Simon Harris

This country is going to get through this moment of challenge.

We're in a position of relative strength compared to other European countries.

Well, I think there's a lot of learnings from that protest because I've no difficulty with protests.

I've attended protests.

I've been protested at.

I have a huge difficulty with illegal blockades and they're very different and I differentiate the two of them in my mind.

Protests are an important part of a democracy.

Deciding who can and can't move around the country is illegal and nobody should have a right to do that in a democracy.

And I do think there are significant learnings in relation to that, including in relation to security of critical infrastructure.

But look, the broader point I'd make is this.

We are going to pull through this as a country.

We are going to be able to help keep our economy secure.

We're going to be able to assist people.

We're going to be able to do more in the budget.

We are going to be able to look at how we can help people with tax.

We're going to be able to look at how we can help through public sector pay talks too.

But what we can't do, what we can't do is every single week make another intervention.

Nothing to do with the government.

Forget the government.

If we do that, we will bring ourselves to a very perilous place as a country.