Welcome to the first ever edition of Head to Head on Talk Radio Television. We want to start a debate in this country.

It's been going on for a very long time and we want to now talk to two of the very foremost debaters on the subject of coronavirus, of lockdown and of how we get out of the situation we are in.

The first is Peter Hitchens. The second is Dan Hodges. They have both been involved in quite, shall we say, adverse arguments on Twitter, on social media with each other, sometimes good nature, sometimes not so good nature.

They both happen to be columnists as well for the mail on Sunday newspaper.

They both have very diverging views.

We're going to hear from both of them now in the first ever head to head.

First of all, Peter, let me say welcome to talk radio television.

Thank you. First of all, what is this about? It's about proportion. It's about whether what we're

doing as a country and as a government is actually in proportion to the problem we face.

Secondly, I think it's almost crucially, it's about freedom. Are we by handing over to the government is actually in proportion to the problem we face. Secondly, I think it's about freedom.

Are we by handing over to the government complete control of our safety and security, actually

ending our freedom?

And thirdly, why have I got anything to say about this?

And fundamentally, the answer to that is I've done a lot of work on freedom. I didn't just become a columnist out of the blue.

I became a columnist after many years reporting from countries which were not free and which were not governed by law.

And I came to value those things very highly in my own country, and I see them threatened at the moment.

That's the purpose of my being here and the whole subject which I

hope to discuss with you now. Peter, thank you for that. Dan Hodges is also with us. Dan,

welcome to the show. I'm going to ask you for your proper actual statement, first of all,

in a moment. But just tell us if you can answer peter's points there why is this an

important debate well it's an important debate because it's the biggest i think the biggest single

issue domestic issue that any of us have faced probably in our lifetimes and certainly the country's

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