We have made no secret of our desire for a more cautious opening up of freedoms after the pandemic, highlighting the risks both to health and economy of a big bang approach.
It was therefore somewhat appropriate that three of the holders of the great offices of state should spend " freedom day" in self isolation having caught covid or having been pinged by the app.
We have not been big fans of a 'big bang' approach to opening up. We cannot see why you would take the risk of people not wearing masks where appropriate and are concerned huge increases in cases will lead to a 'pingdemic' where so many people have to isolate it undermines economic recovery
The news that Sajid Javid, who has had his two jabs, had contracted the disease and was feeling groggy was followed by confirmation that, not surprisingly, the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak had been pinged by the NHS app given their close contact
By Babergh South Suffolk Liberal Democrats & Peter Dobbs
The government won its parliamentary vote this week to cut aid spending from the legally obliged 0.7% to 0.5%. All Liberal Democrat MPs voted against the proposal.
Derbyshire Dales Conservative MP Sarah Dines voted for the cut - indeed she spoke during the debate in favour of the reduction in support for the needy of the world, arguing somewhat bizarrely that "every pound we spend on international aid is borrowed from our future generations". The idea of investing in the future of children both on this island and overseas does seem to be a 'foreign' concept to Ms Dines.
19 months ago the Conservatives were elected on a promise to " get Brexit done". It was always a simplistic slogan but recent announcements suggest we may have left the EU but the manner of our leaving still has the potential to create tension and difficulties above and beyond the frictions and reduced trade we have already seen
A letter from Derbyshire Lib Dems to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England has resulted in the announcement that it has withdrawn its proposals published on 29th June and will undertake a further period of consultation from 31st August until 26th October 2021.
Peter Dobbs (Data Officer for Derbyshire Dales Lib Dems) and David Hughes (Lib Dem District Cllr for Matlock St Giles) wrote to LGBCE pointing out that the final report contained several errors as well as some radical groupings of parishes that had not featured in their draft report published in March.
