A nation’s values are deeply flawed when a nurse’s pay is cut and she is fined for protesting about it.
Such a nation is Britain. Such a nurse is Karen Reissman.
Karen is one of 300,000 nurses furious at the Tory one per cent pay offer, in real-terms a reduction.
So she took to the streets peaceably to show her anger, as is the right of every citizen in a free country.
Police slapped her with a £10,000 fine for not being socially distanced - which she disputes.
The Tory “Nasty Party” appears to be turning all that we hold dear on its head.
There is the central issue of how we reward those who have worked themselves to the bone to save lives during the Covid pandemic.
NHS bosses were budgeting for more than double the paltry one per cent nurses are being offered.
And other than the Tories, no one in this country believes even 2.1 per cent is gratitude enough for all NHS staff have done.
There is also the issue of fair play which the British have always prided themselves on. Karen’s treatment is unfair.
And there is the issue of free expression, a cherished right not to be given up lightly.
We accept that in a pandemic there must be restrictions which police have a duty to enforce.
But there are exceptions to every rule. Karen Reissman is that exception.
Kate the great
Talking of freedom of expression, the Duchess of Cambridge exercised her right to it by turning out for Sarah Everard’s Clapham Common vigil.
That must have had Buckingham Palace courtiers scratching their heads and diving for their manuals on Royal protocol.
Kate is the wife of the future king of England. England’s judiciary upheld a ban on similar gatherings under Covid rules.
Kate let it be known she was there, not just to pay respects to Sarah and her family, but because she remembers what it felt like to walk around London at night.
This is one duchess who has not forgotten her roots. It is only a pity social distancing was not observed after she left.
In a week which has revealed a Royal Family at each other’s throats Kate’s simple action was a breath of fresh air.
And a shining example of how a 21st Century Royal should behave.
Duty's calling
Only seven days to go until the nation is gripped by series six of Line of Duty.
And to remind you of the twists and turns in the previous five our recap today brings you up to speed.
Will we finally learn the identity of H? Or will we still be kept guessing?
One thing is certain... another battle for Hastings.
