This week has seen the news that the Home Office is considering locating a temporary asylum camp in Barton Stacey, beside the A303 and remote from any facilities or services. I have been pointing out to them repeatedly that this is in breach of the Habitats Directive, which they should be bound by, and the prospect of people being housed in substandard accommodation next to a dual carriageway is a highways accident waiting to happen. The closest retail outlet is the service station on the A303, with the only route to it being along the highway verge, adjacent to 70mph traffic. The mind really does boggle.
As it does at the idiot who decided to try to report me to the Police for the false imprisonment of my parents. Just for clarity, a lighthearted comment on Politics Live, does not actually constitute a criminal offence. Yes, when lockdown was introduced in March I did keep my parents very firmly at home, to avoid them catching a virus that is potentially deadly to people in their late 70s and to prevent them from being a burden on our brilliant NHS. What sort of person decides to waste Police time by reporting me for looking after my own parents wellbeing?
In better news I very much enjoyed Small Business Saturday and it has been great to see shops and businesses spring back to life. My pledge for Christmas 2020 is to keep all my shopping local and to do what I can to help local retailers. I am very much looking forward to the Romsey Youth Choir socially distanced Christmas Concert, and hopefully the Rotary Carols albeit done a little differently.
The roll out of the vaccine is brilliant news and I take my hat off to those great octogenarians we have all seen in the media getting their vaccine.