Extending the furlough scheme: little short-term gain, much long-term pain
Posted at 2pm UK time
For an elite driven by ‘equality’, it is mind-boggling that the inequality caused by the Government’s response goes unreported. A Royal Society of Public Health policy paper, “Disparity Begins at Home: how home working is impacting the public’s health”, starkly laid out the unequal impact of working in a lockdown age. The report showed that the response to the pandemic is literally hurting people. It found that those forced to work at home from their bedroom were more likely to report complaints of musculoskeletal problems than those able to work from a home office. The poor are literally having their health punished by restrictions.
Reports have indicated that part of the influence for open-mindedness on furlough is Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s insistence it be extended, and that she will make this case at a ‘four-nations summit’ later this week. The government’s approach to the pandemic seems to be ‘follow wherever she leads’ when it comes to coordinating with Scotland. But where will this kowtowing to Scotland on policy lead? The Scottish National Party at the recent Holyrood elections pledged that if they were elected they would push for assisted suicide if they were victorious. Now they have won, if Sturgeon makes good on that claim, should Westminster move to legalise it just because the SNP have?
It has been said often but still remains true: the government have an 80-seat majority, it is about time they use it to set us free, or they might just find that we will use our freedom to turf them out instead.
