Anna Nicholas: My Column

It was compelling to watch former NHS healthcare assistant, Shelley Tasker, rant in a Cornwall shopping centre about Covid-19 and how her local NHS hospital had only three patients suffering from the illness while scores of hospital beds lay empty. She claimed that only ten people had died each month at the hospital since the whole ‘plandemic,’ as she put it, began six months ago. Heady stuff.

Tasker informed her attendant fanbase that 94 per cent of tests had proven false positive and how deaths from flu were arbitrarily being recorded as Covid to justify a false cause. This coming from an NHS worker seemed shocking and unsettling, particularly her claims that doctors and nurses were being silenced and threatened by the NHS hierarchy for speaking the truth. Her words were partially backed up by the likes of Professor Heneghan, another NHS employee, who called for more transparency at the NHS in the spirit of ‘democracy’.

All the same, before you purchases a one-way ticket on the conspiracy-theory train which is attracting thousands of hysterical customers every day, it’s worth checking the facts. First of all was Shelley Tasker an NHS worker? Is it true that she is a photographer and has her own premises? If that is the case, how the heck was she juggling her job at the NHS with her photographic work? Tasker has been an advocate of Looney Tunes Piers, Corbyn’s brother, and has attended his recent rallies which doesn’t inspire confidence.

I agree with some of what the whistle-blower says though. There has been a huge amount of knee jerk reaction from the dithering governments of many countries, particularly in the UK where ghoulish scientific advisors are lining up to offer doom laden pronouncements to a baffled PM who sadly seems to have lost most of the plot. BoJo is surrounded by ego maniac academics who are hellbent on having their own scientific theories placed at the top of the agenda and he seems too apathetic to challenge any of them. And what about the universities?

With student numbers falling off a cliff and income for academic establishments becoming scarce, professors are gnawing at each other’s arms in a bid to be heard. Universities are now in a dog eat dog fight to the finish, desperately trying to garner column inches to maintain profile and keep afloat. They might as well just get their beleaguered scientific boffins to stand at their gates with a poster which reads: ‘Please give our uni all the dosh! Don’t’ give to our nearest rival.’ It’s a sad state of affairs, but in the current scenario I wouldn’t trust a scientific expert more than I could throw him given how all are scrapping and disagreeing on most points. Where is common sense in all this?

Meanwhile, the world closes down again in the hope of beating the virus and reducing the number of infections. Will it work? Who knows and can we trust the people in the hot seat to make the right call? Probably not, but what, frankly, is the alternative? Vote for the Looney Tunes brigade and conspiracy theorists or put our faith in the government? Neither probably but we have no choice but to follow orders, so put on your mask and social distance. At least no one can see if you’re poking out your tongue.

Yumnuts and coffee cups

Well, thank the heavens for good old Starbucks and M&S at a time of global crisis. While the economy of most countries sinks steadily into oblivion leaving the likes of Amazon to suck up the rich gravy, M&S has announced a new Christmas doughnut called Santa Yumnut. Isn’t that fab? Apparently, Yumnuts are a wonderfully calorific treat with a Santa belt of icing that will thrill you and your knitted stockings this Yuletide. While Yumnuts were trending on Twitter (sad, but beats Covid-19, I guess) Starbucks announced that it was creating festive Christmas takeaway cups. Yay. What joy. While everyone sits at home in lockdown they can dream about that first latte served in a festive green and red cardboard beaker. It’s genuinely the stuff of dreams. I tell you, if any of us are still sane once this pandemic - sorry ‘plandemic’, Shelley - ever ends, I’ll eat my Santa hat!

All the president’s men - and women

Well, it seems as though elderly Joe Biden has sneaked in ahead of equally elderly Trumpety Trump to grasp the US presidential crown. Who would have thought it? My main concern is whether 77-year-old Biden will be able to cope with the heavy duties of a president but he has an ace up his sleeve. The real person calling the shots will be his much younger, strident and sassy California girl, vice-president Kamala Harris who at 56 is just a babe in arms when it comes to American politics.

The country badly needed change so this should bring cheer to many. All the same, the bad grace with which Trump has taken his near defeat (the jury’s still out at the time of writing), is a problem. There will be revolt, ugly scenes in the most controversial states, hatred and anger. It was quite a close call so Biden and Harris will not have an easy ride especially as Covid-19 trundles on and the US economy gasps its final death rattle. I feel sympathy for the many tragedies that Biden has suffered. It makes him seem so much more human. We’ll see in time whether that’s true. Let’s hope so. I wish him a lorra luck. By Jove, he’ll need it.

Anna Nicholas’s second Majorca based crime novel, Haunted Magpie, is published this November. It will be available at Universal Bookshop, Portals Nous & Come In & Llibres Colom in Palma, also at all good UK bookshops & via amazon.