Join me as I take an in-depth look at the devastating results and cost-benefit of long term lockdowns. On Wednesday, our elected officials voted in Parliament on the latest measures which saw only 16 representatives out of 540 votes against a lockdown. Is this really the best strategy for our long term future? It is imperative that our elected officials represent us, our interests, our children’s future, our mental health and our long term economic prospects. I believe it is extremely important not just now, but always, that we protect the vulnerable and elderly members of society. In the current climate, that takes the form of Focussed Protection. We must do our utmost to ensure that those who need it, receive priority attention and support, while the rest of the population continues to work and fuel the economy. How else can we ensure the necessary funding is in place to support our NHS, our police, our community support groups and of course avoid what is already an overwhelming debt caused by government borrowing. A deep and long-lasting recession will take many more lives than we have unfortunately borne witness to this last 10 months. The mental health overload will also remain with us for countless years to come. The Centre of Economics and Business Research has predicted that if the lockdown is lifted in mid-February, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested, it will come at a cost of £390million every working day, while the London Ambulance Service reported late last year they are attending 37 suicides or attempted suicides per day. Unemployment is set to rocket once the dust settles in Spring and many businesses will have long since shut up shop, despite the unsustainable government bailouts. We must address these issues now as a matter of urgency. This short term approach has been proven ineffective already and our elected representatives MUST look at alternative solutions. The big, difficult questions need to be asked and answered. We cannot sit idly by and allow such a detrimental approach to wreak any more damage. Who is representing you and your future? THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF THE LONG-TERM LOCKDOWN It is only together that we can work our way through this terrible period in all of our lives. But, we must demand strong leadership, WE must hold those WE have elected accountable for THEIR actions. YOU have given them your vote to represent your interests and I would argue that right now many of these politicians are not fit for purpose. For me, it starts in London, the beating heart of the UK economy. We need to make this a world-class city once again. That is only possible through a change of leadership, a fresh set of ideas and a new direction, that can revitalise our economy and bring fresh hope to everyone. As your next Mayor of London, I plan to get London back to work by stimulating key sectors such as arts and hospitality, encourage the safe return of office workers, and implement science-based protocols city-wide to safely get people back to London to work, shop and visit. As an entrepreneur, I understand the struggles faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, businesses that make up 98% of the economy and will prioritise supporting these critical parts of our commercial landscape to improve the city for every one of its nine million inhabitants. Our plan of attack consists of the following key policies: Creating a six month, post-lockdown Congestion Charge Holiday by removing this prohibitive taxation in order to safely promote visits to the city and immediately boost the economy Creating a six month, post-lockdown Business Rates Holiday by removing business rates across the board for SMEs in Greater London Stimulating key sectors with expanded financial packages, specifically restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, retail and the hotel sector Encouraging the return of office workers to the world’s financial capital by working with the top global financial service companies to safely bring back 25% of thei