IT’S very easy to point the finger of ridicule at “Covid deniers,” “anti-vaxxers” and other conspiracy theorists — but in fact we need to recognise that very large numbers of people, particularly working-class people who have been worst affected by the pandemic, are becoming increasingly angry that their lives have been turned upside down, and may give such populism a hearing if our movement doesn’t give a powerful lead.

These are people who are often confined to cramped housing, their jobs destroyed or threatened, increasingly unable to make ends meet and care for their families, having to turn to foodbanks, separated even from family support, ripped off by profiteers, worried that they may be kicked out of their homes — all as a result of the government’s big business priorities.

Ministers’ handling of the virus crisis has been both callous and at the same time incompetent — so why would working-class people not want to protest and take some sort of action — perhaps any sort of action?