A month after the Prime Minister announced controversial Covid marshals, the Government I had announced a £30 million funding boom for the toothless enforcers. Back in early September Guido asked who will pay them, who will train them, and who will do the jobs. Today, finally, the Government has announced funding will be made available for local authorities to hire their own local Stasi-style armies of informants. Trusting this all to famously competent local councils…

The marshals won’t have the power to enforce, they will have to report non-compliance to the police. They will be able to “go door to door” but could not enter private property. When asked about the viral video of staff berating mourners at a funeral for comforting each other, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told the Today Programme this morning that he ‘hopes’ the marshals would not behave like that:

“I hope that wouldn’t be the case, that’s not the kind of county I want to live in. I expect this money to be used sensitively by councils to help educate to inform and to engage members of the public.”

Guido’s not sure “hope that wouldn’t be the case” is good enough…

The announcement comes as the Government prepares to order pubs, restaurants, and other hospitality businesses shut in Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle from the start of next week, as well as banning household mixing. Guido suspects they’ll need more than a few ‘Covid marshals’ to enforce that…