During the lockdown, Bolton has seen 20,000 fewer GP referrals to hospital when compared to last year, while many others have not accessed vital treatment because they have been too frightened to do so. By taking our current approach to Covid-19, we are creating many other health problems that are leading to pain, suffering and death.
The closure of pubs, restaurants and cafes, combined with the reduction of footfall on our high streets, has brought many family-owned businesses in my constituency to the brink of collapse and pushed others over the edge. While many employees and businesses have received substantial support, a great many business owners have received nothing and will continue to receive no support.
The damage done to physical and mental health, as well as to livelihoods and businesses, would be justified if the threat from Covid-19 was as first suggested. I know that this novel pandemic virus posed a serious but little understood threat but we have learnt so much since it first emerged. I now believe that the attempted cure is worse than the disease and that this second six-month phase will not see the delivery of a solution via mass vaccination. The government will then begin its next phase of control.
There is a healthy debate over how we can eliminate coronavirus or how we can live with it and this is being led by many distinguished academics, epidemiologists and other specialists. I believe that there are better alternatives to the government's approach, so I therefore tender my resignation.
This is an edited version of Chris Green's resignation letter to Boris Johnson.
Chris Green MP is the MP for Bolton.
Comment: Evidently there are few in central government that are intelligent and principled enough to recognise what is deadly obvious to many. However, in recent weeks, we've seen a number of brave local leaders from the UK, France, Italy and Spain, push back against their governments' tyrannical lockdown measures: