NWN-18062020

NEWBURY NEWS LETTERS

Thursday, June 18, 2020 15

Newbury Weekly News

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Pet of the Week

FORMER Conservative councillor Anthony Pick is right to point out ( Newbury Weekly News , June 11) the difficulties regarding the pandemic faced by Boris Johnson in the face of conflicting scientific advice, economic pleas from all directions and unsolicited media advice (isn’t it always?). However, Mr Pick completely misses the point. Politicians are not professionals like doctors, dentists and vets, subject to years of tough professional training. They are untrained individuals tasked to receive such advice and then determine the best direction to follow. The Government has been woefully inadequate in forming a coherent policy, if indeed there is one. and then, most importantly, communicating it clearly. In the light of the double whammy of a death toll appalling in comparison to most other countries, whichever way one slices the numbers, and an OECD report forecasting a bigger economic hit than most, the inevitable inquiry into the pandemic will surely find that Johnson has led a woefully underprepared Government that was slow to react (why ever were 3000 Athletico Madrid supporters allowed to visit Liverpool in March and why were tens of thousands of racegoers allowed to gather in Our MP needs to be critical of leadership

crowds for hours at Cheltenham?), but worse, since the pandemic hit the UK, has presided over a muddled,

senior politician, she would probably have to pause for a moment and then say: “I was only following orders.” Vote Farris, get Cummings. IAN HALL Ashampstead Thank you for finding my lost Jack Russell ON Tuesday, June 9, whilst out our daily walk across East Garston Downs, I lost one of my dogs, Cassey. The footpath crosses one of the crop fields and I was concerned her hi-viz jacket may have become entangled in the crop. During my exhaustive efforts to locate her, after sometime searching on foot, I decided to take my car over the other side of the hill. Lo and behold an elderly couple I had met earlier in the search had found Cassey and were making their way back to East Garston with Cassey attached to Mike’s belt and Evelyn waving a tangled high-viz jacket. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Mike and Evelyn, who I now know come from Lambourn and also to a mystery cyclist who helped apprehend one much-loved Jack Russell, aged 12. In these times of times of Covid, it’s so nice to report the kindness of strangers. TAMMERA EASTERLING East Garston

It is not easy being in Mrs Farris’ position, but sitting on the fence is not a useful option and I am sure she would welcome help from senior

inconsistent and badly communicated strategy.

local Conservatives. JULIAN WAGHORN Bucklebury Alley

U-turns and contradictions follow each other out of Number 10 almost daily. The “world-leading” track and trace programme promised for June 1 has hardly got off the ground. Even worse, Johnson hides behind the ‘it’s too early to draw conclusions’ line even when asked if he regrets the terrible loss of life in care homes caused by the policy of clearing patients from hospitals without them being tested first. Mrs Farris, and all her Government backbench colleagues, are equally to blame, having followed the Government line like sheep rather than raising constructive criticism. I wrote to Mrs Farris pointing out that were the Government to legislate that named contacts of those testing positive for the virus had to quarantine for 14 days, this was tantamount to house arrest, but without knowing the evidence as the names of the infected are not to be released. Mrs Farris cited patient confidentiality. I would argue that such anonymity has no place in the war that we are waging against Covid-19. Instead of defending the indefensible, a Prime Minister temperamentally unsuited to the present task, it would help if Mr Pick could help our fledgling MP with constructive advice.

They want Parliament back to shield Johnson READING Laura Farris’ excuse for voting to return to Parliament sort of misses the elephant in the room ( Newbury Weekly News , June 4) Isn’t the real reason that Parliament is being recalled that, with in excess of 40,000 dead as a result of the virus, Dominic Cummings wants Bumbling Boris to have the parliamentary party behind him when facing Sir Kier Starmer’s forensic questions so that they can shout and bray and drown out sensible questions? Speaking of Mrs Farris’ voting habits at home, I came across the following interview with Michael ‘The Truth’ Gove on Countryfile of October 7, 2018, talking about the standards for food imports post Brexit but pre- election. Tom Heap: “So that’s a red line – absolutely no dilation, imports must be to our standards?” Michael ‘The Truth’ Gove: “Absolutely.” On May 25, Laura Farris, voting from home, was one of those who voted to lower our standards. If asked why she voted to break an absolute promise given by such a

Name: Honey (pictured mega-bored the day the rains finally came to Newbury) Breed: Cavalier King Charles spaniel (Blenheim markings) Owners: Barry and Linda Warren From: Newbury Likes/dislikes: Honey likes bed and dislikes not being in bed.

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