LET me get this straight: Sajid Javid is the Conservative Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, is he not?

He took over from his mate Matt Hancock, who was careless enough to get himself into a bit of an embarrassing scrape on a CC TV camera, didn’t he? But I digress...

So, based on SJ’s position and professed responsibilities to protect the UK public from the ongoing threat of Covid infection, Nick Robinson was absolutely right to quiz the minister on BBC TV’s Sunday morning Marr show, about vaccine passports being required by those wishing to attend night-clubs and similar venues wasn’t he?

But, guess what, the Conservative government has just performed yet another u-turn on this - something they do quite often, if you haven’t noticed!

But all Mr Javid could come up with by way of a lame explanation was to say that “most people instinctively don’t like” the notion of having to show any kind of ID.

Okay, so are we now saying that our government is no longer to enforce any kind of regulation on our lives simply because 'most people would instinctively dislike it'?

Clearly, that is a ludicrous premise if considered across the board.

What about the compulsory driving test, for instance or paying income tax, or sending children to school at age five, or paying for a lowly car parking space?

Would some people - possibly quite a lot - not say they “instinctively don’t like the idea” of complying with those, usually taken for granted, regulations?

Let us remember, that the abiding principle behind all of the above - at least in theory - is to contribute, if only indirectly, to the public good.

Our income tax goes to the Treasury broadly to support the state: driving tests aim to prevent unqualified people getting behind the wheel and causing death and mayhem, our children are required to attend school in order to get an education and the best possible start in life, etc, etc.

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And bringing all that up to date, the Covid restrictions with which we are all familiar, are about protecting all vulnerable individuals, the public at large and, very importantly, our precious NHS.

For my part, I believe that most people have agreed with that principle and adopted different protective behaviours because of it. And the plan to introduce Vaccine Passports was no exception; the strategy behind it was to protect other people and the NHS, as well as those attending or employed in any particular venue.

I am fully aware that the whole concept of Covid vaccine passports is not an easy one, but just to say lamely that “most people instinctively don’t like it” is both laughable and deeply troubling when coming from our Health Minister who carries a duty of care for our whole population.

Both he and the present omni-shambolic Conservative government need to take their full responsibilities seriously, consult the science with care and understanding and reach intelligent, balanced judgments for the good of all.

That’s their job, isn’t it?

JF POCOCK
Wellington