Michael Gove vs Lionel Shriver: are politicians due a Covid reckoning? | SpectatorTV

[@jdg9999]

She's right, the reason no one talks about it any more, is that deep down, the majority know they behaved like moronic sheep. ANd who wants to be reminded of that?

[@steadfastandyx4947]

Yes and cowardly, weak and selfish. Especially selfish if a fortunate white collar laptop worker who would wish for a forever lockdown.

[@hoxtondave9619]

Two types of people want to forget it: those who behaved like moronic sheep (as you say), and those whose inner tyrants emerged. Both feel ashamed now. The former are cringed out but the latter are disturbed by their own behaviour. What category does silly old Gove fit into? Neither - he isn't ashamed by his behaviour and he doesn't accept that he did anything wrong. None of his lapdog staff will properly challenge him (I don't count Lionel here) because they're looking after their careers.

[@paulbadics3500]

Yes exactly..most were sheeple

[@mattyr40]

I know a few like that and they say what's tge point in talking about it. WHAT IS THE FING POINT? so it can't happen again.

[@haymanhughes1121]

Not just moronic sheep, but vindictive against those who had the good sense to be critical /not take the vaccine. As the truth emerges, this cognitive dissonance will grow. Facing one's tyrannical shadow, is a very unpleasant thing to do, but that day is coming for a large swath of the unactivated hating public.

[@pattiodoors8508]

Lionel Shriver talking total sense as ever. She was a beacon of sanity during the madness of covid.

[@TimComley]

Same Covid that killed plenty

[@CmdrTobs]

She just said masks don't work at 9:34... they do work, always did.

[@jeffsimon9594]

@@CmdrTobs Good NPC.

[@allenmiller2071]

@@CmdrTobs Totally brainwashed. You need to start watching "The Hirewire" and educate yourself. Your definitely a sheep.

[@emailsph3282]

​@@CmdrTobsbrainwashed. Stop watching msm

[@SA-vz7qi]

Gove needs to suck it up. L He is responsible for terrible behaviour by the state and he needs to stop arse covering.

[@jonathanedwards983]

Yes. He is a journalist now and needs to ventilate the difficult questions. We are at some distance from the Covid folly now. The Spectator absolutely ought to be examining the suppressed fear of the State, and Shriver's point that we cannot allow it again. My pet theory is that we must revise the rules for States of Emergency and also expect the Courts to apply the law, not simply defer to the Government if individuals and freedoms need to be protected. UK needs a new and better Bill of Rights.

[@peternicolson7556]

scotch eggs ?.... 🤷‍♂️ substantial meal ?.... about as good as it gets.. 🤡

[@davidlewis4013]

this conversation doesn't even acknowledge the fact that the the flu numbers were completely eradicated during lockdowns and suddenly they're back. There's also the high cycle count of the PCR tests which inflated numbers. Even the inventer of the test couldn't advocate for it. So much of all this was a physiological operation against the masses.

[@ashleydavall]

Lionel, along with Allison Pearson, Dr Sunetra Gupta and a few others, were the people that stopped me from going utterly insane during the early stages of COVID. I was living on my own & felt like the whole world had lost its collective mind around me & become a bunch of unquestioning sheep. Lionel, Sunetra & Allison gave me hope that i wasn't totally alone in my thinking. Thank you, ladies, for keeping me sane! 😅

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Pearson wasn't that good - she supported the V.

[@redactrice294]

Exactly my experience. It was a lifeline, knowing that there was some sanity out there.

[@gailfg2211]

Same!a

[@Alto53]

Mr. Gove called those who didn't take the vaccines "selfish".

[@keithsewell8389]

All well said Lionel Shriver - thank you for (re-) saying all this. The damage has been considerable.

[@theresearcher253]

Gove and friends failed to question the 'experts' who were presented to them as having the answers. We now know that many of these experts were a) convinced by what they saw in China, a lot of it fabricated, b) convinced by the modelling, which we now know was suspect, c) obsessed with behavioural economics - making people do stuff for no particular reason other than to scare them into submission and d) over committed, often by conflicts of interest, to pharmaceutical businesses, who saw an opportunity to make insane amounts of money. Not only that, but they failed to listen to warnings from those who questioned these answers and presented a different narrative. Not only that, in many cases, they smeared and silenced any ideas that were contrary to the narrative they were pushing.

