TFA member, Lord (Daniel) Moylan questioned the Government last Tuesday over its decision to close places of worship for public worship. Here is his question is full:

"To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the official guidance to address the COVID-19 pandemic issued following the Prime Minister’s remarks on Saturday 31 October, whether they will now produce the evidence that justifies the cessation of acts of public worship in places of worship."

The following is a guest post by Tony Brown. Tony was a Political Advisor to the former Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy and its predecessor, Europe of Freedom and Democracy. 

Following a post of mine on Facebook about Swedish success with its independent 'minimalist' Covid containment policy, I was asked, 'Could you please define the parameters for success?'

I believe that central to the confusion about Covid is that very few - any (?) - governments have set down their answer to this question. I suggested five:

By Andrew Allison, Head of Campaigns

To a certain extent the Government has had no option but to make it up as it goes along. None of us have experience of a virus like Covid-19. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. But the Government’s latest assaults on our liberties and freedoms must be challenged. 

We are no longer a Parliamentary Democracy. That stopped months ago. But we were told that it wouldn’t be for long. All we had to do was stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. We did that in the tens of millions. Roads were deserted. All but essential shops were closed. Pubs, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, and bowling alleys were closed. We could only leave our homes to buy essential goods. We could exercise for an hour a day, but at least the weather was getting better, although for those of us with gardens, lockdown was far more tolerable than for those who live in blocks of flats. 

By Andrew Allison, Head of Campaigns

I am sure that you, like me, are not content with the new normal and want the old normal back. It is becoming increasingly obvious that Covid-19 has mutated and is not as deadly as it was at the beginning of the year. Here are the latest statistics published by the Government at 4.00 pm yesterday:

Commenting on the Government's announcement on the compulsory wearing of face masks in shops and supermarkets, Andrew Allison, Head of Campaigns of The Freedom Association, said: 

"The messaging from the Government on the wearing of face coverings has been inconsistent and confusing. On 3rd April, at the height of the pandemic, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Jonathan Van-Tam said that 'there is no evidence that general wearing of the face masks by the public who are well affects the spread of the disease.' What has changed? 

The following article by Andrew Allison was published on Conservatives Global website yesterday.

With the news that the economy shrank by a record 20.4 per cent in April, it is vital that we get the economy working again. Here are three recommendations to the Government from The Freedom Association:

• Reduce the social distancing rule from two metres to one metre. Rishi Sunak told Conservative MPs that if the two-metre rule is reduced, 75 per cent of pubs could reopen. If it is not reduced, 75 per cent will remain closed. It really is that stark. The Government must change the two-metre rule. Livelihoods depend on it.
• Cut red tape. Why isn't the Government saying to businesses that you can reopen, but you must maintain social distancing? Ministers should leave it up to them how they manage it. Instead, there is form filling and risk assessments, all eating up valuable time. The Government should not be micromanaging businesses. It should trust businesses to do the right thing, and if necessary, take action against those who do not.
• Reopen schools to all pupils. Schools have had months to prepare for this. All the evidence from around the world points to children being largely unaffected by Covid-19. They also do not spread it in the same way as adults. Children need to go back to school.

ENDS

Andrew Allison, Head of Campaigns

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has horrified the world. Derek Chauvin, the police officer who pinned him down with his knee on his neck, despite Floyd clearly telling him that he could not breathe, cannot be justified, and it is correct that Chauvin and his three former colleagues are prosecuted. But that did not justify the scenes we witnessed in central London yesterday. 

I was genuinely shocked when I saw a picture of the protest in Hyde Park yesterday afternoon. We still have a right to protest; of course we do, but during the current restrictions we have to protest in a way that does not spread COVID-19. This begs the question: why were so many people allowed to congregate breaking social distancing guidelines? 

The following article by Andrew Allison, Head of Campaigns, was published on Brexit-Watch.org's website yesterday. 

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