Out on Beech Road in Chorlton, Manchester this weekend was pretty much like any other normal sunny weekend. The bars and restaurants were heaving, the green was awash with pub over spill, the street was like a car park and hardly a mask in evidence. Sorry Mr Burnham, but the people have decided otherwise. You know where you can stick your emergency.

If I understand correctly, the aim now is to continue this nonsense until "the virus" is not being transmitted any more. "Zero Covid"? I think it would be as sensible to say "Zero colds and 'flu". Neither are likely to happen, and yet somehow the government seem to think they can control it.

Spot on Kevin, up in Scotland we have a woman, Devi Sridhar, who has the ear of 'our Nicola' and who has been preaching 'zero covid' for weeks now (music to the ears of ardent nationalists as they can then all shout for the border to be closed). Now that we've had a few cases in Aberdeen she's slunk back under the table. It's simply an absurd proposition.