[@bieituns]

Yes, exactly, excellent analysis. We were mocked and ridiculed for questioning the "experts" same as with Brexit. In many of these occasions the so called "experts" have their own agenda and ulterior motive. They are not acting in good faith.

[@superted6960]

Don't think Astra Zeneca made any profit at all from their vaccine.

[@nickfaulks-uo5ry]

@@superted6960 Must be some other reason why they have becaome the UK's first company to be worth over £200 bn then. Trebles all round!

[@Frohicky1]

The people of this country have had enough of experts.

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

Unfortunately they did not understand how science works. It progresses through concensus based on a body of research. They made the mistake of having a small group of experts and one group of modellers. Theyneeded multiple modelling groups, and a range of experts.

[@tom5216]

Don’t forget that Starmer and Labour were slavering at the idea of lockdowns and wanted them harder and earlier. They all completely lost the plot.

[@glynreed1]

Indeed, Starmer actually offered to help the Tories draw up legislation that would enforce a vaccine (still an experimental therapy at that time) mandate on everyone.

[@nickfaulks-uo5ry]

@@glynreed1 You can't criticise Starmer for this. Labour voters may be presumed to want a Government of totalitarian thugs, people who vote Conservative don't.

[@sue.F]

The reverse in NZ, under Labour we suffered draconian covid mandates but how much worse under a National led government? David Seymour, for example, wanted eligibility for benefits tied to vaccination status. Perhaps it comes down the opposition always countering the sitting government’s policies.

[@afriedli]

It is to be expected that Starmer and Labour would incline towards totalitarian measures because left-wingers love the state. Unfortunately, British Conservatives have exactly the same instincts these days. We live in the era of the uni-party where elites of all flavours sign up to the essentially the same grey consensus, which mostly involves the abandonment of all principles.

[@JustDave69]

@@nickfaulks-uo5ryah that’s ok then.

[@nickdawson9270]

Gove seems to have “forgotten” that along with Johnson, Sunak and Hancock he was at the heart of the govt’s response. He still thinks the problem was Covid not the response to Covid that caused horrendous damage to society and the economy. He seems to have forgotten the Barrington Declaration that gave clear pointers to what should have been done to mitigate the impact on multi-generational households. Did he ask for forgiveness, I may have missed that?

[@hoxtondave9619]

@nickdawson9270 - for Gove, this sort of nonsense will suffice for now. He knows most people are still quite gormless. Those of us who were actually awake knew at the time what a total load of old bollocks the whole thing was.

[@emailsph3282]

​@@hoxtondave9619 agree

[@rahbourelas6457]

One of the biggest mistakes made by the government was not to listen to independent experts, and not to allow open debate.

[@VL-qy4fc]

Exactly Why no one "heard" these alarm bells is beyond me.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Instead - they listened to a man whose previous predictions were : BSE, foot and mouth, swine flu, bird flu and SARS. Nobody saw anything wrong with that? I find that astonishing.

[@Baker68]

Why was the Great Barrington Declaration ignored?

[@jeffsimon9594]

Big Pharma's till needs to go 'ker-ching'!

[@Tonaka656]

They knew before the first lockdown that the infection fatality rate was very low. In fact, it was downgraded by the regulator to be an infection of no consequence before the first lockdown. So, I think Gove is being disingenuous.

[@softcolly8753]

I read somewhere that the reason for the downgrade was because if it had remained an infectious disease of high consequence, then it would be required to investigate existing treatments. That of course would mean no emergency use authorization for experimental mRNA shots if any were found. I wish I had saved that article.

[@0tispunkm3y3r]

Plus we had the perfect experiment right at the start...that cruise ship in Japan. The numbers there basically played out to the rest of the world.

[@RobertThomson-y4m]

Politicians don't want to talk about it at all. Why? Because their cowardly response has destroyed our country and they daren't ask the country that developed it for reparations.

[@rbejva]

Gove is not a stupid man and he knows he got it wrong. I’d like to see him squirm more. All the intelligent people like Gove, who were intellectually dishonest during Covid, need to start being honest.

[@GleeSmee]

It’s too big and too damaging a mistake ever to admit.

[@kevinveale9033]

He's still talking like a politician. I hoped he'd be more honest in his new position. But no.

[@bieituns]

On fairness to him, he was the one who said not to listen to the "experts" when it came to the issue of Brexit. He should have took his own advice during COVID.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

@@GleeSmee It was no "mistake" though. This was planned. Just look into Fergusson's past track record. This narrative that it was a mess-up from the government is just a cope, to not face the real truth.

