| Good evening, Is it only a couple of months since people were furious about not being allowed to go to Spain and France on holiday? How times have changed. Now a host of European countries are imposing a second national lockdown as cases of Covid-19 threaten to overwhelm their health services. While we have now left the European Union, these nations are still our near neighbours and looking closely at what is happening there gives us an idea of where we might be heading. At the height of the first wave, there were scientists who warned that any second wave would likely be worse than the first, based on previous pandemics like the Spanish ‘Flu. Did we not listen or did we just not want to hear what was being said as we emerged from lockdown? Sadly, those scientists seem to be proven right. So do we follow the lead of our counterparts in Europe by going for a circuit breaker which will likely leave the economy in tatters or do we hold fire and see the NHS crash to its knees as more people are admitted to hospital? Not an easy choice to make. Drop me a line if you have any views on this or any other issue at [email protected] I would like to ask if those of you who do not yet subscribe to www.lep.co.uk would consider taking out a digital subscription. By doing so, you are supporting local, community journalism and helping to ensure that it survives and thrives. A subscription gives you unlimited access to the site, for all the news and sport you need - and more. You can subscribe here: https://www.lep.co.uk/subscriptions And thank you. Gillian Parkinson Editor | 
