Boris Johnson suggests distancing rules should be enforced "Covid Marshalls" in towns and city centres as seen on “twitter”

[stevetay3]

What about the plan to put covid marshals on the streets of this once free country.

 

[trebor79]

What about the plan to put covid marshals on the streets of this once free country.

Yes I picked up on that. It sounded a bit off the cuff. No doubt they'll end up like all the hi Viz marshalls in the stations stood round having a chat and doing nothing in particular.
Anyone trying to get me to follow a one way arrow painted on the pavement will get a two word response.

 

[trebor79]

I've googled "Covid Marshalls". The only rests coming up are how the Marshall's Group car dealers are Covid secure. Facebook rumour?

Boris mentioned marshalls to enforce distancing in his conference.
He also made some vague reference to hospitality venues in some places being told to change their hours. I guess that's the curfew thing.

 

[Reliablebeam]

What about the plan to put covid marshals on the streets of this once free country.

The Sun has labelled these a 'Dad's Army' of retired Environmental health officers. This does not sound promising, a load of troublemaking busybodies is probably closer to the truth.

 

[Yew]

The Sun has labelled these a 'Dad's Army' of retired Environmental health officers.

Ah, exactly the sort of people you'd want in public facing roles during a pandemic that predominantly affects the aged.

 

[adc82140]

The Sun has labelled these a 'Dad's Army' of retired Environmental health officers. This does not sound promising, a load of troublemaking busybodies is probably closer to the truth.

That'll end well. I don't condone violence of any sort, but how long before we get a newspaper report of one of them picking on the wrong person and getting a broken jaw for their trouble.

 

[py_megapixel]

What about the plan to put covid marshals on the streets of this once free country.

Boris mentioned marshalls to enforce distancing in his conference.

I thought I'd break this out into a separate thread to avoid the reduction in gatherings thread going too offtopic, but also because I feel it warrants discussion in its own right.

If you're unaware of the concept, here's an explanation from the Manchester Evening News:

Boris Johnson has announced that 'Covid marshals' will be sent out to make sure the public follows social-distancing rules.


They say this is to help local authorities support social distancing in towns and city centres.

...

Mr Johnson added: "We will boost the enforcement capacity of local authorities by introducing Covid-secure marshals to help ensure social distancing in town and city centres and by setting up a register of environmental health officers that local authorities can draw upon for support."

You can read the full article at https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/covid-marshals-sent-city-town-18906497

My personal thoughts are that, if they're just going to be giving advice with no legal powers, then fine. But I would be seriously worried about giving people who aren't trained as police powers to issue fines or similar, and I seriously hope there will be some proper discussion before this goes into force.

 

[nlogax]

Don't we have this already? It's called Social Media.

 

[Peddles88]

Their uniform has been leaked already!!

 

[HSTEd]

Yay, state empowered vigilantes appointed under "emergency powers".

I can't see this going badly at all.

 

[43066]

My personal thoughts are that, if they're just going to be giving advice with no legal powers, then fine. But I would be seriously worried about giving people who aren't trained as police powers to issue fines or similar, and I seriously hope there will be some proper discussion before this goes into force.

From the wording of the article they will just be busybodies without any formal enforcement powers.

You can just imagine the kind of person who would volunteer to order complete strangers around....

Their uniform has been leaked already!!
View attachment 83336

... that’s exactly the kind of person I was just imagining.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Absolute nonsense IMO (and that's the polite word.... )

We already have this in shopping centres and large railway stations

Big power to the little man

I think Boris is ill... he's definately lost it

 

[Bletchleyite]

Perhaps we could, you know, fund the Police properly, so they could do, you know, policing?

 

[HSTEd]

Perhaps we could, you know, fund the Police properly, so they could do, you know, policing?

And how many tens of billions will you need to double or triple or quadrouple the strength of the police force?

And assuming the government ever permits things to return to normal, what will we do with an enormously overstrength police force?

 

[Bletchleyite]

And assuming the government ever permits things to return to normal, what will we do with an enormously overstrength police force?

It's massively understrength at the moment, so have them do actual normal policing afterwards.

 

[Jamiescott1]

If a Marshall told me about the rules or tried to get me to do something then they'd get a 2 word reply. The second word being "off"

 

[py_megapixel]

If a Marshall told me about the rules or tried to get me to do something then they'd get a 2 word reply. The second word being "off"

I'm unsure what need you'd have to be rude. I appreciate that you may find them unnessecary or annoying, but refusing to treat them politely seems to be "shooting the messenger", so to speak

 

[Richard Scott]

Perhaps we could, you know, fund the Police properly, so they could do, you know, policing?