[@RichardEnglander]

They all need to be in court answering for their incompetence and overreach. Their lies and manipulation about so many things from the lab to the jab. It is outrageous.

[@TimComley]

Ffs calm down captain hindsight

[@jonnysongs]

@@TimComley excuse me, he is right and many of us think so

[@Forthestate]

@@TimComley Another pathetic invocation of hindsight in order to explain the foresight of which you were clearly incapable. The fact is, many of us had foresight. It's why I'm not vaccinated, for example, and free from any anxiety about the long term adverse effects which are now becoming more and more apparent.

[@just_another32]

I feel uncomfortable with Gove presiding over the Speccie : /

[@smillabutryn7517]

This is a very bad idea... who gave him this job? Poor Lionel...

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Gove has been given that job, so as to try and control the debate.

[@andrewhotston983]

Gove is the reason I now refuse to subscribe to The Spectator. It was telling that Farage won the Newcomer Of The Year at the Spectator Awards, but received no applause - Gove and company aren't conservatives, and they are part of The Blob and part of the problem.

[@mataform]

I just stopped mine when Gove took over. Gove is a remainer and a member of the elite. with no connection to the people outside of the urban metropolitan lot.

[@williamsnowden8186]

The staffers are all London, liberal-left luvvies.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Well - I found really funny that Gove supported Kamala Harris for the recent US elections. The man is utter fake - and should never have been in government.

[@daisymchill6038]

I unsubscribed and won't even watch this conversation. It will be the usual excuses. Never vote for this bunch again.

[@hgostos]

I can echo those words

[@jjhw2941]

The government did not overreact, they did exactly what they wanted to us, it was criminal, and every one in government should be charged with Misconduct in Public Office.

[@jacksonmiked]

There would have been “a proper debate about what the right approach would have been” if the powers that be weren’t coordinating with media companies takedowns of alternative strategies such as the Great Barrington Declaration.

[@mattyr40]

They were pandering to the WHO. An agency by its own admission that prostitutes itself to the highest bidder.

[@debbiewright8452]

Govt set Ofcom which also influenced some media. Eg Talk Radio good at first but got shut down. Then they had to toe the line.

[@mattyr40]

@debbiewright8452 There was a massive coordinate of censorship, which, if not for Elon, we wouldn't know about half of it. Now Elon is the enemy 🤔

[@syddog44]

It would've been much better to do nothing than what they actually did.

[@pringlel]

What a pathetic conversation. It's not difficult to see who's the boss at the Spectator in view of Lionel's and Kate's, simpering softball approach to Gove. He shouldn't be allowed to talk on this subject unless he faces an interviewer willing to take him to task. Don't forget that he's the man who wanted to shut us down for a second Christmas. I cancelled my subscription to the Spectator when he took over and this bit of rubbish confirmed I did the right thing. Shriver, you snivelled with the best of them.

[@kevinveale9033]

The interview made me quite angry. But I thought Lionel was equally angry when pushing Gove to retract some of the nonsense that went on. But he didn't and when probing questions were asked the edit cut out the response. I agree with you in principle, think you're a bit harsh on Lionel.

[@pringlel]

@@kevinveale9033 Shriver's heartfelt gratitude to Gove at the end of the interview for being allowed to keep column certainly rang alarm bells for me. His sanctimonious response made me squirm. Gove will dump her the moment she dispeases him enough. She obviously knows that

[@davidblake8612]

@@pringlel Yes I was horrified to see her grovel.

[@alanhill4334]

Michael Gove says at one point " working with their hands rather than with their brain " . Shows his ignorance as working with one's hands requires quite a lot of thought. Typical intellectual arrogance.

[@lesliecunliffe4450]

Yes. As both Wittgenstein and Heidegger argued, the mind is both embodied and embedded.

[@edwardmcphee4430]

He was differentiating between manual work and office work. Both types of work clearly require brain power. He wasn’t belittling manual working at all. He would never think that way.

[@SimonWallwork]

I quite agree. Reveals a very snobby attitude.

[@Conii-vc8ef]

@@edwardmcphee4430 how can you possibly know what you state in your comment?

[@jsimo90]

Are you his personal PR?

