Mark Dolan: Sajid Javid was right - we must not cower from Covid any longer

Too many people apologise these days. Every thought a chance remark from a public figure, especially if it's one that contains an uncomfortable truth, is all too often retracted, in a grovelling about turn?

Endlessly saying sorry for things that you actually think, is another hellish by product of the cancel culture. People are now cancelling themselves, before someone else does it for them.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has rightly struck a very different tone in relation to the coronavirus pandemic.

But he’s had to row back from a tweet, in which he said we must not cower from the virus.

He has apologised, because apparently that's insensitive.

I don’t think he should be criticised for this remark. He should be praised. It's heroic language. Covid is a nasty virus and highly transmissible yes, but non fatal to most people. At least a third have no symptoms at all. You respect it, sure, and judge the risk for yourself, but you don’t cower.

Most of the media and our politicians have for 17 months hysterically overstated the threat from this virus, whilst ignoring far worse illnesses like cancer and turning a blind eye to the colossal damage of lockdowns.

So I was delighted to see The Saj, put the virus in its place. Not even in the top 20 killers in the country now, and with a sad average age of death of over 80, in my view measures to control the virus, have been far worse than the disease itself.

So The Saj wants us to get back to normal life and live with the virus, and whilst he has apologised, I will shout his message from the rooftops. On this programme I’m uncancelling him, and unapologising for his tweet.

Because for 17 months, cower is what we have done, the price for which we will be paying for years, if not decades to come. Millions of healthy Brits, who faced no serious statistical threat from the virus, have indeed cowered in fear, hidden behind the sofa and treating the virus like the bubonic plague.

It's absurd and scientifically wrong, for the vast majority of the population to be terrified of Covid. Particularly with the key vulnerable groups now vaccinated. So if you think this is the apocalypse, then curtail your own liberties, lock yourself down and cover your own face.

But after 17 months of this madness, don't extend your franchise of fear, to the rest of us – the millions, who want to hug their friends and family, get back to work, contribute to the economy, breathe freely, go to the cinema, get drunk and live their lives.

So well done The Saj. Great tweet. We must not cower. You’re uncancelled.