Northern Ballet claimed he was perpetuating “tropes that culture in the north is of less value than that in London”.

"It seems a very brutal thing to do to the badgers, with some of them likely already pregnant."

“It wasn’t effective in the policy goal that it was seeking to achieve and on top of that, the legal and humanitarian concerns should be cause for great pause."

As the rest of us crawl out of the Covid trenches - dazed, confused and war-weary - we will be sent straight back to the frontline, to deal with the economic fall-out from Brexit.

“The growing reliance on private providers, some of whom are making millions, is another symptom of a system failing to prioritise the needs of children."

The benefits of the tougher restrictions since late September – including the curfew, table service and mandatory use of face masks when moving around pubs – are “questionable”, according to the outspoken pub chief.

“I took action today knowing that I would be criticised.”

Hope was born at the start of the first lockdown in March and was so-called because keepers said she symbolised a ray of hope in a bleak time.

Mr Johnson ramped up the rhetoric saying “stopping the whole criminal justice system from being hamstrung by what the Home Secretary would doubtless – and rightly – call the lefty human rights lawyers, and other do-gooders”.