Thread by @AdamWagner1

🚨Latest lockdown law amendments just published 🚨
As is this government's style, no drafts to debate, no prior votes, all by emergency, seat of the pants legislating legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/588/…

Quick thread to summarise

Allows for certain businesses listed in schedule 2 (legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/…) to sell goods by delivery etc or operate a separate cafe/restaurant for takeaway only

Allows for indoor markets to open I think, in community centres (amends legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/…)

Here is the big change - 'linked households' (sometimes described as 'social bubbles').

Let's be clear - this is a ridiculous use of the criminal law. Absolutely fine to do by way of guidance but this is perhaps the most unenforceable of unenforceable laws I have ever seen...

How to be a 'linked household'
- Has to be one single adult houses (or single adult+1 or more child) and another household with one or more adult
- Every adult must agree to be linked
- Neither household can be linked with another household

- As soon as 1 adult doesn't want to be linked they aren't linked

This is the bizarre bit

Household 1 is 1 adult
Household 2 is 5 adults

At any time one adult in Household 2 decides not to be linked - the houses unlink

And others might not even know they are breaking the law!

And if they change their mind again, they are not breaking the law!

The reason they are breaking the law is that only linked households can have legal gatherings inside under Regulation 7 (subject to some other exceptions)

You can now visit someone you "reasonably believe" is dying - good, but why is this a criminal law? It's madness. The police can't enforce it. This law should be repealed save for public gatherings and business closures. Honestly, I'm getting a bit @davidallengreen about this now

Also, lots of changes to what can and cannot open - have to pop off so here is schedule 2, you figure it out! It's like a fun puzzle legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/…