Kishwar Desai | No. 10 ‘parties’ raise a ruckus; gender-neutral Brits inspire all

Covid is making life difficult for everyone in London as the Omicron virus has been infecting more than 80,000 daily in the UK. Will Christmas be cancelled once more? Of course, the government came up with “Plan B” — requesting people to get “boosted” with their third jab, work from home, and socialise with caution. They have also proposed a “Covid pass” to prove that we are vaxxed, and hopefully even triple jabbed: the pass would be used to gain entry into pubs and other public places.

I, like millions of others, queued up to get my Pfizer shot which is supposed to offer the best protection against Omicron. This was simple enough (and free) thanks to the super efficient NHS. But other things like a “Covid passport” still need to be explored.

And even though Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that these steps are essential — and no lockdown has yet been announced, angry anti-vaxxers have gathered over the weekend outside Parliament saying that they would not take the vaccine. They also resent this so-called “Plan B” which was unveiled in Parliament, and many feel it was only meant to distract us from the trouble that the Prime Minister has been in, recently.

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Till now Boris Johnson could walk on water — but a series of scandals, the most recent being alleged Christmas parties, which were held in Downing Street last year in December, when the rest of the country was forbidden to party or meet friends and family. Many were even arrested for doing so. The government has tried to put a spin on the story saying that these were “gatherings” and not parties, but when close aides of the Prime Minister have either resigned or have offered to resign — people are convinced that there is some truth in the matter.

And now, an “inquiry” is being held to find out the nature of these get-togethers!
Resentment has run deep — because these so-called “parties” at Downing Street were at the height of Covid when many ordinary folk could not even sit by the side of their loved ones whilst they were dying.

The latest resignation of Lord Frost (who was in charge of the Brexit talks) over “Plan B” is another blow to the Prime Minister. This follows close on the heels of a rebellion in Parliament when around one hundred Tory MPs voted against the new Covid rules.

As the government weakens further having lost a by-election in a Tory stronghold, and Omicron rampages through the country, the only piece of good news for Prime Minister was the birth of his daughter — Romy Iris Charlotte Johnson (named Charlotte after Boris’s mother who recently passed away). But it was surprising that even her arrival and sweet photos (usually a great PR coup) could not change the media narrative.

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But there are always other things that unite us with good cheer. For instance, the long running show “Strictly Come Dancing” on BBC 1. I rarely watch it — but the agenda these days is to focus on diversity and being inclusive, so it has become a little more interesting. Thus, this time the show included sections of the community which are often left out: gay, Black and physically challenged. So even I switched on the TV ! The show has definitely got a deeper resonance with reality now. It was truly uplifting to watch the young Rose Ayling-Ellis, who is deaf and yet dances with great grace — win the competition along with her partner Giovanni Pernice. There was not a dry eye as the show recapped her journey and her struggle to dance without being able to hear the music. Even the judges were crying. This was the inspirational story that everyone followed on the weekend — especially as she had stiff competition from the gay couple John Whait and Johannes Radebes…Thanks to her, lots of people have begun to learn sign language.

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It does seem like a different (albeit “woke”) universe here now as non-binary categories are being recognised everywhere, including for awards. For instance, the Brit awards for music are removing “British male” and “British Female” from their categories and instead opting for the non-definitive “artist of the year”. This also means that neither “he” nor “she” will be used — as those who identify as non-binary will be called “them.”

Yet, there is a lot of confusion on how to tackle this new approach to gender — even in the ordinary day-to-day world! Recently, a journalist wrote about how she was inside the changing room of a high street clothing store trying out an outfit, where to her consternation, a tall young man with a beard who identified as a woman, was also trying out some clothes.

For those of us who grew up in a simpler world, possibly too black and white — it is an opportunity to re-learn. Otherwise, like Harry Potter’s inventor, J.K. Rowling, we may find ourselves being trolled by those who feel we are not being able to sympathise with those who are non-binary or identify themselves as trans. She has been wondering what we should call “people who menstruate “ as this category of person can no longer be called “woman”. Her query will no longer be considered magical thinking, but rather old fashioned, it seems. We obviously need a fresh vocabulary to deal with this “woke” universe.