Following Health Secretary Sajid Javid’s positive Covid-19 test, it was announced that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak would not be self-isolating, but would instead be partaking in a pilot programme, where they would take daily tests to replace self isolation. With a concerning increase of Covid cases throughout July, and half a million alerts telling people to self isolate through the NHS Covid-19 app in the last few weeks alone, my confidence certainly waivers in the Government as we prepare for restrictions to end on the 19th of July. This announcement confirms the concerns felt by many – it is simply one rule for them, and another for us.

This announcement confirms the concerns felt by many – it is simply one rule for them, and another for us

Labour’s shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth quite rightly criticised this decision, arguing that politicians appear to have access to “VIP testing”, while the rest of the population has to put up with the requirements this Government so vigorously encourages. Thousands of families have struggled through these restrictions – parents have had to take time off work to care for children that have been sent home from school, families have been separated for well over a year, and businesses have struggled relentlessly due to shortages of staff. For the PM and Chancellor to just decide they do not fancy having to isolate, it sends a clear message to the nation that they are more concerned about their personal endeavours than the county’s morale and faith in their leadership. 

Managing Director of Iceland supermarket, Richard Walker, was also critical of this decision – suggesting that it is a “shame the hundreds of Iceland staff who have been pinged can’t avoid self-isolation”. It is simply unjust that politicians should be able to find loopholes in their own policies that are supposedly helping the country; all of us are capable of taking daily lateral flow tests, and I’m sure we all know which option we would rather opt for.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also chimed in on the topic, making the statement that “At a time when we need to maintain confidence in self isolation, parents, workers and businesses will be wondering what on earth is going on in Downing Street”. From Matt Hancock’s recent affair scandals, to the general hypocrisy emerging from Downing Street, it is clear that all the restrictions being imposed by the Government come with an unspoken rule – that

A position of privilege and wealth ultimately makes you invincible to any repercussions or consequences

a position of privilege and wealth ultimately makes you invincible to any repercussions or consequences. It is incredibly concerning that the country’s welfare currently lies in the hands of a Government that feels they are above a pandemic. 

While it has since been announced that the PM and Chancellor will partake in the standard self-isolation, it should not have taken public backlash and criticism for Downing Street to recognise that this was the correct decision to make. With almost all restrictions being lifted on Monday, we need a Government we can trust and rely on now more than ever. If they are failing to adhere to the rules currently in place, while enforcing precautions onto the public, how can the Government expect people to continue listening to their advice? I’m sure that I’m not alone when I say that I know many people who scarcely have any regard for restrictions anymore, but can you really blame them when this is the example we have to follow? People have lost loved ones and been unable to attend their funeral, but Matt Hancock can be physically intimate with his Aide in business hours. The sheer disregard the Government appears to have for the population’s welfare is frankly appalling, and will only have more detrimental effects following Johnson’s and Sunak’s reckless decisions. If the people in charge do not adhere to the rules, why would anyone else want to?

At a time where PM Boris Johnson should have been encouraging morale and togetherness in the nation, he has once again let down the population with his poor decisions and leadership

At a time where PM Boris Johnson should have been encouraging morale and togetherness in the nation, he has once again let down the population with his poor decisions and leadership. It is quite ironic that the day before the nation see’s its ‘Freedom Day’, the PM, Health Secretary and Chancellor are all in isolation following exposure to the very virus that they suggest to be ‘under control’. How can we trust that this is the right decision, and that by September we will not be back to square one? One thing is for sure – the Government has proven that there is one rule for the privileged, and another for the general population. But how long will it take for our Government to realise that privilege is merely a societal construct, and most certainly not a means of immunity against a World-Wide Pandemic?

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