'Boris Johnson wants to stick to his mild Plan B – we need leadership to tackle Covid'

Experts have warned that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, yet complacent Boris Johnson seems determined to do nothing but stick to a mild Plan B of masks and minor restrictions in England

Hospitals are declaring critical incidents over staff shortages as Omicron cases soar, yet complacent Boris Johnson seems determined to do nothing but stick to a mild Plan B of masks and minor restrictions in England.

As UN global health ambassador and Labour former Prime Minister Gordon Brown makes clear in today’s Daily Mirror, the pandemic is far from over and Britain, along with other countries, has a vested and moral interest in sharing vaccines and testing technology to stop the global death toll hitting 10 million.

Questions about the current PM’s reckless rule-breaking and poor behaviour remain despite No10’s insistence that he obeyed isolation regulations this time last year.

We are cautiously optimistic the worst is over, but slapdash Johnson is not reassuring.

Tory squeeze

As we enter the Year of the Squeeze, calls for the Government to help households struggling with the cost-of-living crisis are growing to a clamour.

Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis is alerting the public to a personal finance crisis of tax rises and huge price increases powered by rocketing fuel bills tipped to reach an average £2,000 a year.

Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and the rest of the Conservative administration should not sit idly by when they are significantly responsible for the squeeze through their tax hikes, their failure to create a stable energy market and a string of economic blunders.

Those squeezed will make the Tories pay for lowering living standards.

Spit-spot on

Mary Poppins and Mrs Doubtfire likely earned considerably less than the lucky nanny who will be paid up to £85,000 a year by a well-heeled London family.

Looking after children is a valuable but often underpaid job so we hope the woman or man worthy of their hire enjoys their decent salary.

It’s practically perfect in every way.