Labour Minister Upholds COVID-19 Lockdowns in House of Lords Discussion
One peer stated that lockdowns saved nearly half a million lives, while another peer consulted ChatGPT for evidence regarding their effectiveness.
The government’s new health and social care minister in the House of Lords defended the use of lockdowns, affirming that Labour was correct in supporting them while in opposition.
Baroness Merron, a former MP, responded to a query from lockdown-skeptic Conservative Lord Robathan. He inquired about the number of COVID-19-related deaths certified during 2020–22 and whether this indicated the efficacy of lockdowns.
Baroness Merron cited research funded by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research, stating that close to half a million lives were saved by the controversial lockdowns in the initial months of the pandemic.
She pointed out that the UK had a higher than expected overall mortality rate between January 2020 and July 2022 when all restrictions were lifted.
UK Had Higher Excess Death Rate Than Sweden
The UK ranked 15th out of 29 European nations in terms of excess deaths during the same period, including the 18 months post the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in January 2021.
Lord Robathan highlighted that the UK had more excess deaths than Sweden, which did not impose a lockdown or strict restrictions, unlike other European nations.
Lord Patel of Bradford supported Baroness Merron’s stance by quoting evidence from an AI chatbot that emphasized the positive impact of lockdowns on saving lives.
Chatbot Quoted as Pro-Lockdown Evidence
Lord Patel noted that lockdowns were effective in reducing COVID-19 deaths but had complex and varied impacts on overall public health.
Baroness Merron acknowledged the majority of professional opinions supporting the necessity of lockdowns, as not implementing them would have resulted in more deaths.
She commended the successful COVID-19 vaccination program for enabling the reopening of activities, stating that COVID-19 now poses a mild threat to the majority.
There was no discussion on the reasons behind the sustained high excess death rate post-vaccine rollout.
The Earl of Clancarty urged the government to ensure that individuals diagnosed with “long COVID” are not negatively impacted by efforts to reintegrate the unemployed into the workforce.
A recent report by the Taxpayers’ Alliance revealed that the UK was among the highest spenders on COVID-19 measures relative to GDP, outspending countries like the US, France, and Norway. The UK spent four times more than Sweden but still had twice the excess death rate of the lockdown-free nation.
