‘Imagine them pulling this at Christmas’: Fury and frustration in Bradford at northern lockdown

New guidelines come into force on eve of major Islamic festival Eid al-Adha

In Bradford, it was not the decision itself which caused shock or frustration. It was the timing.

When Matt Hancock announced late on Thursday night that the West Yorkshire city would be part of a swathe of northern England where coronavirus restrictions were to be tightened, many people here had long expected it. The place, as they point out, has consistently been among England’s top Covid-19 hot spots.

What few could have imagined, however, was that the new guidelines – essentially banning friends and family from meeting in homes and gardens – would come at 9.30pm on the eve of Eid al-Adha, a major Islamic festival celebrated by gathering with loved ones.

“Can you imagine them pulling this sh*t on Christmas Eve?” as one Bradfordian asked The Independent on Friday afternoon. “No way would that have happened.”

Astonishment at the lack of notice was not, of course, confined to the Wool City, where a quarter of the city’s 534,000 population are Muslims.

Mr Hancock’s late-night announcement that a new lockdown would be introduced across Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and a large chunk of West Yorkshire from midnight was met with widespread dismay across the geographic - and political - spectrum.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called the surprise bombshell a “new low for the government’s communications”. Jason McCartney, the Conservative MP for Colne Valley, broke party ranks to express “surprise and disappointment”. The Police Federation of West Yorkshire was less polite, describing the situation as: “Nonsense.”

Yet on Bradford’s streets on Friday – in Centenary Square and near the Grand Mosque, down by the Wool Exchange and around Kirkgate’s shopping quarter – that frustration was almost palpable.

Some suggested the government was deliberately targeting Eid celebrations with the new guidelines. Others argued that, given the apparent increase in spread, the new action was needed. But almost all criticised the timing.

“First, you need to acknowledge the data doesn’t lie,” said Shadim Hussain, chief executive of the My Foster Family charity. “The virus is alive and deadly and it’s here in Bradford, and we know that Bame communities are at higher risk so I think people understand the need for restrictions. I don’t think anyone has an issue with that. People understand the government is trying to keep the country safe.”

But?

“The frustration is why they chose to make this decision when they did,” the 41-year-old father-of-four said. “It shows a lack of sensitivity and empathy to the thousands of people who have prepared everything for Eid, bought food, cooked food, made their plans. It’s been a really long and tough lockdown, and people have been looking forward to this; and the lack of warning before essentially cancelling all those celebrations is difficult to accept or to comprehend.”

Many people he knows, he said, were already in the middle of family visits planned around the festive period.

Shadim Hussain, chief executive of the My Foster Family charity (Colin Drury)

“They’ve woke up today to find themselves literally breaking the law,” he added. “It’s farcical.”

It was a view repeatedly echoed by others in this city.

“I’m not going home this year anyway,” said student Mustapha Patel, who comes from Lancaster but studies mechanical engineering at the university here. “Too much work on. But I guess it’s a good job I didn’t have plans now, isn’t it?”

The 24-year-old was just leaving the city’s jaw-dropping Grand Mosque when we spoke. How were people feeling?

“Confused, mainly,” he said. “I’m not sure anyone knows what we are and what we aren’t allowed to do anymore.”

Not everyone, it may be worth noting, was planning on sticking to the new guidelines.

“There’s no way I’m not seeing my family today,” said Abdul Rabeen, walking through Centenary Park. “I’m going there now, parents, brothers, sisters, we’ll all be there. Why shouldn’t we?”

Well, because of the contagion? And because it’s now against the law?

“I think it’s a fuss over nothing,” he said. “What will be will be. Why would I trust the government to keep me safe anyway?”

As The Independent took a photo of the 40-year-old insurance seller, he chose to touch his face to emphasise his lack of concern. As you do.

Abdul Rabeen touches his face to emphasise his lack of concern (Colin Drury)

In any case, nor was it just those celebrating Eid left dismayed by the short notice restriction.

Outside the Turls Green – a Wetherspoon pub currently looking out onto a coronavirus testing tent – Nathan Jones was ruefully contemplating his own unexpected tangle with the guidelines.

The 30-year-old was up here from Newquay visiting friend, Abigail Boyd. “Am I even still allowed to be here?” he wondered sipping his drink. “Are we allowed to be drinking together?” he asked his companion.

It was, perhaps, a question for Mr Hancock himself – although, given the health secretary’s somewhat confused replies to similar queries in a series of media interviews hours earlier, it wasn’t entirely clear if even he would know.

How did Abigail, a Bradfordian, feel about the new restrictions? “I’m sort of surprised it didn’t happen sooner,” the 24-year-old chef said. “Every time I look at those Covid tables, we’re always near the top. I just hope this finally works and life can get back to normal.”