To echo what @NinaWarhurst said earlier: we’ve been banned from going round each other’s houses since the end of July. Now facing potentially indefinite pub closures. I know I said this last night too, but the mental health impact is huge.

It isn’t just that a bunch of northerners can’t go out on the piss. It’s the onset of a long winter with an ever decreasing circle of human interaction. Ofc the virus has to be tracked and contained, but what northern areas want to know is what evidence is driving the policy.

Someone in GM pointed out to me this week that northern leaders are an *asset* to govt in this, so long as they understand and agree with the rationale. At that point they sell it in to their population. At this point, they don’t. Actively don’t in some cases.