Thread: I don't know what is right to do over Christmas with Covid. There are so many arguments on both sides, and they're all made out to be black and white. I'm not a scientist, unless you count economics. I'm not a doctor. I am a human rights specialist though.... 1/

That's where this whole thing really hits home. Likes of @SteveBakerHW suggesting he could take a case to the ECHR for violations of human rights, despite no such violations occuring because, despite what this government thinks, human rights laws weren't drawn up by idiots. 2/

They recognise a need for collective good during national emergencies and public health crises. Others talks about the needs of families, others about the importance of Christmas. These are important things, but the levels of hypocrisy from those who view family....3/

as something which only applies to people born in the UK. The idea that one religious festival is more important to its believers than anothers is to it. It's the hypocrisy which is the most galling thing. 4/

As I said, I don't know what is the right thing to do regarding Christmas. I know my opinion is to maintain lockdown for longer and that mixing poses a risk of increasing spread, but that's my opinion, and not close to an expert one. 5/

What I do know is that if you want to have a serious discussion about the rights and wrongs about this, it needs to acknowledge that "family" doesn't mean anything to this government unless it is a play to its base. They don't care about families beyond their own. 6/

They have soured the word "family". When you take pride in pushing policies which seperate migrant families, prevent unaccompanied child refugees reaching theirs in the UK etc then you show you don't care about families. You care about polling and votes. 7/

I'll leave better minds than mine, with knowledge of the multiple factors at play, to determine what is or isn't right thing to do over Christmas. I just wish politicians would do the same without invoking "family" as if it is something you can pick and choose to care about. 8/