On 13 October, we put up this post about the difference of opinion between Thurrock Council and Essex County Council over which COVID-19 alert category they should be placed in: It will end in tiers. We noted that the leader of Thurrock Council, Cllr. Rob Gledhill, stated that as far as he was concerned, Thurrock was staying in Tier 1, the lowest category. He justified this stance by citing the facts on the ground, namely Thurrock currently having a lower rate of infection than Essex.

Well, if this report in the Thurrock Gazette – Thurrock could be forced into higher level restrictions – is accurate, it matters not a jot what Gledhill thinks because if Essex goes to a higher tier, Thurrock will get dragged into it as well regardless of the facts on the ground. Although, reading through the article, it’s not made clear why Thurrock would be forced to go up a tier. Presumably because of the long shared border and the sheer amount of cross border economic activity and commuting between the two areas. The other factor that could force Thurrock up a tier would be neighbouring London going to Tier 2.

Baffled by conflicting and confusing reports as to what may or may not happen? We certainly are! Fed up with not knowing what the future holds and not being able to plan ahead because the sodding goalposts keep moving? We are most definitely fecking well fed up!! Wondering what the point of Thurrock going unitary was? We imagine a fair few residents are asking themselves that question as Cllr. Gledhill splutters away with impotent rage.

FFS, it’s a struggle planning for just a few weeks ahead let alone making any medium or long term plans. You have to wonder whether the pillocks who presume to rule over us – particularly those who still favour lockdowns and increasing restrictions – have any appreciation of how this is dragging people’s morale down even further. From three weeks to ‘flatten the curve’, we’re now seven months into – lockdown, a very uncertain ‘new normal’ and quite possibly heading into another lockdown – all with no sodding end in sight.

There’s only so much people can take of a combination of feeling like they’re in the middle of a massive psychological experiment and constant Gaslighting. People are cracking under the strain of all of this. More will start to crack with tragic consequences. At some point, a critical mass will be reached and there will be collective manifestations of anger. It won’t be pretty but regardless, we know whose side we’ll be taking…