I LISTENED with interest to Sir Desmond Swayne, pontificating in parliament about the so-called tyranny of a proposed vaccination passport.

This is not tyranny. The pandemic is not over and could again rise to much higher levels. He is apparently unaware of what is happening in the rest of Europe and how quickly the new variants have spread there and multiplied, despite infections previously being much lower than here.

Of course, here we have the benefit of the fantastic vaccination effort and fewer people are likely to die than before, but do we really want to take the chance?

MPs sign pledge to oppose the use of Covid passports

How many people is Sir Desmond prepared to sacrifice? It will be the younger generation who are now more likely to suffer.

I have a suggestion to assuage Sir Desmond’s, to my mind, absurd objections. Make the vaccination passports available to all on a voluntary basis. Then individual publicans, shop owners, restaurateurs, et al, can decide whether those without a passport may enter their premises. Those without a passport can use any establishment that will accept them.

Similarly, customers who have the passport can decide which establishments they will patronise based on the entry criteria established by the owners. The result? Everyone will have a free choice.

JOHN COWAN

Clowes Avenue, Bournemouth