KEEPING TO THE RULES
We are now nearly three quarters way through the first month of 2022. January is always a difficult month when a general gloom seems to descend. I like to refer to this as Januaryitis and I suffer from it every year. It is mainly due to the after effect of the very long Festive Season, both in financial and physical ways. In dealing with the physical effects, I, like many, tried a dry Januar., But the fact is this didn’t make me feel better, almost the opposite. I hasten to add I don’t drink a great deal, just a glass of wine in the evening and then when out socially. Obviously a good deal more indulgence went on over Christmas but I really don’t think a short, sudden stopping of the alcohol intake is necessarily a good thing for the system. Far better to have a gradual wind down. For this reason I will admit to breaking my dry January, having had a drink at a family lunch last weekend! I can still keep my New Year Resolution of drinking less without resorting to more drastic measures! As far as the financial effects go, these are rather more serious. Most will have over-spent at Christmas and now have to face bills and filling in the dreaded tax returns. With the high rise in the cost of living coming into view, there is an extra air of gloom. No wonder January is a difficult month and this year we have the added worry of Covid hanging over us – which brings me to the topic of RULES.
There is evidence that Covid Rules have been broken and a nasty feeling about at the moment, that various people in positions of power, or fame, have felt themselves above the law. Inevitably, since the outbreak of the pandemic, new rules had to be brought in for the purpose of public safety. On the whole we, the general public, adhered to these, and with a great deal of discipline obeyed the rules of lockdown. Sticking to these rules meant hardship and heartbreak for many, – not being able to see sick and dying relatives etc. Now, to the outrage of the general public we find that the very people that made the rules, happily broke them. It started with Dominic Cummings, then it was Matt Hancock. The resignations began. At the end of the year there was the Paterson affair, where the Prime Minister and Leader of the House, tried to force Parliament to actually change the rules to get the man off. This failed, only for ‘Partygate’ to emerge. It now seems that Number 10 were having one long party throughout lockdown and the PM himself admitted attending one of these parties – thus breaking the rules. He gave a sort of apology, saying he thought it was a work event, but evidence is fast coming out that he not only knew about this party but actually sanctioned it. As more information arrives we are becoming numbingly shocked. It seems that even on the evening of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral – when the next day we had the tragic picture of the grieving queen in isolation obeying the rules – a big party was taking place in Downing Street with suitcases of booze being wheeled into the house.
What are we to make of this? It certainly underlines a growing feeling that certain people feel they are above the law, not just politicians but star tennis players and even a member of the royal family. So, to the normal gloom of January we can add a definite anger and even fury at this present situation. Were all those sacrifices we made during the last two years for nothing? Were the rules made for the general public to keep, but not for some in high places? On top of this anger we have the unhappy probability that the PM has lied to Parliament about his party attendance and knowledge of the parties at No 10. Not many people think Johnson hasn’t lied continually through his the last two years, and although sickened by his weekly lying during PMQ’s, this is more serious than that. If he is found out to have lied to Parliament when making a statement, then he has to resign. And quite frankly all the sycophants in his cabinet who have gone along with him, should resign as well. So February may well be a very interesting month.
On a final and more positive note, my herbs seem to be surviving the winter frosts and the brilliant blue skies and sun are a great bonus when out for my short constitutionals. Roll on Spring.
