My mission to keep Britain free, by Simon Dolan

Kathy Gyngell interviewed Simon Dolan over the weekend about his one-man battle for Britain’s freedom from the illegal lockdown imposed by this government. She began by asking him what drove him to this action.

Kathy Gyngell: You started legal proceedings on May 1 to challenge the Government’s lockdown decision. Why, and why you?

Simon Dolan: The measures imposed by the UK Government in March were the most draconian in living history, instantly making life unrecognisable from what the British public once knew. Within weeks the devastating effect lockdown would have on the economy and the livelihoods of thousands of people was clear, and the longer it went on, the more outraged I became. It is now widely recognised that lockdown has sentenced tens of thousands to death, millions of children have and continue to be deprived of an education, the economy has been left in ruins and we are experiencing the largest fall in employment in generations. All this due to measures the Government chose to take. I do not believe these measures were legal – they were completely disproportionate to the problem and to me it was terrifyingly obvious that the Government needed to be challenged. So I set out to determine whether lockdown was in fact lawful, who took the decision and what data and information was used to arrive at it.

K G: You have raised over £200,000 to fund this challenge from ordinary people. What about business backers? Have there been any? Do you feel a lone figure?

S D: I’ve been blown away by the level of public support – we’ve now raised over £250,000 from more than 8,200 individuals and rising. The ongoing success of the campaign shows that I am in no way a lone figure. Thousands share my belief that the Government’s lockdown measures are the most serious imposition on personal freedoms in recent history. So much so that they have given their hard-earned money to do what they can to ensure lockdown never happens again.

K G: Why do you think the business world – which is set to be pulverised in so many sectors by the government’s heavy-handed and draconian Covid response – has been so docile? So slow to dissent? What are they scared of?

S D: When lockdown was announced the Government was quick to promise support packages for businesses of all sizes. So far over £11billion has been given out to small and medium-sized businesses across the board. It’s disappointing that so many businesses have chosen to accept these hand-outs and stay quiet, but at the same time I understand that no one wants to bite the hand that feeds them. For businesses worried about staying afloat, denouncing those who have the power to bail them out could feel like a rash move.

K G: What is the current position on your appeal?

S D: I started proceedings for the judicial review in April, appointing a legal team to amass evidence against the legality of lockdown. We gathered 1,200 pages of evidence and our case was heard by a High Court judge over video link on July 2. The case was denied, as the judge came to the decision that Parliament has the power to do what it wants. In no way did the judgement engage with, or consider on any analytical level, the vital issues we set out in the case. Nor did it take into account the impact all this has had on ordinary people. So we put in for an appeal straight away. This was heard by Lord Justice Hickinbottom, who agreed that the lockdown measures are the most draconian in living history and that our case raises important points on the relationships between politicians, lawyers and the judiciary. It was decided that a rolled-up hearing would be held at the Court of Appeal at the end of this month and we are awaiting a date.

K G: Are you optimistic at all regarding the further hearing?

S D:The response from the second judge was certainly more promising, but it’s impossible to predict what will happen on the day. I do believe that as time goes on and the devastating impact of lockdown becomes increasingly clear, so the significance and strength of the case grows.

K G: Do you think ordinary people understand how important your challenges are for our country’s economic and social future? Are they sufficiently aware of what will happen to them if the economy does not get back into full gear sharpish?

S D: Yes. I don’t believe there are many people who would argue that lockdown has saved lives. Evidence is fast amassing which shows an inverse correlation between the strictness of lockdowns and the number of people dying. Just look at Peru, which had the longest, most severe lockdown and now has one of the highest death tolls on Earth. As reports of the disastrous effects of lockdowns increase, whether it’s deaths from missed hospital appointments, suicides or unemployment and poverty, the consensus is definitely turning. At first we were a minority but now it’s impossible to deny that lockdown was a catastrophic mistake. With hundreds of thousands out of a job, who could deny that a swift return to normality is needed to rebuild the economy and restore livelihoods?

K G: Do you worry about the level of government propaganda used to win compliance?

S D: Yes, the Government’s messaging carries a huge part of the blame. The ‘Stay Home, Save Lives, Protect the NHS’ mantra was taken too far, drilled into the public’s minds to the point where people were too afraid to step outside of their homes. This collective mentality prevails and will continue to prevent any kind of normality from resuming. The way the Government used this messaging to influence the mindset and behaviour of millions was nothing short of shocking.

K G: What is your worst fear if your appeals are refused? Do you think at least they will have any moderating impact on government policy?

S D: We must be able to hold the Government to account for its actions. If the appeal is refused, we will have been denied the right to question the actions of our leaders and to determine whether they are right and legal. That will be a scary moment for me and for anyone who believes in freedom and democracy.

K G: What do you still need by way of support?

S D: Every show of support makes a huge difference. Whether it’s a monetary donation to the Crowdjustice appeal, an interaction on social media or attendance at an anti-mask protest, our strength is shown in numbers. The more people we can bring together, the stronger we will seem and so the risk of further lockdowns will decrease.

K G: We recently argued on The Conservative Woman that Gordon Brown took ten years to wreck the economy but Johnson’s done it in six months. Do you agree?

S D: Yes, in just six months Johnson has managed to throw the economy off the cliff edge. The UK has crashed into its deepest recession in history because the PM panicked. The Government’s crisis response has been characterised by U-turn after U-turn, with our leaders repeatedly bending to public opinion rather than choosing what’s best for the UK and the economy. It’s been embarrassing. Recovery will be long and hard, largely because the Government has terrified the nation into being work-shy. It will be years before normality returns and companies can say ‘business as usual.’

You can donate to Simon Dolan’s campaign here.

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