A queue at the airport, delayed trains, long tailbacks… it’s all part of the Great British Summer.
This weekend, as schools broke up and restrictions relaxed, millions of us tried to get away from it all. No such luck.
Given that authorities have known for a long time this was coming, you would have expected them to be better prepared.
eGates broke down at Heathrow. In one terminal, only one officer was around to check passports. Delays grew and grew.
Seven rail operators reported staff shortages and will be running emergency timetables for the next six weeks. The M1, the M4, the M25… every M you can think of, reported problems.
Some of it is understandable. Even though things have eased off, the pandemic is still raging.
But the Government should have prepared better. It should have helped travel companies and tourist destinations get ready for the influx of people desperate to get away for a break.
And that’s not, by the way, hindsight. It’s an example of something this government sorely lacks: foresight.
There is, as ever, the chance things could get worse.
Foreign travel is hanging by a thread and if it breaks, we can expect millions more people on the UK transport system as people clamour for a holiday.
Do you think preparations will be in place to make sure we all have a smooth trip?
Like they used to say in the ad: “This Government? Get away…”
Justice for our girls
A report into the treatment of women in the Armed Forces makes for sickening reading.
Almost 60% of serving women report bullying, harassment or discrimination. Many tell of more serious crimes, such as sexual assaults and rapes.
Those who complained found the process to be poor and felt the Ministry of Defence was not doing enough to protect them.
Shockingly, the conviction rate in a military court is four to six times lower than in a civilian one.
Our female service personnel are not getting justice.
The report, by the Women in the Armed Forces sub-committee, suggests taking the responsibility away from the military and trying cases before civilian courts.
This needs to happen as a matter of urgency.
These women put their lives on the line for us. They deserve nothing less than the best protection we can give them.
