In the immortal words of the great Jimmy Nail, “she’s lying.” Of course she’s lying. When Swarbrick asked about pubs, Keegan said:
“No, I think it’s where there’s lots of crowds of people so erm a large nightclub, maybe a large venue where there’s lots of people and it’s indoors. No I don’t think there’s a consideration at the moment (for pubs).
But of course you know, we take this virus as we find it. We are trying always to get ahead of it…..and of course if we have a Beta variant or any other variants which we’re trying to minimise the risk of through our cautious approach to travel, then we’ll have to take actions.”
Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi (pictured) was explicit when he said earlier this year, that the government wouldn’t introduce vaccine passports. Cabinet Minister Michael Gove dismissed it out of hand, telling SKY News that it was “un-British.”
Yet the government u-turned and is attempting to make double-vaccination a condition of entry to nightclubs from late next month. While I called Keegan a liar, I did so with tongue firmly in cheek.
I think I’ve said it before, the government isn’t in charge. Governments are fronts, nothing more. They take orders too. When ministers say that there are no plans to make vaccine passports a requirement for pubs, they are only repeating that which they have been told to say, for now.
As we move into Autumn and Winter and more and more people fall ill after they’ve been jabbed, enormous pressure will be brought to bear on hospitality again. The threat of closure will likely lead to publicans taking preemptive action.
The government won’t need to insist that pubs ask to see passports. That’s how I see it. I’d love to be wrong.
Irish publicans capitulated. To eat or drink inside a pub/restaurant in Ireland today, you must provide proof of injection or a recent negative test. I’ve no reason to believe that British landlords will stand up to it.
Ihre papiere bitte is here now and here to stay.