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THE discriminatory Covid pass is to be abandoned in Wales, it was announced today.
It’s a victory for all those who put pressure on the Welsh Government from different directions over the past few months.
The pass, which had to be shown for access to nightclubs, cinemas and theatres over the last five months will be dropped here from February 18th.
A spokesperson for Gwlad – The Welsh Independence Party – welcomed the announcement, saying it was a victory for an emerging civic society in Wales.
‘As a party, we have always opposed these discriminatory passes, as they were in effect creating a two-tiered society here’ he said.
‘We were also alarmed by the lack of real rationale behind them as it was clear from the off that the passport itself was making no difference whatsoever as regards transmission’ .
‘We would like to congratulate all the different pressure groups for their work in helping Wales to get rid of these passes – they really have shown the way in opening up a new democratic front in Wales’.
The announcement is ostensibly being made in view of the fact that Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths have reduced over recent weeks.
But one also has to wonder whether a judicial review brought against the Welsh Government regarding the passes has also forced their hand on the matter.
Yesterday, Big Brother Watch which had launched the judicial review in the High Court, revealed the very flimsy pretext on which the Covid passes had been based.
Legal documents from the Welsh Government itself showed they believed that the passes would only ‘have a small and probably immeasurable impact at best’ on Covid cases.
So, it may well be the case that they threw in the towel before a very embarrassing legal defeat on the matter.
The Gwlad spokesperson added that the five months of discrimination and social division promoted by Welsh Labour – and supported by Plaid – should not be forgotten.
‘We shouldn’t forget that these two parties fostered this divisive atmosphere here based on supposition alone, with no scientific evidence to support the policy whatsoever,’ he said.
‘When you also consider their cavalier attitude towards the interests of the hospitality sector and other small businesses with their other restrictions over this period, there must be a reckoning for this’.
The county council elections in May will be an early opportunity for the public to express their opinion on the performance of Welsh Labour and their Plaid supporting group on the matter.