There is a photo in some of the newspapers this morning (you can see it here) of two grown men about to play table football.  One is a scruffy, overweight yob, whose hair is uncombed and whose sleeves are hitched above his elbows.  The cuffs of the other are neatly turned back, revealing two bangles on one wrist, the slick effect somewhat diminished by the fact that his shirt is too tight.  One is our prime minister, the other our chancellor – I’ll leave readers to ponder which is which.

Of course, the prime minister should not be playing games now, or at any time, far less in a pub, which is where the picture appears to have been taken.   The picture encapsulates much of the problem: he believes (I was going to write “thinks,” but he doesn’t) that politics is a game, a game of yah-boo.  It isn’t it is about lives and livelihoods.  The former at serious risk from the casual and irresponsible way Johnson authorises lifting the lock-down, the latter from the insanity of Brexit, for which he bears the responsibility.  Angela Merkel’s words yesterday that “the UK must live with the consequences of weaker ties to the EU,” were considered, and chilling.

The experience of other countries lifting their lock-downs has made clear that even when the incidence of the virus has been reduced very low, death rates around single figures – it can re-emerge with surprising virulence. New Zealand after having had no new cases for a fortnight, found 320 people infected from just two.  Germany, South Korea, Italy have all found lifting the lock-down difficult and risky.  For an indication of the scale of risk the UK faces: Germany reported 14 deaths yesterday, South Korea 0, Italy 30, and the UK? 184, up from 149 the day before.

I, like Hancocks, Anthony and Matt, “am not a doctor.”  I do not hold 3 science O-levels , and most of what I did know I’ve forgotten, but even I can see that to be loosening restrictions when the virus is still present is a risk, which should be mitigated with words of caution: not images of table football designed to draw the punters back to the bars.