Jamie Bryson: Life is not risk-free – we cannot surrender society to a new lockdown

We once again stare into abyss of another lockdown without any critical analysis of the legal, scientific, or logical basis for the decisions which will impinge upon all our lives.
Jamie BrysonJamie Bryson
Jamie Bryson

The economic, societal, and mental health consequences will be felt by us all for decades to come.

Lady Hale recently added her voice to concerns around the lawfulness of the Coronavirus emergency regulations. Writing in ‘Justice Matters’, a book published by the Legal Action Group, the recently retired Supreme Court Justice re-affirmed Parliament’s function was to pass laws, vote on government funding, and hold it to account. She said Parliament had “surrendered these functions in the face of Covid-19”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Another retired Supreme Court Justice, Lord Sumption, has challenged the lawfulness of the regulations from the outset.

Belfast City Hall on April 18 - a Saturday - with surrounding streets emptied of peopleBelfast City Hall on April 18 - a Saturday - with surrounding streets emptied of people
Belfast City Hall on April 18 - a Saturday - with surrounding streets emptied of people

We have an incredible situation whereby the most draconian restrictions ever imposed are at the very least based on an arguably questionable legal basis. That should be enough for rigorous scrutiny by both Parliament and the public, but sadly such critical analysis has given way to a mass-panic whereby all logic and reason is sacrificed on the altar of a desire to lockdown our entire society and willingly surrender our most basic liberties.

In Northern Ireland the regulations have been made in a wholly unsatisfactory manner. They are effectively impossible for any lay-person to navigate, buried as they are deep within reams of dense amendments. No ordinary person could possibly understand the laws that currently apply, nor untangle the confused interaction between what is law and what is guidance.

The Executive bring forward increasingly absurd and illogical amendments, then publish them hours before they are to come into effect. This is virtually impossible for businesses and citizens to keep up with, yet this reality is ignored.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There is no reasoned public debate around the regulations or seemingly impending ‘lockdown’. No proper discussion on whether the decisions being made are right or wrong, we simply are implored to follow the increasingly erratic regulations fired out each time Robin Swann rides out like the Lone Ranger with a new diktat.

The state can not eliminate risk. Covid-19 is not going away. I feel that for many people the ‘lockdown’ has become a comfort blanket whereby all responsibility and uncertainty in life can be washed away by simply locking the entire population down. Life is a risky business; every time we travel in car, engage in high risk sports, get on a plane or sail upon the open seas, there is a risk to our lives. Should we therefore reject all such activities which carry risk?

As much as it was mocked, herd immunity is perhaps the only way within which we can reasonably co-exist with the virus.

Focus on protecting and shielding the most vulnerable within the population and allow the virus to pass through the rest of us. The alternative is to lock society down, demolish the economy, make vast numbers of the population jobless and damage the physical and mental health of many people until such times as we can exist without any risk from Covid-19.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It is illogical; the unpalatable truth is that we must face the virus and accept the risks, or surrender our quality of life and that of our future generations– for a indeterminable period of time until there is a vaccine.

Each person must be entitled to consider how much risk they want to expose themselves to, within reason of course. If you want to go on and get on with your life, and risk getting Covid, then that’s a choice an adult should be free to make. The same way as if an adult wants to engage in high-risk sports, knowing that there is a chance they may lose their lives if there’s an accident, then as long as your actions do not needlessly endanger others, you should be free to make that choice.

In the same vein, if a person wishes to limit their risk or completely lockdown, then they should be entitled to do so, and no one should invade their personal space.

Lockdown infused the liberal elite within our commentariat with a new surge of superiority. It empowered the curtain twitching busby-bodies, who – in self righteous monotones – filled our airwaves with their sneering condemnation of anyone who dared to speak out against the imposed lockdown.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Much of the media (with notable exceptions) joined in the frenzy, refusing to ask awkward questions challenging the science, legality or basic logic of the decisions being made, and instead becoming almost de-facto press officers for the NI Executive. Lobbyists for lockdown would be a more apt job title for some.

There is an exceedingly difficult public conversation to be had around what our lives, and society, is going to look like going forward. We must face up to it.

Jamie Bryson is a prolific loyalist blogger and commentator

READ MORE OF THE NEWS LETTER’S RECENT COVERAGE:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor