people could face queues of 3-6 hours at immigration on return. Do I feel sorry for them? No, they chose to travel at an unwise time. Several friends I know would love to travel abroad to visit relatives but are holidaying in the UK this year. They want to see how international travel works out before shelling out large sums of money for what could be a very stressful journey.

99victoria · 17/05/2021 13:32

I completely agree about personal responsibility and making our own decisions but the fact is that as soon as we do that, several people will be along to tell us we are 'idiots' and 'selfish'
We're planning to go to Greece at the end of June- we'll both have had 2 vaccinations, we can afford the tests and we're happy to quarantine for 10 days. Our decision and we're taking personal responsibility but it doesn't stop others chiming in insulting us and telling us how wrong we are :(

murbblurb · 17/05/2021 13:34

Means that they dont have to fund businesses that can open, even if there is no business. Meanwhile £27bn on destructive useless roads and God knows how much more wasted on nightingales, Res tand trace etc. And still our prime minister is popular...

MargosKaftan · 17/05/2021 13:37

Because if you are allowed to go, but chose not to go, you can't get a refund.

If you can't go on holiday, you need your money back. Or have your holiday rescheduled yet again to 2022, taking a place that the holiday company could sell next year.

Because if you can go away, but lots of people chose not to, that's not the government's fault, so the holiday industry can't ask for financial assistance.

Because if enough people go away anyway, it might keep the airlines and travel companies from making mass redundancies.

Because they want to go away, but think it would be best if you didn't.

EileenGC · 17/05/2021 14:33

I completely agree about personal responsibility and making our own decisions but the fact is that as soon as we do that, several people will be along to tell us we are 'idiots' and 'selfish'

I couldn’t care less what people think. As long as I know what I’m doing is not selfish nor am I an idiot, why would I take decisions based on other people’s opinion? They can judge and comment all they want, I’m not hurting anybody.

nancywhitehead · 17/05/2021 14:53

It's very strange how people complain about having restrictions imposed because it takes away their freedom, but then also complain about having them lifted because it gives them responsibility. We can't have it both ways.

IcedPurple · 17/05/2021 14:58

There are lots of things which the government advises us not to do but which aren't illegal. Examples include smoking, drinking to excess or eating unhealthy foods. Why do people demand to be told what they can or can't do by the government? It's not really a 'mixed message', unless you lack the ability to think for yourself.

NewMatress · 17/05/2021 15:02

Heaven forbid they should ask people to make the right decision.

I think it's right that people should be allowed to make their own decisions and then be given the information needed to make an informed decision. It's just unfortunate it's not what people want to hear and that most people are selfish.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 17/05/2021 15:08

Actually the mixed messages are coming so thick and fast that thinking for oneself means changing ones thoughts on a sixpence - one example - Matt Hancock opining that vaccine refuseniks will cause the IV to spread like wildfire, but at the same time it's being reported that vaccine hesitancy us extremely low - so which do we believe ? (Source the Guardian livefeed) .

Cases of the IV currently stand at less than 2000 in a population of 55 million and apparently the vaccines work well against it. Based on that is my personal responsibility to stay at home or not? Do we go by data or modelling?

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