Come Back Dominic All Is Forgiven by Les May

WHILST the strategy of attempting to argue that Mr. Cummings' conduct was within government guidelines is insulting and distressing to those who have made terrible sacrifices by staying indoors away from family, it also clears the "we're all in this together" smokescreen to reveal a political plane where different rules apply.

These are the words of Kirsty Brimelow QC in late May 2020. Whilst apologists like Boris Johnson, Grant Shaps and Matt Hancock took a different line these words are probably a good reflection of the feelings of a majority of people in this country.

On 6 January this year protesters at an anti-lockdown demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament were arrested. The day after, page 10 of the Daily Telegraph carried a large picture, 30x20cm, of an Asian lady being handcuffed behind her back by two police officers wearing surgical type masks. The male officer was wearing a body camera.

Above it was a six column wide article headed ‘Breach the rules and face fine, police warn’. Below it was another article also over six columns by Martin Hewitt who chairs the National Police Chief’s Council which included the words ‘… everyone should understand the rules in their area. We know, for example, that large gatherings should not be happening. Forces will continue to bear down on that very small minority who flagrantly and selfishly breach the regulations.’

Even the editorial in the Telegraph, which largely speaking opposes the lockdown, could not manage to produce an argument against this which went much further than complaining that it might penalise old people who might find the need to sit down on a convenient bench whilst taking their exercise.

On Saturday a bunch of women congregated on Clapham Common and four people were arrested for public order and coronavirus regulation breaches. They had gathered after an event organised by Reclaim These Streets was cancelled following talks with the Metropolitan Police, which said it would be in breach of coronavirus rules. In other words they knew exactly what they were doing and now are complaining they were badly treated, though it is difficult to see that they were being treated any differently to the lady at the demo on 6 January. As the character Fletcher said in the BBC TV series Porridge, ‘if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime’.

Let’s not confuse what happened at Clapham Common with the very real threat to our right to use our streets and open spaces to protest. Since the murder of Sarah Everard ego-centric women have exploited what, by its very rarity, the random killing of a young woman walking home after dark, is a devastating and momentous crime, in order to pursue their own agenda against men and trying to spread a of fear of us amongst women. Would it have been even a nine day wonder if it had been a young man killed in a similar circumstances?

If those who support the idea of making misogyny a ‘hate crime’ get their way the same force that is now watching calls for its Commissioner to resign for the way that the Clapham Common incident was was dealt with, will be handed the job of policing the interaction of men and women in London’s streets. Will there be similar outrage if men find themselves faced with on the spot fines, and being handcuffed if they get stroppy, for an overheard comment that a touchy woman takes exception to?

If we are going to swallow the story that the police were wrong to intervene at a gathering when the people there knew it was in contravention of coronavirus rules, then we should be prepared to say we are sorry for all the nasty things we said about Dominic Cummings. The same rules that apply to me apply to women!

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