Plenty of people did not agree with every lockdown rule aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus in the dark days of 2020.
But the vast majority of people across the UK followed the restrictions anyway.
They instinctively knew it was about helping others at a time when vaccination wasn’t yet available.
This sense of decency, of playing by the rules and doing the right thing, did not stretch all the way to Downing Street.
At a time when millions were living on their own and legally prevented from entering the homes of friends and family, the Prime Minister and his staff attended multiple social gatherings.
The rule-breaking led to Boris Johnson being fined by police last week. More fines could be coming.
Yesterday the PM stood-up and offered another grovelling apology to MPs.
But he stuck to his excuse that he did not realise at the time that he was breaking the rules – the same rules his government had drawn up.
Johnson says he respects the police’s decision at the same time his ministers are sent out to tell the media the fine amounts to little more than a speeding ticket. We are invited to believe this is all a trivial matter, one best forgotten.
Thankfully most people don’t have memories that short.
They can vividly recall the tedium and loneliness that characterised lockdown for many people.
They paid a price and they’ll remember the people who didn’t.
Johnson took a deserved battering yesterday from political rivals following his statement to the House.
But as the leader of the opposition Keir Starmer remarked, the Prime Minister only said sorry because he got caught.
If he had any decency, he would have resigned.
Tackle dirty cash
Claims made in Holyrood yesterday should concern anyone who cares about Scottish football.
An MSP said our national sport is “contaminated by drugs money”.
It would be naive to be shocked by the allegations made in the Scottish parliament. The tentacles of criminal gangs have always found their way into legitimate business.
Why should football be any different? But the statement should be taken seriously.
Football is too important a part of Scottish life for the authorities to look the other way.
The sport’s governing bodies should work with politicians to explore these allegations fully and come up with a strategy to keep dirty money out of the sport.
We cannot allow our game to be blighted by organised crime.
