Betty Boothroyd’s word of warning over Covid – The Yorkshire Post says

Yet it is a measure of Captain Tom Moore’s impact that she’s chosen to make a personal tribute of her own as the remarkable war veteran opens – via video link – the new Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate for patients struck down with Covid-19.

Like all, she is also in awe of her fellow Yorkshire nonogenerian who has raised approaching £30m – and the hearts of the world – by walking round his garden to thank the NHS for his care.

“He needed no bugle call to return to active service wearing his war medals. He recognised the similarity between the front-line role of NHS doctors and nurses in the current crisis and the bravery of British soldiers in two world wars,” writes Baroness Boothroyd.

But, as one would expect from such a formidable ex-Speaker who is held in such esteem by Parliamentarians and the wider public, there’s a clear word of warning for those Ministers leading the Government’s response to the pandemic.

A sincerely-held view – of that there is no doubt – she means it when she says she’s had “enough of weasel words and broken promises”. The difficulties sourcing and supplying PPE protective clothing to NHS workers and carers is a case in point – trust matters more than ever.

And when she suspects Ministers of “waffling”, they should adjust their approach because she knows, from her occupancy of the Speaker’s chair, when a politician is being candid, obfuscating or misleading. They have been warned.

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