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Of all the political slogans to make an unexpected comeback, Norman Tebbit’s “On yer bike” must be one of the most unlikely. When the then employment secretary told the 1981 Conservative party conference that, in the 1930s, his jobless father hadn’t rioted but had rather “got on his bike and looked for work”, he delighted delegates but outraged many of the hundreds of thousands of newly unemployed for whom there was no work to be found.
But now workers are once again being encouraged to get on their bikes, or walk, to get to work. In his address to the nation on Sunday night, Boris Johnson urged: “You should go to work if you can’t work from home.” And because social distancing cannot be guaranteed on buses and trains, he added: “If possible do so by car or even better by walking or bicycle.”
Today was the official back-to-work day. But, surprise, the prime minister’s advice has been ignored – and widely shared pictures show crowded buses, trains and the London underground. Who knew? People on lower incomes, who do not own a car or who live several miles from their workplace, cannot walk or ride a bike to get to work. They need public transport, as city planners have known for well over a century.
www.theguardian.com
That went well 🙄 This will no doubt make it harder for essential workers and put them at greater risk
My personal view is that we entered lockdown late and have started to leave it too early Despite assurances by the government that these are 'baby steps', the consequences are beginning to look more like major risks for an increase in infections and a second wave
But now workers are once again being encouraged to get on their bikes, or walk, to get to work. In his address to the nation on Sunday night, Boris Johnson urged: “You should go to work if you can’t work from home.” And because social distancing cannot be guaranteed on buses and trains, he added: “If possible do so by car or even better by walking or bicycle.”
Today was the official back-to-work day. But, surprise, the prime minister’s advice has been ignored – and widely shared pictures show crowded buses, trains and the London underground. Who knew? People on lower incomes, who do not own a car or who live several miles from their workplace, cannot walk or ride a bike to get to work. They need public transport, as city planners have known for well over a century.
Crowded buses and trains: it's the stark new image of Britain's class divide | Stefan Stern
Low-paid workers are forced to risk their lives while bosses stay at home. Coronavirus has exposed society’s sharp inequalities, says author Stefan Stern
www.theguardian.com
That went well 🙄 This will no doubt make it harder for essential workers and put them at greater risk
My personal view is that we entered lockdown late and have started to leave it too early Despite assurances by the government that these are 'baby steps', the consequences are beginning to look more like major risks for an increase in infections and a second wave
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