One of the main Government mantras of the past few months is that they are following the science when it takes action to address the covid. pandemic.
When it comes to policy on quarantine however it seems that Benny Hill or the Joker are more likely to be guiding policy.
It has become a farce
Back in March as the virus swept across Europe no major restrictions were put on travel to the UK, no temperature checks. Nothing. During that time 3000 Madrid supporters were allowed into the UK to watch Liverpool even though there was a lock-down in their home city. 1/4m people including many from Ireland were allowed into the Cheltenham race festival
A couple of weeks ago we featured an article from Liberal Democrat councillor David Busby exploring options for the development of Sudbury town centre see . Here he updates the latest position
You would imagine that there are enough signals to pause and rethink the plans for Sudbury. The hotel and restaurant company have pulled out of Belle Vue (thank goodness), no cinema chain is interested in Hamilton Road, town centres are dying because of their over reliance on retail and we face an uncertain future thanks to CoVid19.
The Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent Group has called on Suffolk County Council to publicly oppose EDF Energy's proposed Sizewell C development and retract any 'in principle' support for nuclear power.
To date, Suffolk County Council has been supportive of the principle of nuclear power and Sizewell C, and has simply registered concerns with the specific proposals put forward by EDF Energy. However, the Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent Group has now submitted a motion to the Council meeting on Thursday 9 July 2020, asking the County Council to fundamentally reconsider its position.
Cllr David Wood, the Liberal Democrat representative for Penninsular Division proposer of the motion and Chair of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ( AONB), commented:
"I am very concerned by the impact that Sizewell C will have on the Suffolk countryside, particularly the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB. As well as the environmental damage, there are countless other problems with nuclear power as an energy source, including the risks of storing waste material.
"Suffolk County Council agreed to support the principle of nuclear power back in 2007 and hasn't reconsidered its position since. We are calling on the current Council members to recognise that the world has changed since then - and its time our position changed too."
The motion will be proposed by Cllr David Wood and seconded by Cllr Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw. The full motion reads:
"This Council is concerned about the severe environmental impact of Sizewell C on the Suffolk countryside, including the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, and the negative economic implications for the tourism and hospitality industries that will accompany this.
In addition, this Council notes the inherent problems with nuclear power as a source of energy. Renewable technologies are better alternatives to nuclear, from both an environmental and financial perspective, and funding and time should be invested in these energy sources instead.
Therefore, this Council removes any 'in principle' support for nuclear power and agrees to oppose EDF Energy's development of Size
In case you haven't noticed, a technique regularly used by the Government when it is under pressure on its performance is that it makes a bold, eye catching announcement usually with a headline grabbing target attached. This creates the impression something significant is happening, buys time and relies on the fact that for most people attention will move on to other things before anything is actually delivered
The media had been briefed in advance of Prime Minister Johnson speech on Tuesday on how the Government was planning to use investment to address the levelling up agenda and help Britain recover from the covid driven economic slump. Some of the more fawning media made the flattering suggestion that it would mirror FDR's New Deal that helped the US escape the 1930s depression
