All The King's Horses And All The King's Men...

The government has passed a law mandating the wearing of masks in shops. All very sensible.

But...

Who will enforce it for them?

The big shops say they're not going to ask their staff to do the strong arm stuff- and quite right too.

And the police say they have better things to do. As indeed they have.

And so...

In the event I expect most people will be compliant and well-mannered, but there are bound to be some- who for ideological or personal reasons or a mix of both- difficult, awkward, inwardly broken people- who will cause trouble.

And then what?

In a time of radical change most governments (whether nominally conservative or not) default to radical conservatism. Having no vision for the future, they try to put things back exactly the way they were.

And it can't be done.

Shopping, as we knew it, is over and done with.

And the future of shops and the future of the high street is...