Across the UK, online, on DAB and on your smart speaker, the Independent Republic of Mike Graham, on Talk Radio.

Good morning and welcome to the Independent Republic of Mike Graham right here on Talk a Radio.

We've somehow managed to get to the end of another week in lockdown without self-combusting.

But make no mistake, there will be people out there whose suffering has become worse,

whose grief will have increased, whose livelihoods will have taken a massive turn for the worse,

and whose health will have deteriorated significantly. And guess what? None of them will have

had COVID. Yesterday it was revealed that the Department of Health is considering paying

everyone who tests positive for the virus 500 quid, regardless of whether they want it, need it, or even

refuse it. No matter how old they are, no matter whether they are unable to work. It's bonkers,

isn't it? Meanwhile, the self-employed who have received no help at all still get nothing.

Absolutely the square route of what can only be described as sweet FAA. In other words,

New Preetie Patel has got some news for you as well. The Home Secretary proudly announced yesterday

that she would back the police in their handing out of £800 fines to people attending house parties.

I can't imagine why anybody would attend a house party, by the way, but there was a comedy moment

when one police chief at the briefing yesterday described how one perpetrator was arrested

in possession of an amplifier and a couple of speakers. Whatever next? We'll be asking Stuart Jackson,

what on earth is going on at the Home Office? 0344-491,000. Coming up, we'll be investigating an

extraordinary story from Bath Rugby where

PCR testing found 19 positives out of 24 players and staff on Tuesday.

It now turns out that thanks to an error at the lab processing those tests, 18 of the 19

were actually wrong and should have in fact been negative.

This after the club put over 40 people in 10-day isolation and closed down

...