Thread by @SteveBakerHW

💬 Sad day. Lockdowns have failed in slowing the transmission of Covid.

Now Govt expects people to sacrifice sharing Xmas with family & friends, just a few days after promising the opposite ❓

❌We need a clear exit strategy from this nightmarish, cycle of damaging lockdowns.

https://twitter.com/WycombeSound/status/1340340766707757064

🚨 As we deliver the vaccine to the most at risk groups, the public needs to see how this will translate into a return to normal life, with restrictions being lifted at every stage & a clear roadmap to all our freedoms being restored as soon as this work is done

#Road2Recovery

💡It is essential the Government moves swiftly to obtain competitive expert advice with formal challenge.

More ⤵️

bit.ly/ExpertAdviceTh…

💡We also need important reforms to modelling, better to inform decisions affecting millions of people.

More ⤵️

bit.ly/ModelThread

💡And a new Public Health Act with these broad features:

1) The powers in relation to people reasonably believed to be infected or premises reasonably believed to be contaminated should be unchanged from the existing PHA.

2) The powers in relation to other people and premises and in relation to “gatherings” can be taken from the specific powers in the Civil Contingencies Act, including powers to control people, premises, businesses and travel, but subject to 3) below.

3) The powers at 2) above should be exercisable only if (a) an impact assessment has been prepared and published covering at least the social, economic, educational and health-related impact of the measures proposed; ...

...(b) the measures proposed are believed on reasonable grounds to be necessary and proportionate having regard to the impact (i) on those matters and (ii) on personal liberty; ...

... and (c) the proposed regulation has been laid before Parliament and approved under the positive resolution procedure before coming into effect.

4) If the case for exercising the powers at 2) is too urgent to wait for an impact assessment or Parl'y approval, the Secretary of State may make regulations having immediate effect but with a limited provisional validity (say 7 days) subject to Parl'y approval within that period

5) Any regulation in the exercise of the powers at 2) are to expire after a period specified in the regulation not exceeding 30 days. Thereafter they may be renewed by a further regulation complying with 3) and 4) above. ...

... In that event, the impact assessment must report on the impact of the measures taken to date.

6) Parliament may amend a draft or actual regulation before approving it, and may revoke it at any time.

(I am most grateful to the senior lawyer who provided the advice above 🙏)