[@KM-zm2kd]

What a load of bollicks Gove. My mother was in sheltered flat. She had lots of different carers helping her dress, wash etc. These carers also helped other residents within the block. These same carers went home to their children and families etc. At 1 point in my mum's flat there were 2 nurses, a cleaner, a carer and me her daughter who was also part of her care team and of course my mum. This block has 52 flats. No one got covid until after lockdown. My mum caught it in hospital

[@AlanHamilton-j5i]

Keep at it Lionel.

[@mikegray8776]

Why is Michael Gove in charge of ANY publication - other than Pravda? - NOT open-minded. - NOT humble. - NOT open to ANY challenge whatsoever. - In fact, a PERFECT fit for BBC !!

[@deadkennedy9140]

I've been a subscriber for years and always enjoyed the youtube content but I just cant bring myself to watch anything with Gove's input.

[@mincemead2027]

The sacrifice of the youth for the old

[@tonyforeman9502]

Gove is in denial. Johnson's government was supremely useless.

[@glynreed1]

Worse than useless - it wrecked the country.

[@pobishop235]

It's hard to know if Gove is a liar or just delusional. They just won't admit they were wrong. Gove is a big reason why I cancelled my Spectator subscription.

[@ianroberts9037]

I cancelled mine too, I feel betrayed and angered that I was obliged to do this.

[@RichardEnglander]

Gove so sly 5:30 the rona inquiry is very intentionally not assessing the efficacy of the government overreach, not taking the Swedish model. They set it up so they "can't" answer it...

[@tom5216]

They panicked, threw the pandemic plan that had been developed out the window and followed the Chinese model. Result, we were all locked up for months and the nations finances squandered. Sweden, Finland and several US States did not lock down, didn’t ruin their economies and didn’t inflict all the other ills that that the lockdowns caused on their populations. Lionel Shriver is spot on.

[@jdg9999]

Exactly. But the trouble is that everyone who would be supposed to hold them to account (the opposition parties, the civil service, the meda, and even the majority of the public) were 100% onboard, and therefore calling out the government requires accepting their own culpability. People often assume that the brave individual who speaks out against the group and is proven right would be celebrated, but in reality they are often despised as a reminder of the general idiocy of everyone else and told to either shut up or driven away.

[@Mark_Dyer1]

They did NOT "panic". They followed orders!

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

No. They did not panic! They took orders from above. Do you really think that the fact we have no V for AIDS, Malaria(at the time anyway on that one) or the common cold - that suddenly in 8 months, we found not 1 - but 3 Vs for supposedly the deadliest viral outbreak since the Spanish Flu. Then there's the question of manufacturing these things - the companies in advance. Also look into Fergusson's past track record : BSE, foot and mouth, 2009-2010 swine flu(that is the big red flag there - considering how similar it was), bird flu and SARS. There was a pattern there. If it was incompetence - I can accept that he might of got away with 3 of those cases there, but not this many! You also have look at the speed and efficiency of how certain restrictions were implemented, for instance : all those plastic screens(which magically protect you from a virus because it can't float above them), all those stickers for walking in the right direction around a supermarket, all those ""We love the NHS stickers", the test kits for the C, facemasks, etc. This was planned. I fear people want to kid themselves that it wasn't - and I do understand why, because it is a scary though - but if you believe that, you are denying reality.

[@christopherharmon2433]

@@Mark_Dyer1 Who gave said orders?

[@robertmckinnon6564]

@@Mark_Dyer1 exactly right

[@unclem7816]

100% agree with everything she says.

[@yvonnelas2969]

Most people either still believe the BS or have forgotten it all and don’t want to talk about it. There will be no justice.

[@simonbamford8441]

The Tories were kicked out in part due to the way they bungled COVID. Frankly many of them should be in jail.

[@transamination]

All the politicians and scientists that pushed for lockdown should be in prison.

[@sparkyinsertnamehere6673]

As opposed to the awesome Labour approach of even harsher and longer lockdowns? No one is defending the useless Tories, but if it had been the Labour muppets in power it would have been even bloody worse!

[@Conii-vc8ef]

@@sparkyinsertnamehere6673 in that case, the lot of 'em should not be in government or politics, they should be laguishing in isolation in jail. Just like the carehome residents ...stopped from enjoying "the right to a family life"! Which is fundamental way of human interaction these politicians and even the healthcare staff in 2024 are still doing it in the hospitals, which is Crime against humanity.

