OVER the last year it has been difficult not to become cynical about the UK Government’s declared “transparency” with regard to figures relating to the coronavirus pandemic. And its claims that the increasingly more tragic statistics of the UK could not be broadly and reasonably compared on a population basis with those of other states, with consideration of applicable demographic influences where necessary. It was therefore not a complete surprise when after many delays, bad decisions and U-turns, the UK Government jumped at the opportunity of initial relative success on the overall speed of the roll-out to make comparisons with our European neighbours, as well as between England and Scotland (comparisons with Israel and other countries ahead of the UK were of course avoided amid more “world-leading” claims).