The positive feelings in January 2020 – when the Johnson government fulfilled their pledge to the British people and left the European Union (entering the transition period) – soon saw the first admissions from the Chinese Communist party that a new virus had been identified in Wuhan, China (either via a wet market or just as likely from a release from one of the state controlled laboratories) that would soon bring a pandemic to the Global community.

As multiple cases of this China flu – hit Europe (and a cover up in an Austrian ski resort) – the UK government hesitated between a “herd immunity” solution (where the population would possibly come into contact with the virus and in time, “build” up our own immunities) as Sweden would follow – or a “lock down” strategy (social distancing, households isolated) which was being followed by the larger nations to the South, namely France and Germany.

The Government chose the second route – lock down – “Stay at Home – Protect the NHS – Save Lives”

And with this – into all of our lives entered Big Bad Government

The Far-Right has no belief in Big Government – we believe that an individual should have full control over their own lives, their own destiny, their success or their relative failure is based on their own skills, enthusiasm and ambitions.

Government should assist and not dictate in a society’s development – Government should SERVE all the people and NOT act as robbers in taking from one to give to another.

But in Match 2020 – we saw Big Government intervention – and we witnessed its failures and also the costs that will be passed onto the people – after this crisis is over.

  • The basic principle that a Member of Parliament (typically coming from marketing, legal or trade union professions) who has NEVER run a company – NEVER made a profit – can be entrusted to run a Government department with an annual budget measured in Billions of £ – supported by civil servants – where success and failure NEVER results in being fired is an immediate RECIPE FOR FAILURE

So, with the decision to enter lockdown – with society being forcibly shut by Big Government – the economic impact from the China virus was going to be massive.  Not only would the service industry be devasted with enforced closures but sectors like manufacturing would be impeded with the new travel and work restrictions, and consumer confidence that is required for multiple businesses like the car industry would grind to a halt.

Market forces would weigh down on the supply curve…with demand diminishing.

With supply outweighing demand – the market would only find equilibrium with either reduced supply (job losses) OR reduced supply prices (operating losses) BUT the market would find in a short period – the correct position.

But it might be brutal – like in 2008 /9 – and the economic shock would create some winners and many losers – But – it would stabilise during the crisis – and if Government could avoid too much interference in the market – whatever the political price – it would be in a far stronger position – post pandemic.

Instead the Johnston Government decided to intervene – and to intervene BIG

  • Job retention scheme
  • Paying up to £2,500 per month (80% grant)
  • 7,500,000 employees were put into the furlough scheme (this is NOT including those on self employed support) with little or no checks – so the cash rich Premier league football clubs could have their hands out for cash – with as much right to collect as a local based family engineering firm
  • £11 Billion is being paid each month in this scheme (£11 Billion which – we all know – BIG GOVERNMENT will want back REGARDLESS of who benefitted from this scheme and who didn’t) 
  • And according to certain financial surveys, 2 ½ million of these jobs being PROTECTED – are now unviable jobs (in tourism, hospitality, entertainment) so BIG GOVERNMENT is paying for job’s that are NO LONGER there.  In other words, the tax payer – us – is throwing good money after bad.

In addition

  • A call was made to Volunteers on March 24th “Your NHS Needs You’ – NHS call for volunteer army…The NHS is “rallying the troops” for the war on coronavirus.  Our people responded as always, with 750,00 volunteering – to do whatever to help.  
  • In June Sir Simon Stevens, head of the NHS – admitted that only 300,00 volunteering “tasks” had been outsourced to our Volunteer Army – and if we assume that in a 90-day window, each volunteer could do at least 5 “tasks” – the Far-Right believes that less than 10% of this Volunteer Army may have been used.  What a waste!!
  • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) shortages were widely reported – along with a mass of Chinese companies buying PPE and shipping back to Red China. Once again, BIG BAD GOVERNMENT steps in to bring PPE back to the UK. Did we have the skill set within Government / Civil Service to handle such a task?  According to Hancock and co we did.
  • One example was over a million piece order given to a Turkish track suit maker – no personnel sent from Britain to do quality checks at the factory, no procurement experts brought in from the private sector who do this task on a daily basis for the likes of Walmart, Tesco etc…so shipments arrived late and even worse, all failed the agreed quality standard.  How many millions of pounds did that cost us…how many lives did we lose? 

The sentiment and motives for State Intervention may be noble – but BIG GOVERNMENT simply does NOT work