Philip Johnston

Bookseller Scott before the huge rush at 9am this morning.

Brutal and disproportionate lockdowns were the biggest policy mistake in my lifetime, so far. We should have properly protected the elderly/vulnerable, and allowed the rest of society to function as normally as possible. Yes, it would have been challenging. But a blanket lockdown policy on tens of millions who were at almost zero risk from the virus was utterly disastrous. The vast, vast majority of children were in zero danger. Yet their wellbeing and development was sacrificed without a second thought. We should have encouraged people to get fit and healthy, so they were better equipped to deal with COVID when they inevitably caught it. There should have been an honest conversation about risk levels - this was not an indiscriminate killer, there were clear and obvious risk groups. Instead, using our money, the Government pumped fear into the entire population with no thought of the consequences. A non-COVID health crisis has killed thousands already and will continue, with a far younger average age of death than those who sadly died from COVID. In addition to millions suffering in pain due to lockdown-induced delays... Shutting down the economy, causing vast incalculable damage that we are still feeling today. In fact, my grandchildren will be paying off our lockdown debts for many years to come. Hundreds of billions gone - think how just a fraction of that could have been spent on a real protective ring around those who actually needed it. Sweden showed us that there was a better way, yet our inquiry entirely ignores it. Quite purposefully, I suspect. I have no faith in this circus to come to a balanced assessment of our pandemic response, and neither should you.