Making difficult and often unpopular decisions is what MPs often have to do. The measures voted through tonight, working from home if you can, wearing a mask in indoor settings such as cinemas and churches, and a requirement to show a recent negative lateral flow test (unless you are double vaccinated) at major events with more than 500 people, in my mind are reasonable and proportionate.
We know that the Omicron variant is incredibly infectious, with rates doubling in the UK every 2 to 3 days. There has been independent modelling suggesting that if we do nothing, it will lead to 75,000 extra deaths in the UK by April. This is a model and may well overstate the case, but we can be sure of considerably more infections and while Omicron is potentially mild, it will cause more hospitalisations and deaths, given the dramatic rise in cases we are already seeing In recent weeks, our much loved North Devon District Hospital, have seen more Covid cases than at any other time in the pandemic, with very many of these amongst the double jabbed, who whilst experiencing Covid badly enough to require hospitalisation, after a few days treatment have been able to go home. This is thanks to the vaccinations reducing the severity of the disease, but still are additional patients in an already crowded hospital environment.
Many people have suggested that these measures do not go far enough. The opposition who supported these measures, would have willingly introduced significantly more stringent, if not draconian measures like we are seeing in the EU. I find it particularly galling that the handful of Liberal Democrat MPs at Westminster did not support these measures even though they have been calling for more stringent ones. Their opposition, being purely for strategic political posturing ahead of a by-election.
I get the politics, but I cannot, and MPs in general should not, make these crucial decisions based on what is popular or politically expedient at the time. Trust in politics is at a particularly low point at present and using a moment in the national fight against Covid to score some political points is low, even for the Liberal Democrats.
Of the many emails I have received on this matter, the number and passion behind the opposition to ‘vaccine passports’ stands out.
The requirement at major events to have a negative lateral flow test from the past 24 hours unless you can show you are double vaccinated is actually less than what most major events such as premier league football games have been doing anyway in recent months. Where we did not have such systems in place, such as at Boardmasters over the summer, for example, we had a huge outbreak.
I understand that people are worried that this very minor measure is the first on a slippery slope. In my mind, it is a small measure to help slow infections so that we do not have to go down any of the dark illiberal roads that are worrying people.
Another measure requires front line NHS staff to be vaccinated, which, although I do find this difficult, I think it is reasonable since they have a duty of care to their vulnerable patients, and our social care staff already have to fulfil this requirement, and other vaccines are already mandatory in health settings. Full vaccine passports are routine in Germany, France, Italy and elsewhere - you need proof that you have been vaccinated before going into bars and restaurants. Compulsory vaccination for health workers is the norm.
Some countries are toying with mandatory vaccinations for the wider population, this, I find unacceptable. Scotland already has vaccine passports.
We cannot bury our head in the sand and do nothing and we should not, by doing nothing, risk having to shut down schools or hospitality at a later date. We must forge onwards, mitigating risk where we can in a reasonable way, but in the main, as we do, trust people to take precautions, do the right thing and encourage vaccination.
I appreciate that many constituents are fundamentally against these measures, many people, who are my friends and supporters. I respect their views, I do not want to disappoint anyone, this is not an easy decision for me to support these measures when we do not yet have all of the facts needed to overwhelmingly prove that they are necessary.
I have lobbied and asked that that a negative test is a far better precautionary measure than vaccination status alone.
This Government is making hard, often unpalatable decisions with the nation’s best interest at heart but in the end we must move forward. Keep calm, stay polite, test regularly and enjoy the festive period that our superior vaccination programme has made possible.