[@leebrown6702]

Yes, Labour pushed for harder and longer lockdown, but they weren't in power. The Conservatives were and they made calamitous choices... imbecilic, and self immolating in the process.

[@alanrobertson9790]

Bungled covid manifested itself in inflation around the world.

[@MCFCTheMadHatter]

The discussion is not getting to the underlying issue that is an existential threat to the very existence of England: authoritarian tendencies and gov overreach. Using the justice system to criminalize normal everyday behaviors of its citizens "for their safety" during the pandemic was terrible then and even more so in hindsight. Yet here we are presently doing the same thing criminalizing speech that "offends" someone via social media, and yet little seems to be getting done to roll back such blatant authoritarian policy. The more tragically ironic aspect to all of this is that the very author who warned of an authoritarian dystopian future where thought is policed, was written by an English native. Have the people and gov of England forgotten (memory-holed) that 1984 was not a How-To manual?

[@celiacresswell6909]

We get the govt response we deserve - that’s the scary bit as you suggest

[@MCFCTheMadHatter]

@@celiacresswell6909 Wish I could disagree, but the only thing that will change that is the people. I just hope it is not yet too late...

[@deethy19]

Lionel, you’re my hero! As one of the frustrated many from the very outset. I think as a society we lost our collective minds like chicken little. It’s like society threw away every lesson learned, even the very basic idea of remaining calm in a crisis. We locked down the healthy to protect the vulnerable. Cray, cray, crazy!🤨

[@alexshawwest]

Shriver is, of course, right

[@steadfastandyx4947]

Congratulations Mr Gove. Why be the editor if the editor does not use their platform to defend the complete covid overreach, coercion and government panic? The government's actions are indefensible. I will try to let his working with brain and hand description pass. Where do surgeons fall in his consideration of workers?

[@catherinedickinson6158]

Gove was responsible for the climate of fear and the massive psychological, physical and economic damage caused. He should be held accountable.

[@jonnysongs]

Drives me crazy to hear posh people with gardens and laptops enjoying lockdowns. Absolutely selfish

[@gunnergee2655]

Michael Gove - masterclass in bullshitting, bravo 👏

[@mindfulmw]

Cannot watch Gove's BS any more.

[@BlacktheSwede]

What a liar. He cannot admit the disaster and take responsibility, so he lies.

[@michaelwebb3979]

i don't think Gove has the credibility to be involved with any discussion around covid, the Tories and culpability. Crawl backunder your rock Gove.

[@just_another32]

yep too much necessary self preservation means there cant be an honest debate

[@jdg9999]

Notice the sleight of hand "the damage that covid wrought" - no, covid wrought very little damage at all, the policies your government CHOSE to implement wrought massive damage to the economy. This is a similar game they play with how "the war in Ukraine" caused massive damage to European economies - no, the policies you CHOSE to implement, declaring all out economic war against Europe's biggest energy and raw material supplier was what caused the damage, not the war itself.

[@andrewhotston983]

Yes, exactly. Deliberate obfuscation.

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

You seem to forget that hospitals were on the edge of collapse.

[@donalfoley2412]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

You forget the state of our hospitals which were close to collapse. We could have done as per Russia. A friend was there, he said they let it run wild, and countless people perished.

[@andrewhotston983]

@@StillAliveAndKicking_ Close to collapse? Just like every winter, then! Have you forgotten the TikTok videos posted by nurses in deserted hospitals during Covid?

[@iconicon5642]

Why is Gove the editor of the Spectator?

[@jeffsimon9594]

I am quite glad they are showing their true colours lately; The Times even more so..

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Because he supports the current political narrative. The powers that be find him useful, and that is why he is there.

[@orsoncart802]

Gove - swamp denizen. Just FO.

[@johnl5316]

Medical facilities in FLORIDA were Not over burdened despite the fact that we did not have lockdowns, vax mandates, masks, etc. There was no restriction on social mixing

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

What Gove did over lockdown was a disgrace. He betrayed the people of Britain over that. I hope some day he faces the consequences for the crimes he committed over that. I have utter contempt for him over that.

[@WIP532]

Why did the flu "vanish" and the super rich get super richer? 🤔

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

Because most of us are vaccinated, especially vulnerable people, or developed immunity from infection, and the virus has mutated and weakened.

[@jeffsimon9594]

@@StillAliveAndKicking_ It was a massive upward transfer of wealth and the most blatant eye-popping state overreach we have seen in our lifetimes, those are incontrovertible facts.

