What a relief Public Health England is finally getting the chop after failing us in Covid crisis
PHE had to go WHAT a relief blundering and blustering Public Health England is finally for the chop. Since Sars, there have been warnings that further deadly diseases might erupt from China. But instead of preparing Britain for a pandemic by building more testing labs and stocking up on personal protective equipment — measures deemed […]
PHE had to go
WHAT a relief blundering and blustering Public Health England is finally for the chop.
Since Sars, there have been warnings that further deadly diseases might erupt from China.
But instead of preparing Britain for a pandemic by building more testing labs and stocking up on personal protective equipment — measures deemed necessary after a 2016 test run — PHE has spent the last decade banging on about the dangers of fizzy drinks.
Even in late February, when Covid was wreaking havoc in mainland Europe, the body responsible for protecting Britain didn’t think it much to worry about.
It boasted that with a new “surveillance system” to detect infection spread “if it occurred”, Britain had the “best possible intelligence to protect the public”.
We can all see how that turned out.
But was the quango humbled by its litany of failure? Not a bit of it.
When the pandemic got into full swing, PHE stubbornly opposed German-style mass testing and, when caught flat-footed, rejected help from commercial labs in providing those tests.
Then when it came to sourcing ventilators for patients in intensive care, it made excuses and dragged its feet.
We’d like to think that by abolishing this bloated and useless institution, Boris and his ministers are signalling they’re ready to shake up this country’s backwards approach to public health.
But our hopes aren’t high: news that mustard and cheese will be banned from daytime TV ads under the Government’s anti-obesity strategy proves just how woefully mixed up our politicians’ priorities have become.
Covid has caused mayhem on these islands already.
And it’s here to stay for the considerable future.
We must never be exposed like this again.
Keir’s first test
IT’S taken long enough.
But we’re pleased Sir Keir Starmer has finally hopped off the fence and backed kids returning to school in September “no ifs no buts”.
Now, he must turn words into action and crack down on militant left-wing teaching unions so determined to wind up the Government, they’ll treat a generation of kids as collateral damage.
To pass his first real test as Labour leader, he must take them on — and win.
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Get well, James
OUR hearts go out to legendary radio broadcaster James Whale, who reveals he’s battling brutal cancer, after losing his wife to the same disease.
We know the next few months will be incredibly tough for both him and his family.
But we hope they’ll take some comfort in knowing that his many fans are rooting for him to return to the radio as he intends.
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