Boris Johnson’s ‘Carry on Christmas’ call is lazy populism – Jayne Dowle

On the first day of our second national lockdown, there’s a defiant spirit in the air, underlined by the reappearance of former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage at the helm of the new anti-lockdown party Reform.

For once I won’t be joining in any rebellion. Let them hang their lights and festoon their windows. I simply wish everyone, including the Prime Minister, would calm down about Christmas.

My family already know that I give the Grinch a run for his money. I’ve had my own share of personal difficulties, seriously ill relatives, sudden unemployment and heartbreak in December and, frankly, if I make it to Christmas morning without having a major meltdown, we’re having a good year.

I have no time for faux bon homie, but immense sympathy for the millions of people who are isolated and vulnerable every year – not just this – or living in poverty. For them, Christmas Day really is just another day. When he’s wearing his party hat, the Prime Minister would do well to remember this.

Why, then, is the Prime Minister behaving like a deluded teenage girl seduced by the soft-focus schmaltzy romance of the season?

As we face an uncertain and anxious month, confused and conflicted by mixed messages from politicians, scientists and medical professionals, Mr Johnson seems to think that the promise of a jolly family gathering around the dinner table will keep us all going.

It’s yet another example of that ‘tin ear’ Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer talks about. Yes, it is very sad that if we don’t reduce transmission rates families won’t be allowed to see each other, but how insulting it is to all those thousands who have lost loved ones to coronavirus or ‘missed’ serious illnesses? So many homes already face a Christmas dinner table with one place missing.

And how demoralising to those who have lost their jobs – three million people could be out of work by Christmas, according to authoritative predictions – and have no money to pay mortgage and bills, never mind presents.

He’s dangling that over-stuffed turkey like a carrot to lead us through the dark weeks ahead, but the reality is that the looming festive season promises nothing but fear for many people.

Mr Johnson’s insistence on Carry On Christmas is a measure of his lazy populism, underlining yet again his disconnection with the lives of millions of ordinary people. Yes, it will be sad that many happy families may be forced to forgo their festive get-togethers, but can he treat us like sensible adults please?

Adults who are more worried about paying the mortgage and putting food on the table every day than dwelling on mawkish sentimentality.

I’ve heard it said that one of Mr Johnson’s more appealing qualities is his relentless optimism. If this is the case, it clearly blinds him to reality.

“I do think there is the prospect of a much brighter future ahead if we can make a success of these national measures, open up again in December, give people the chance of some shopping, some economic activity in the weeks leading up to Christmas and then beyond,” he told MPs in the House of Commons.

Shopping? Economic activity? He might also like to address the concerns of the millions of retail and hospitality workers who don’t even know if they have a job to go back to in four weeks’ time.

This week, for the first time in its 94-year history as a publicly-listed company, Marks & Spencer has posted a loss of £87.5bn. When such a respected High Street name falters, what hope for other stores and independent traders already struggling to recover from the first lockdown?

In newspaper offices, it used to be said that the ‘C’ word was banned before the start of December. I suggest that the Prime Minister follows this rule for the next few weeks at least and instead concentrates the Government’s efforts on rolling out a reliable programme of mass testing and approving a safe vaccine as soon as possible, plus a fool-proof method of delivering it.

He should focus on encouraging us to pull together and put talk of celebrations on hold, for now. There is a strong argument to support the notion that we all need a time of quiet reflection at the end of an unprecedented and exhausting year. The last thing we want is a gleeful Nigel Farage popping up dressed as an elf.

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