I isolated, had three COVID-19 tests + drove 320 miles without going into service stations so that I could responsibly spend time with my loved ones back home this Christmas. Now I can't. The Government knew this was coming. They should've kept us in the loop. (Thread) (1/7)

As a disabled individual, this journey is extremely taxing on my body. It renders me pretty much out of action for a while, and that’s when I ‘do’ stop for comfort breaks. I have put my body through so much stress, and used up so much energy. What for? (2/7)

Sitting inside of café’s is more accessible than going on walks or staying stood up. Ultimately, socialising in Tier 2 is more accessible than in Tier 3. I will likely have to cancel plans to see friends outside of the grace period because of my exhausting journey this week (3/7)

As a student, I spent a significant amount of money on the fuel and wear and tear on my car in order to do that journey. I will have to spend the same to drive back up in just over a week’s time. (4/7)

As a PGR, I will have a significant amount of work to do over this period, from marking, to writing assignments, to working on my own PhD. I chose to come down to somewhere with not very good WiFi, and inadequate equipment. Work will now take longer, cause backaches, etc. (5/7)

All of these things (and more) were considered when I weighed up the pros and cons of spending Christmas in my family’s home. The announcement of Berkshire moving into Tier 3 is devastating for me. Yes, I agree with the move to Tier 3, but we should’ve been kept in the loop.(6/7)

Moving Berkshire into Tier 3 was NOT a last minute decision by the Government. We should have been told about this when the discussions were first happening, not with less than 48 hours notice. Yet another example of the incompetency of this Government. (7/7)