Don’t cave, PM
PLAN A for getting through another Covid winter looks reasonable.
Boris Johnson must at all costs avoid resorting to Plan B.
Trending In The News welcomes ramping up the jabs — with boosters for over-50s and vaccinations for 12 to 15s — and continuing with free PCR tests.
But the PM must turn a deaf ear to the siren voices who, at the first hint of trouble, will clamour for crippling restrictions to be reimposed.
Remember their hysteria before his “Freedom Day” on July 19?
Labour screamed he was being reckless.
They tried feebly to rebrand Delta the “Johnson Variant”.
They said he had “lost control” and was driving us unstoppably towards 100,000 infections a day.
They will never apologise for it.
But they were hopelessly wrong.
Boris’s boldness paid off.
Cases stabilised far, far below Labour’s prediction and have fallen now for several days.
Meanwhile, look at the rebound in the economy, with employment back at pre-Covid levels and unemployment down to 4.6 per cent, way below most economists’ initial fears.
There are vacancies galore for those without a job to return to once furlough ends.
But the doom-mongers will be back if cases climb again and, along with seasonal flu, put pressure on the NHS.
If deaths rise, as they might, they will demand masks everywhere, vaccine passports, work-from-home orders and no doubt sweeping closures too.
They will behave as if jabs — two doses now proven to keep the overwhelming majority of us safe — never existed.
Boris will need to hold his nerve.
Our heroes
HOW proud Trending In The News was last night to honour the jaw-dropping heroism of paramedics Mick Hipgrave and Deena Evans.
Mick saved Deena’s life when both were slashed by a frenzied knife attacker during a callout.
They so richly deserve their “999 Hero” gong, their poignant tribute from Prince William and the standing ovation from the star-studded audience at our Who Cares Wins awards.
Theirs was just one of the amazing stories of courage and selflessness at our annual celebration of the best of the NHS, after another year blighted by Covid.
Our grateful thanks to all those who made the glittering bash possible.
You can share in the experience when Channel 4 screen it on Sunday evening.
And we will publish all the winners and their fantastic stories in Monday’s paper.
One’s won
A FEW flakier members of her family may be a nightmare, but at least the Queen can always rely on her racehorses.
This year has been her best ever as an owner, with 32 winners.
Her £460,000 prize money isn’t to be sniffed at either.
It’s a little something for a reigny day.
