Hertford and Stortford Constituency Labour Party take this opportunity to respond to Julie Marson MP’s statement in regards to Dominic Cummings, and to highlight the ongoing failures of this government amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.
It is disappointing that our local MP has failed to answer the questions put to her by constituents in regards to Dominic Cummings breach of the lockdown. Local residents wanted to know what made Mr Cummings so different to them, and whether or not Ms Marson agreed with them that he had broken the rules.
The public have been unable to see their friends and extended family. Many have been unable to hold proper funerals for their loved ones. Why should they be subject to fines if they break the lockdown but Dominic Cummings has enjoyed the support of senior cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister?
Hertford and Stortford CLP have been clear: there cannot be one rule for Dominic Cummings and another for the British public.
We wholeheartedly disagree with the Prime Minister’s assertion that an inquiry into the actions of Dominic Cummings would not be ‘a very good use of official time.’ There must be an investigation to ascertain the truth of what happened.
Dominic Cummings’ actions aren’t just rank hypocrisy, they threaten to undermine the continued lockdown and endanger public health.
This development is the latest in a long line of failings in the government’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Too slow into lockdown, we now have the highest death count in Europe and the second highest in the world.
The public have watched as massive failures to protect the elderly in our care homes have been revealed.
The government have yet to roll out their testing and tracing strategy in its entirety. Moreover, for this strategy to work in the interest of public health, the government will need the trust of the public.
Despite this lack of testing and tracing the government still plans to send students and teachers back through school gates on the 1st June.
Advice published by the Independent SAGE advisory group tells us that delaying the return to school would not only be beneficial - it’s necessary. We must be lead by the science on this.
Local parents are understandably anxious at the prospect of sending their children back to school on the 1st June.
We call on Ms Marson, as our local MP, to respond to the concerns of her constituents and communicate their anxiety to the government as a matter of urgency.
