Tag Archives: Essential Items

Anyone?

Hic.

Meanwhile…

According to the former Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, now the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (although he seems to be firmly opposed to all three) this is vital to stop ‘unfair’ competition. The police – to show they are determined to get tough on anyone taking advantage of the crisis by, say, selling children’s toys or books – were reported to be out in force this weekend to ensure compliance.

But hold on. This is completely crazy. For the moment, let us leave aside the issue of whether it is a slight overreaction to a virus which, while infections are rising, killed

between zero and thirteen people a day over the last month in Ireland. Let’s leave aside as well how complex it will make the border with Northern Ireland – given that presumably anyone from the Republic will be able to drive across the border to buy garden equipment or a new T-shirt (I hope someone has broken the news to Michel Barnier so he can work out what the heck that means for the backstop). The important point is this: it has turned into a terrifying abuse of government power.

Ireland’s lockdown war on the economy (Matthew Lyn, The Spectator)