Minister for VACCINES in cock-up over vaccination dates while trying to justify reopening schools
Nadhim Zahawi: waving the flag and fuddling the dates.
Should we give Nadhim Zahawi the benefit of the doubt for this faux-pas? No!
If it was an honest mistake, we should remind ourselves that Diane Abbott was given no quarter for making one, even after it was revealed that she had been trying to cope with an illness at the time.
You can still see right-wing commenters on the social media referring to it at periodic intervals, and congratulating themselves on their (small) wit for doing it.
Zahawi appears to have no such excuse for this:
In which the Vaccines Minister literally claims the schools are opening at the beginning of March because that’s three weeks after the middle of April pic.twitter.com/UCXAz5YD95
— Jonathan Lis (@jonlis1) February 22, 2021
He quite clearly does assert that the Conservative government has calculated that it should be safe to open schools on March 8 because that is three weeks after mid-April, when everybody aged over 50 is expected to have been vaccinated.
Firstly, it is entirely arbitrary to use the vaccination of the over-50s as a trigger for the reopening of schools. Why not over-40s? Over-30s? Or indeed, over-20s? All are just as likely to be affected.
Secondly – and I come to this last because it’s a biggie! – March 8 is not three weeks after mid-April. That would be May 8. March 8 is around five weeks before mid-April.
So by his own calculations, the minister for Covid-19 vaccination is telling is that his government is planning to reopen schools an entire two months prematurely.
I look forward to hearing his justification for the deaths that will be triggered by this wrong-headed decision to open all schools, too early, rather than experiment with a phased reopening, increasing as evidence recommends – as the other countries of the UK are doing.
Although, no doubt, it will be equally incomprehensible.
Boris Johnson may have an opportunity to correct this cock-up when he officially announces his “roadmap out of lockdown” later today (if that is still going ahead).
That’s if our complicit Tory media remember they have a responsibility to grill him about it.
Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Don’t be dull they show up a minister on his
Cock up nah they are the cause of so much
Misery’s for the peasants but you mention that
Lady d a she is far far much a better person than
This lot
Numpty Nadhim Zahawi is supposedly a minister in an important role but he demonstrates his contempt for us peasants! He’s the little boy in school who instead of listening to the teacher spends his time day dreaming of doing something pleasant and when he is called on by teacher to answer question he can’t because he wasn’t listening!
Numpty Nadhim was day dreaming about his wealth, counting his money and gloating at how much his wealth has increased since he became part of the special bros within his fascist tory murderous party!
Numpty Nadhim is special so he won’t be subjected to criticism or ridicule after all he has been working every minute of every day – counting his money!
The over 50s date isn’t ENTIRELY arbitrary. This is the date by which everyone over 16 with secondary conditions should also have been vaccinated. So there is SOME thought to it.
However, that is where I diverge. I think ALL the vaccinations should be done before we fully open. There are people who can’t be vaccinated (as well as those idiots who won’t) and we will always have more children coming along too. We need as many as possible vaccinated and secure in it ie some weeks after the second jag, to have herd immunity protection for those not immunised. Likewise it matters for the potential to at least reduce harm from possible mutations which the vaccine might not prevent but could at least minimise.
Again Boris is following the interests (as they perceive them) of industry, shareholders and his donors. The people are to be thrown under the bus once more..
While I agree with much of this, you do realise that the over-50s date is irrelevant, for the reason stated in the article, don’t you?