[@Forthestate]

Let's be honest, they lied about everything.

[@jjhw2941]

Overweight people were vulnerable because Vitamin D is fat soluble and therefore they were Vitamin D deficient as it was trapped in fat rather than being available in the body. That could have been solved with Vitamin D supplements, the only one to talk about Vitamin D was David Davis who was quickly shot down by the government.

[@afriedli]

I despise Michael Gove. There is nothing conservative about him whatsoever. Indeed, there is nothing of anything about him whatsoever.

[@lucyfrancis1203]

Politicians will say anything just avoid admitting „we were wrong and this will never happen again“….

[@keithbutler8046]

I truly hope that hiring Gove does the harm to The Spectator, as any kind of relevant new media KZbin presence, that the decision warrants. Which imo is the only chance they have to stay relevant. Those that subscribe to Spectator aren’t stupid and I hope they vote with a simple unsubscribe. I for one can’t abide him. And I hope his continued influence in Badenoch’s Tory party sends them to the oblivion they deserve. Never forget and never forgive. Especially without personal accountability or an apology. And after what he did to the country he had the audacity to jump around a dancefloor no doubt charlied up as if lives hadn’t been destroyed by his huge influence. The fact he can look at himself in a mirror never mind through a podcasting lens astounds me. He’s vile. Establishment protecting their own.

[@andrewhotston983]

It's stopped them receiving any money from me, which is harm, albeit on a small scale. I very much doubt that Gove creates a reflection in a mirror, either!

[@williamsnowden8186]

Ms. Shriver has good sense.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Except that she took an untested drug - to some how get her freedoms back.

[@johnlocke5382]

Gove a disgrace

[@unclem7816]

Gove is so dense it's unbelievable.

[@glynreed1]

Like the rest of his ilk he lives in a cosy bubble.

[@andrewhotston983]

Don't mistake duplicity for stupidity.

[@jimmyfaulkner5746]

Your correct , it is unbelievable

[@Phillrooneysongs]

I'm a teacher and the huge impact of the lockdowns on the development of children was both knowable and known at the time. Pupil mental health, restricting early development, speech, socialising, academic loss - these were predictable and predicted. There were people at the time of lockdown 1 predicting these consequences who were dismissed and cancelled. The panicked overreaction of the government (and the opposition wanting even more Draconian policies) not only heralded an era of liberty-loss in the UK but have massively affected the life chances of a generation. Unforgivable.

[@RichardEnglander]

14:00 listen to Gove there, they prioritised New Arrivals, the multigenerational households aren't English. Race to the bottom to appease YET AGAIN

[@dode5064]

Politicians are the only people on earth who never admit their mistakes. We are still paying for lockdowns in so many ways and will do for years to come. Protect the vulnerable and let the rest get on with their lives ! Never lock us down again !

[@stefanfitzsimmons6605]

Gove just doesn’t get it. There are a lot good people at Spectator but i cant continue my membership with him in charge.

[@davidblake8612]

Michael Gove is still playing the "Oh we didn't know what it was" card. Why The Spectator has appointed a senior Tory politician as it's editor is beyond me.

[@leightrinder8668]

I listened to Gove & all I heard was excuses. Shame that he is editor.

[@m9saville]

Most people behaved like pathetic cowards and don't want to be reminded of it. That's why they don't talk about it.

[@justinburton1164]

I can’t watch this. Gove, really? Why would you employ him Spectator?

[@SimonWallwork]

It was a colossal over-reaction. As LS says, right from the start it was clear than only the over eighties were really vulnerable.

[@robertmckinnon6564]

It was a planned over-reaction.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

It was no "over-reaction". This was entirely planned. Look into Fergusson's history.

[@TheOwlHoots]

and that's the last time we ever saw Lionel Shriver..

[@albacan]

We talk about Covid all the time. We see shops still.vacant and know of many businesses which didnt survive.

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

Unfortunately the government did not understand how science works. It progresses through concensus based on a body of research. Often individual scientists get it wrong, not through dishonesty, but by making incorrect assumptions, or missing important factors. They made the mistake of having a small group of experts and one group of modellers. They needed multiple modelling groups, and a range of experts.

[@garryirvin1013]

Last month, After 40 years of loyal reading, I cancelled my subscription to the Spectator. I hate Gove and can't stand to be associated with him, however tenuous. Roll on his replacement and the reinstatement of the subscription.....

