MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: Just rejoice that we decided to keep calm and carry on 

It is now quite clear that the Government’s decision to keep the country open over Christmas was the right one. 

It was a hard choice to make because at the time, some experts were warning that the Omicron variant could lead to a huge increase in hospitalisations. 

Yet other experts, especially in South Africa where Omicron had first appeared, were telling a different story.

One day the whole history of the past 22 months will be written and examined – and one of the things it will probe is the advice given to Ministers by modellers and experts.

We may have to wait a long time for such evaluations to be made. But we can already say for sure that the decision to stay open for Christmas was correct.

The prophets of doom were wrong, and the damage to the economy and society that would have been done by closing down the country would not have been justified. 

England, as a result, is more prosperous, sociable and cheerful. It is among the most relaxed and unrestricted places in Europe.

Who should take credit for this? Most of us have believed that the Prime Minister, with ultimate authority, should do so. We can reasonably assume that he thinks so too. 

But, as The Mail on Sunday reports today, leaks are emerging suggesting that Chancellor Rishi Sunak, as well as Lord Frost, played a considerable part, if not a decisive one, in the key decision.

We make no judgment. Only those who were there can know for sure. But it is an old rule that while failure is an orphan, success has many fathers. 

It is surely far better to have a government whose members are competing to receive credit for a wise action, than one where everyone is avoiding blame for a blunder.

Power of people will level us up

It is good to see Communities Secretary Michael Gove, in this newspaper, giving a cogent explanation of what ‘Levelling Up’ will actually mean.

Now that the Covid crisis is receding, this vital element in the Tory revival needs to be restated – and it needs to be acted upon.

Mr Gove rightly argues that opportunity is not evenly spread in this country. This means that we waste a good deal of talent. It is the single most attractive aspect of levelling up, that it aims to reduce this tragic waste to a minimum.

This country has proved throughout history that it has huge reserves of ability. But we fully harness them only in times of war or crisis. Then we slip back into the old ways.

We need a peacetime plan to use the full power of our own people. And there has never been a better moment to act on this.

Nadine will tame tech’s monsters 

Congratulations to Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, already a breath of fresh air in Whitehall, fast making her mark. 

Fresh from taking on BBC bias and the licence fee, she now plans to tackle the overmighty internet giants. While much of the rest of Government seems paralysed, she is getting to grips with one of the most difficult problems of our age – how to rein in the arrogant monster corporations which dominate the World Wide Web.

It simply is not right that, by sheer monopoly power, these electronic mega-companies are able, by the use of clever algorithms, to push the public towards some sources while nudging them away from others.

The planned new rules should also tackle the existing lack of equality between the largest platforms and publishers. This should help redress the imbalance of bargaining power in fixing fair payment for content. These are major steps forward.