No mask, we are conservative deputies. While in the United Kingdom the infections of covid-19 are on the rise, in Westminster many Tories are reluctant to “lead by example”, as requested by the Minister of Health to combat the infection. The group leader, ultra-conservative Jacob Rees Moog went so far as to say that conservatives do not cover their noses and mouths because they are animated by a “fraternal and convivial spirit”.
Equally surprising are the comments of Gillian Kegan, Undersecretary of Health. When questioned by Sky, she said that the mask should not be “a sign of virtue”. In his opinion, covering your nose and mouth is “less important” than getting vaccinated. “For some people, wearing a mask is difficult. It is a personal choice. We are not the kind of country where people are told what to wear,” he added.
With parliamentary work resumed after the summer, it was easy to distinguish opposition MPs from conservatives at a glance. Most of the former wear masks, while few of the Tories do. Meanwhile, infections are on the rise – yesterday they were 52 thousand – and Health Minister Sajid Javid, responding to journalists on Wednesday, admitted that people with a public role should give “a good example”. His exhortation took the government by surprise and apparently no indication was followed by conservative MPs to use the mask. But the Guardian noted that yesterday, out of 12 Tories present for the answer to a question on Covid, six had covered their noses and mouths, many more than before. And among them there was also the Kegan.
Meanwhile, Downing Street is not even able to confirm whether or not Prime Minister Boris Johnson will wear a mask the next time he speaks in parliament. “Wearing the face mask is a matter for the personal judgment of individuals,” a government spokesman replied.
The Westminster mask controversy is a sign of a much larger problem. The central question in Great Britain is in fact whether or not to switch to “plan B”, or to impose the obligation to wear a mask, return to smart working and use the green pass, as the leaders of the health system are clamoring for. For now, the government continues to resist any pressure, proclaiming adherence to “plan A”: no restrictions and focus on vaccinations. For the mask there is only an invitation to use it in crowded places, but no obligation. And this despite the fact that Minister Javid admitted that, if people do not behave in a prudent manner, the infections could reach 100 thousand a day.
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