[@johnwalsh4197]

Gove appalling liar Will never own up to his colossal mistakes Still supporting tyrannical behaviour

[@jamescoops]

There needs to be a reckoning for closing schools and children's activities in particular.

[@Humbug-o1c]

Police stopping people getting fresh air sitting on park benches, police following people in the country side with drones etc etc etc Insanity

[@maggen_me7790]

Lionel👋👋👋

[@louiseparker1915]

The scientists didn’t “follow the science!”

[@Frohicky1]

What is the mathematical value of freedom to a Conservative? Near zero.

[@celiacresswell6909]

Yup same as labour - freedom regarded as a luxury item

[@ashfield1425]

Every party voted for lockdowns. Labour wanted harder lockdowns. They are all equally vile.

[@johnlocke5382]

Gove talking absolute bollocks

[@thorpehousehold]

That man is the reason I can’t quite bring myself to renew my subscription.

[@zimbogal9502]

I agree with Lionel. There was clear evidence very, very early on that lockdowns weren't the right choice. The magic plexi glass was ridiculous as well, as the air moves up and around and over. And yes it was a tragedy. Why did the Spectator just move on after Lionel pointed that out? Just silence and the presenter moved on to the next question, killing the debate and any explanation or argument from Gove.

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Plus - the virus obeyed the curfews, could count the number of people in a group and a Scotch Egg could cure it. 😉😉

[@johnl5316]

By May 2020 we did have the information that enabled us to stop all lockdowns, vax mandates, masks, etc. Certainly, that is what FLORIDA did by summer 2020

[@FraserBailey-jm5yz]

There was a time when I liked Michael Gove. That time is long gone.

[@Baker68]

Gove is a slime ball

[@Baker68]

I can not stand this man.

[@thistleproductions6431]

Apologists stating that the government didn't really know what they were doing!!! Alluding to mistakes rather than predetermined agendas.

[@elizabethhobson7939]

Michael Gove: criminalising non-compliance with lockdown was not justifiable, except that we needed to frighten people enough to ensure enough compliance. That’s acceptable politics? I don’t consent to that.

[@johnl5316]

The UK did have Prof Sunetra GUPTA

[@paulettesaul4810]

Not to forget having these restrictions put on us created tremendous anxiety and stress on those that had to figure out to home school their children. This only hit the top of the iceberg.

[@paulsmith982]

The conservative's response to the Panic of 2020 was a large part of the reason that I voted for Reform in 2024. Their reaction was pathetic. So wrong in so many ways. Gove is still spouting complete BS (Lies?) about Covid and their response to it

[@alanrobertson9790]

Only the people who got paid during lockdown liked the policy. There were many who received no compensation.

[@davidstrand9106]

No amount of Johnny Walker black label would be enough for me to subscribe while Mr Gove is editor!

[@stephfoxwell4620]

What a vacuous bore Gove is.

[@johnl5316]

2:57 the virus itself had NO economic effect. No economically viable person was particularly negatively affected.

[@johnwade1095]

I had rather hoped to never hear from Gove again.

[@tjamaima6104]

Give is a typical coward!!! Thank you Lionel 🙏

[@peteconroy1348]

We keep being told we need to have more sympathy and understanding for the government who got it wrong, but the sympathy and understanding never gets offered to the journalists/public/scientists that got it right. Those people are still demonised at worst and told to shut up at best!

[@OllyShawlive]

Why is youtube still putting warnings on the Vids?

[@softcolly8753]

I have been meaning to write a plugin for chrome and firefox to remove these propaganda boxes.

[@peterhobday]

Britain is too quick to invoke and apply laws when not needed. We are a rule taker maker country. It is one of the reasons we left the EU --- however it continues ..

[@davidgillham6847]

Gove is way off the mark now with this stuff, he just can't admit himself and the others around him got it really wrong! Oh, and anyone with kids, I can assure you, did not like lock down one bit!

[@nickfaulks-uo5ry]

But he didn't get it wrong! His friends got rich and the lower classes were set back for a generation.

[@jjhw2941]

Sweden fortifies milk with vitamin D, which means they have less Vitamin D deficiency. Also they take readings of Vitamin D levels of people in care homes and supplement them appropriately. None of which is done in the UK.

[@Richard-d1y]

I think a lot of Sweden has almost no sun for parts of the year, hence vit d.