But guess what, the country is now in a financial crisis due to a over reaction to this virus. Can't afford it along with lots of other things.

 

[alex397]

I'm unsure what need you'd have to be rude. I appreciate that you may find them unnessecary or annoying, but refusing to treat them politely seems to be "shooting the messenger", so to speak

Indeed. A bit like when people are abusive to traffic wardens

 

[Baxenden Bank]

mmm, on first reading a bonkers idea.

But local authorities already have lots of officials certified to enforce various powers - traffic / parking, environmental health, licenced premises, taxi / private hire etc. The list is quite long - think of all the regulatory functions that councils have - including town planning, social services and education. The list of staff who have powers already granted is rather long. In the main, those powers are exercised reasonably and without the general public even knowing they exist. All of those staff could be utilised quite quickly, given their existing training to 'enforce things', along with existing town centre marshalls for those places that have them.

And how many tens of billions will you need to double or triple or quadrouple the strength of the police force?

You could increase the number of PCSO's and give them limited powers restricted to social distancing enforcement.

And assuming the government ever permits things to return to normal, what will we do with an enormously overstrength police force?

Please, just don't go there.

 

[alex397]

It will be interesting to see what sort of job this will be.

Will it be voluntary? If so, I doubt many will want to do. Or it will attract very militant types who love enforcing rules.

Will they be paid? If so, surely that money would be better off for funding the police.

Or will they be a private police force? Which would be a worrying step, but not something which would surprise me from this current government.

I think it will be more likely they won’t have any powers at all and will just give people ‘advice’, in which case many will just ignore them.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

But guess what, the country is now in a financial crisis due to a over reaction to this virus. Can't afford it along with lots of other things.

I'm sure the country can afford it under emergency legislation - the government will find the money

My Trust couldn't afford a lot of things until Covid-19 cropped up when suddenly, there was a bottomless pit of cash to buy screens, PPE, sanitiser, medical supplies and other bits and bobs to maintain "Covid-Secure" spaces

 

[102 fan]

I find this extremely worrying. Emergency legislation not being scrutinised by Parliament and a private army enforcing it. All they need is a brown shirt.

 

[Richard Scott]

I'm sure the country can afford it under emergency legislation - the government will find the money

My Trust couldn't afford a lot of things until Covid-19 cropped up when suddenly, there was a bottomless pit of cash to buy screens, PPE, sanitiser, medical supplies and other bits and bobs to maintain "Covid-Secure" spaces

We can't afford it and have borrowed like mad to 'afford' all of that listed above. We have to pay that back and will take years so, no, we cannot afford it and nor can we borrow any more for things like that.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

We can't afford it and have borrowed like mad to 'afford' all of that listed above. We have to pay that back and will take years so, no, we cannot afford it and nor can we borrow any more for things like that.

Yes I know that but the point I was making was that the government will always find money to fund "emergency measures".

The sad thing is that we, our children and their children et al will be paying back the national debt for ever and ever

 

[Pete_uk]

I really cannot see the point! Who would volunteer to remind people to keep apart?

I mean, I just dont know

 

[stevetay3]

Yes I picked up on that. It sounded a bit off the cuff. No doubt they'll end up like all the hi Viz marshalls in the stations stood round having a chat and doing nothing in particular.
Anyone trying to get me to follow a one way arrow painted on the pavement will get a two word response.

Apart from the ones in like the Liverpool train isue.

 

[SteveM70]

Wow. Just wow. They’re busking this aren’t they, making it up as they go along.

 

[py_megapixel]

Wow. Just wow. They’re busking this aren’t they, making it up as they go along.

Which is in fact no change what they've been doing for the past few months.
They don't have a clue what they're doing. It seems that the restrictions are being chosen at the roll of a dice, and as such nobody has a clue what they are at any given time.

Quite frankly, I don't believe Boris Johnson and most of his government are fit for the roles of government ministers.

 

[bramling]

What about the plan to put covid marshals on the streets of this once free country.

I suppose these will be about as useful as Network Rail’s lilac and pink brigade.

To be honest I’d be tempted to go round being rude to any marshals. I really don’t like doing that with figures in these sort of positions, however for this I’d make an exception. It’s something we could well do without, and the only way of ridding ourselves is a dose of “direct democracy”.

Such a sad state of affairs. Oh for a decent government, this one just doesn’t know what to do.

I’m sick of being threatened with a second lockdown too. If there is one I won’t be observing it. We could do without the threatening tone, and Boris can hardly lecture us - he was careless enough to get Covid himself, and as for the Barney escapade...