Throughout this pandemic we have stressed that behaviour and behaviour change are as much to do with information and opportunity as with motivation. And if people breached lockdown it was more to do with poor messaging and inadequate support than stupidity, weakness or ill-will. https://twitter.com/GeorgeMonbiot/status/1277169409338023936

We said this when people used the idea of 'behavioural fatigue' to delay lockdown. No, we said, if you explain clearly why it is necessary and you provide adequate resources, people will surprise you with their resilience - and indeed they did.

We said this when the media was awash with stories of 'panic buying'. No we said, if people are stockpiling (and few are), it is because your stories convey information that key resources are about to run out. They are only doing what is sensible given what they have been told.

We said this when there was controversy about 'covidiots' crowding in public parks. No, we said, people have been told they can go out but there isn't enough public space available. So open the golf courses and the playing fields so people can go out and stay distanced.

We said this when workplaces were reopened and people were blamed for crowding onto public transport. No, we said, don't force people back to work before you have prepared to ensure that getting to work and being at work can be done safely.

And now, once more, we are blaming people for ignoring restrictions when the overwhleming message is 'the pubs are open, the distancing rules are changed, we don't need to brief you about the pandemic any more, it's back to normal'.

This messaging isn't inadvertent. Why would you lift restrictions on a Saturday, on July 4th, and talk of 'ending hibernation' unless you wanted headlines about 'Freedom Saturday' or 'Independence Day' - and pointedly ignored all those (like the police) who point out the dangers?

Time and time and time again, we see the public blamed for the errors of the government. Time and time again we blame the weakness of public psychology for the weakness of the Government. Let's put the blame back firmly where the blame belongs.