People who live in Covid-19 hotspots in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are to be banned from travelling to Wales, the Welsh first minister has announced.
Mark Drakeford said he had asked for the “necessary work” to take place to allow devolved powers to be used to prevent people from travelling into Wales from “high prevalence” areas.
Not, particularly, the banning of people travelling from those specific areas. But rather the system of documents that show where you do live so that you can be checked as allowed to go to certain other areas.
A propizka system so that Plod can check that you are allowed to be there. The Russian word being the appropriate one here. And yes, it is a step further than internal passports – or ID cards.
To be honest, the conspiracy theories about covid being an excuse for the powers that be to grab more power over us and curtail our freedoms seem more and more likely to be true with every passing week.
I don’t think it’ll be permanent.
For it to be permanent would require massive investment and increase in man power. Which we don’t have and can’t afford.
It isn’t even enforceable now.
There is at least one street in the Chester area where one half of the street is in Chester, the other in Wales.
Are the police going to sit on the road and accost anyone who dares cross the street?
There is a large amount of cross border traffic in both directions every day around here. All legit, even under the tier 3 lockdown.
Massive Airbus factory, with around 8000 people working here, all coming in cars. A decent number from Liverpool, Cheshire and the Wirral.
How are plod going to tell who’s legit?
My prediction, if they are going to bother to enforce around here (I doubt), would be. Anpr camera on the A55 and A548 and other major border roads, sending automatic tickets to any car registered in England, then let them appeal. Combined with patrols at the more popular tourist and walking attractions.
If they bother at all…
The other nations should reciprocate, no sheep shaggers to be allowed to leave their shithole.
And as for those already in England:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3w5WOb8jPLQ
@Chernyy_drakon “If they bother at all”. It looks as if they have given up before the clamp down starts:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/morning-headlines-police-chief-warns-19106188
Jonathan makes a good point.
It’s true they don’t have the means to police their fascist paradise today, but it’s still useful to them to establish a principle and a precedent.
And yes, it is a step further than internal passports – or ID cards.
It could be called the dompas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_laws
Perhaps we don’t have the law enforcement capability at the moment, but the way the British people relished the chance to snitch on their neighbours during lockdown and the recruitment of Covid marshals makes me wonder if somebody is using the Stasi as a training manual.
So, Henry, only BAME people have to carry them.
It would be simpler just to announce that nobody with a scouse accent would be allowed to enter Wales.
The fear would be that the idea might spread beyond Wales. I say “fear” but on the other hand …
Mark Drakeford is unaware, or doesn’t care, that it will become ubiquitous. Herd immunity won’t work at the nation level. Wales is going to get it. The only possible result – medically – is the spreading in Wales will be slowed (it can’t be stopped).
Delaying the spread is not desirable, unless it threatens to overwhelm your systems. It peaked in April. What he is doing is not good for Wales.
‘So, Henry, only BAME people have to carry them.’ Actually I’d guess that only non-BAME people would have to carry them. No doubt the police force would be solely recruited from BAME people to act as our masters’ Mamelukes. Perhaps the tendency to recruit Irish police in the early 20th century US is an example of the way it’ll evolve.
The most sickening thing is that a UK PM sits on his arse and allows cunts like Drakeford and Sturgeon to play themselves. Of course we speak of Johnson who has lived up to every bad thing said about him. A tubby frog-faced git, a corpulent Toby-Jug full of bad seed that he cannot keep in his pants.
@ dearime:
” It would be simpler just to announce that nobody with a scouse accent would be allowed to enter Wales.”
How about we just wall off Scouseland from the UK altogether?
What about banning those lorry-loads of cash going from England into those three money pits? And in case you don’t know what they are, just guess. Of course, one lives in hope that the other lorry convoy of money to Europe will stop soon.
Lions™ …..
Glad I have my Irish ID card handy then. Useful for giving the appearance of being a non-resident foreigner even if you aren’t really.
Interesting that Wales thinks it can enforce a land border while the country as a whole can’t enforce one even though we’re surrounded by 30 miles of ocean.
I’m amazed that these overgrown town councillors have the powers to restrict free movement within the UK. Surely that should be reserved by central government?
@Jonathan: We’ll know when it’s no longer just a conspiracy theory when Twitter and Facebook ban all discussion of it….
The Mash have this sorted.
Being serious for a moment, as some posters here understand far better than I, 30 years ago we couldn’t come near to controlling the border with Eire, even with a significant portion of the British Army guarding it.
Wait For This To Become Permanent
Waiting for it won’t stop it.
Apparently, two thirds of Britons want another full lockdown. Happily whipped dogs deserve checks and restrictions.
There is no need to enforce it fully. Just do what plod here in Ireland are doing; setup roadblocks on major highways out of Dublin county during peak our traffic. The third time in a weak you are caught up in a 90 minute tailback to get home, you will be looking at alternatives to travel.
Welsh police will be enforcing this with enthusiasm. There is practically no crime, so harassment of motorists is their main activity anyway.
I got stopped driving back home from my parent’s near Porthmadog a couple of days after the last lot of travel restrictions ended – plod had spotted my car was registered in Derbyshire and wanted to know what I was doing!
PJF–Yougov bullshit. I think quite enough will be looking at mass redundancies so far to be playing with themselves in excitement at 2nd LD.
John Galt: I still have my Hong Kong resident’s card. I used it to re-enter the UK from Ireland a couple of years ago sans passport.
“Going about my lawful business, cuntstable” should cover it.
“Going about my lawful business, cuntstable” should cover it.
I think there’s something in the emergency powers that makes it an offence not answer police questions about Covid, but I haven’t got time to do more searching at the moment.