Opinion

Fionnuala O Connor: Edwin Poots dished up a distraction, with a dollop of badness

There's something fishy about Edwin Poots's orange and green intervention into the coronavirus crisis - perhaps an attempt to distract from Brexit. Picture by Justin Kernoghan
There's something fishy about Edwin Poots's orange and green intervention into the coronavirus crisis - perhaps an attempt to distract from Brexit. Picture by Justin Kernoghan There's something fishy about Edwin Poots's orange and green intervention into the coronavirus crisis - perhaps an attempt to distract from Brexit. Picture by Justin Kernoghan

WHO to blame first - those we elect who fail to steer a steady course, or those we live among who spray the world with virus without a care?

People forced to do jobs they cannot afford to stop are the first and only decent exemptions.

The forced unity of the early pandemic has ruptured in anger and panic, scientists and medics up against politicians who duck the hardest decisions.

Nothing is unquestioned the second time around. Frustration has surged to the surface as the virus defeats incoherent planning, inadequate testing and trace.

Renewed restrictions across Europe met by growing protests, Boris Johnson winging it against whole chunks of England and his own party, this much has a sad inevitability.

Ian Knox cartoon 20/10/20 
Ian Knox cartoon 20/10/20  Ian Knox cartoon 20/10/20 

The clash between managing the economy and attempting to safeguard health reveals chasms between worldviews, Trump circus routines darker and more excessive with every poll.

Just ahead of widespread dismay at the likely consequences of Brexit, and as wide denial about the causes, come queries about who profits.

For months it was mainly spelled out in Private Eye's well-researched financial pages. The growing evidence of questionable official commissioning, for friends and in some cases families of those in power in London, now attracts wider media attention.

A Dublin coalition at various points in conflict with expert advice was also predictable.

Though ex-taoiseach Leo Varadkar in effect going against chief medical officer has not been a pretty sight. Losing the number one spot has not become Varadkar.

As the whole of the north went into a form of renewed lockdown over the weekend, the strain told. Edwin Poots, Sammy Wilson and Caral Ní Chuilín between them at the weekend kicked out the notion of collective responsibility.

Did the Sinn Féin sports minister genuinely misread the new rules or make her own solo run? Delightedly exploiting Sinn Féin's disgrace over the Storey funeral, the DUP men made the real dilemma of managing economy against health into today's code for the age-old battle.

As bonus, they implied that they were the only party fighting for the economy.

Stormont staggers on with that statement signed by the leaders of the five bigger parties urging collective vigilance. But the aftertaste is bitter.

To counter the Poots insinuation of them agin' the rest, SDLP minister Nichola Mallon pointed out in her calm way that the week's three Executive meetings saw no votes.

Party colleague, the deft Matthew O'Toole, found a way to judge without inflaming. Covid was a terrible virus but "there is another sickness this society has struggled with for a lot longer".

The grisly fact is that Petri dishes of infection (like sectarianism) slosh around. Walking, talking, eating, drinking without knowing they endanger their shaky old grandas and the people they sit near on the bus, those they sneeze over and squeeze past.

While not wearing masks because they're either heedless or they think their own read is the best.

In 21 per cent of positive cases a "person has been in a bar or restaurant 48 hours before becoming symptomatic".

That was quite a statement last Friday from the dry man with the title of NI Chief Medical Officer.

Why can't we turn our backs on lockdowns like Sweden, yet keep rates manageable? The short answer is that we are not Sweden, the Republic is not Sweden, the rest of the UK is not Sweden.

The self-destructiveness of Brexit is beginning to hang in the sky like mist. That might have something to do with the behaviour of Poots, Wilson and a DUP due to come face to face quite soon now with the outcome of Brexiteering.

So play the old green/orange card, raise blood pressure, and through the mist supporters will make out bad SF behaviour and Covid, not the nonsense of demanding the advantages of EU-membership while casting off into a turbulent world?

Maybe so; distraction, with a dollop of badness. Not what anyone needs.