Whenever the Johnson government tells you something, the lesson of this week is not to necessarily believe it. Vaccine passports are a perfect case in point of this. Back around January or February when the idea was first floating around, they said they wouldn’t do it.

Then as the months went on, the rhetoric against vaccine passports was dialled down. After finally lifting almost all of England’s Covid restrictions on July 19th, Johnson announces on the same day that vaccine passports for nightclubs would be in force by the end of September.

Over the summer, the rhetoric in their support was dialled down. Until on Sunday, the Health Secretary announced on his rounds of the weekend morning political programmes that they weren’t going ahead. Since then, they’ve spoken out about keeping the option “in reserve” for the winter.

They don’t know whether they’re coming or going, do they? They have absolutely no idea what they’re doing – and the fact different government ministers were saying different things on Sunday gives it away. I almost pity the (usually) juniors who get wheeled out to defend all this rubbish…