Vaccine passports a "serious threat to this country's ability to call itself a liberal democracy"

THE government's intention to introduce internal vaccine passports as a precondition of participation in society not only represents a serious threat to this country's ability to call itself a liberal democracy, but is also a solution in search of a problem that doesn't really exist.

More than 90% of people aged over 60 have already received their first dose of the vaccine and there is absolutely no indication that younger groups will behave any differently when their turn rolls around. Where hesitancy is higher among ethnic minorities, the solution should not be to offer a choice between vaccination or widespread exclusion from society. After all, if I've already had my jab and am therefore protected, the choices of others aren't really any of my concern.

As recently as February, the government's vaccines minister - Nadhim Zahawi - ruled out internal passports because they would be, in his words, 'discriminatory'. For the government to now proceed with the policy despite acknowledging this fact and with no real evidence for passports' public health benefits is morally abhorrent.

I would encourage any of your readers who care about basic civil liberties to make their views on this matter known.