How can a country abide a government that consistently says one thing and then does the exact opposite? Whether it’s lockdown two, lockdown three, or masks in schools, the government has consistently stated one thing and then changed its mind months, weeks, or even hours later.
This not only exacerbates the problem of trust in politicians, but in ‘the science’, which they have clutched as a shield to cower behind whilst making political decisions. The latest example is the shifting of the goalposts around when lockdown will finally end. Ministers began by saying they would ‘cry freedom’ when the vulnerable were vaccinated, but now it seems entirely possible that we will still face restrictions even after everyone is offered a vaccine.
The government have given the police an impossible task this year
This erosion of trust is having a particularly stark impact on policing. In November, I discussed my concern that the government’s ever-changing and punitive approach to the policing of lockdown restrictions could drive social unrest.
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