DAN WOOTTON: The health establishment is determined to scare us and babysit us

Shops closed, kids ordered to stay out of school, surgeries cancelled, employment offices closed, public transit wiped out, eco-fear porn is exploding everywhere BBC and government officials casually warning, “Thousands will die.”

Not Armageddon; Not even a relatively mild virus this time.

No, Britain is coming to a standstill with the tacit permission of those in power as many parts of the world face two days of temperatures they struggle with weekly.

Now I don’t like the extreme heat as much as the next big guy, especially given the reluctance of British businesses, jobs, taxi drivers and eco-zealots to embrace air conditioning, a standard luxury in much of the western world.

But what I hate even more is the health establishment determined to scare and terrify us thanks to their unhealthy obsession with power and control.

“For the vast majority of us, this IS a gloriously hot day,” writes Dan Wootton. Pictured: Britons enjoy the sunny weather at Charlton Lido in south-east London this afternoon

Fear mooring is now the norm – brilliant for TV ratings, but appalling for a nation seemingly so willing to retreat to our homes and let others do the hard work.

One of the worst offenders was Tracy Nicholls, chief executive of the College of Paramedics, who yesterday warned: “This is not like a nice hot day where we can put on a little bit of sunscreen, go outside and go for a swim and have a meal outside. This is serious heat that could eventually cause people to die because it is so cruel. We’re just not prepared for that kind of heat in this country.

What irresponsible alarmism.

For the vast majority of us, this IS a gloriously hot day when we can put on some sunscreen, get out and swim and eat outside, just like on a European summer holiday, without any impact on our health – and without dropping dead .

There’s also the Met Office, which insists it would “generally” be better to stay indoors, going slightly beyond its traditional job of providing the temperature and weather conditions and then letting us decide how to live.

So what I felt was needed was a little Churchill-like bold motivation from our Conservative political leaders to foster that great British work spirit in the 99 per cent of us who can handle the heat to keep the country open.

Instead, I sent Cabinet Secretary Kit Malthouse to suggest that this week “could be a moment to work from home”.

There we have it: Stay at Home!

Of course! I knew it!

I mean, it’s the answer to any kind of little crisis these days.

When the hell do we grow up and learn? It is staying at home that has doomed us to our current predicament of a cost of living crisis, rising taxes and millions of people unwilling to work.

Sun seekers on Bournemouth beach today. The Met Office has said “in general” it would be “better to stay indoors”.

Don’t forget, too, the consequences for the truly vulnerable of this council amid record temperatures.

If we all had to stay indoors, who would be there to protect those in need – delivering their food, tending them to the doctor’s office, cleaning their homes and making sure they are getting on?

Just like with Covid, we got the balance wrong.

The young and healthy should go about their business as usual, even when hot and sweaty, while focusing on protecting the old and vulnerable when the risk is real.

Instead, parents fuss over their lazy teens who whine that it’s too hot to go to school.

Bright bosses accept lame excuses from employees who don’t want to come into the air-conditioned office but are more than happy to “work” from the park or beach.

And the broadcast media is trumpeting ever more extreme eco-proposals from activists that would bankrupt Britain overnight without the slightest hint of opposition.

Like the fierce Sly News reporter who allowed Chloe Brimicombe – a PhD heatwave researcher who just ran out of nappies – to insist, without the slightest hint of challenge, that working hours must be reduced and air conditioning banned by law , if we want to survive the summer .

When outraged NHS GP Renee Hoenderkamp tweeted at the irresponsible ongoing TV coverage: “Not watching normal TV today but in hospital and I have BBC News on and what a mistake. It’s wall-to-wall weather hysteria – correspondents everywhere in parks and even Battersea Dogs at home advising on dog paddling pools. We’ve officially gone insane!’

A grass fire in Newgale, Pembrokeshire. Today there were several similar fires across the country

The Beeb hammers on and on that this is the first time a red heat alert has been issued for parts of the UK, while failing to mention that the alert system was only introduced last year.

They also fail to remind us of the 1976 summer heatwave, when London experienced 16 consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.

I’m also sick of every little civil servant thinking it’s his duty to put me back in elementary school and insisting I drink lots of water, use sunscreen and avoid all sunshine.

They also tend to suggest that we should speak to our GPs if we have any concerns. Ha! Big chance for that. Don’t they understand that lockdowns have seemingly killed short-term visits to the local doctor’s office in the UK forever?

Of course, the same bright sparks that are responsible for our response to this heat wave also banned fans in nursing homes and for nurses in hospitals, while encouraging people to wear face diapers outdoors in the middle of summer, so forgive me for that I have little faith in any of their advice.

This heatwave has only convinced me that UK authorities are currently lacking the concept of personal responsibility and empowerment, something that must return quickly.

Government needs to understand that if people are constantly told to stay home at the slightest sign of a challenge, even if that challenge is a 40-degree day, our work ethic and our ability to run the country efficiently will be wiped out a generation.