I think this is slightly unfair. I don't know what the uptake is like outside of London in fairness as I've not been outside since February now but at least here, the uptake is visibly increasing as time goes on, even in the streets. Other than a few selfish idiots, almost everyone on the underground and buses are wearing them, same in taxis. To be honest, I don't know why there isn't more zero tolerance for these people.
People have to remember that this is coming from a baseline where pretty much nobody wore them except some East Asian tourists/ students so its a big culture shift to happen suddenly.
Personally for me, its a huge faff as I have to wear a surgical mask nonstop at work now but I do it anyway. At the very least to normalise it as much as possible.
Can people comment on other European countries? How are things in Germany/ France/ Spain/ Italy etc with wearing masks in public?
Edit: So to answer my own question:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114375/wearing-a-face-mask-outside-in-european-countries/
This is in late May so things have changed since then but perhaps it isn't that unfair then. Certainly at that time, our uptake seems much much worse than in other European countries.
Gove has said this morning that they shouldn't be compulsory, so another England U-turn incoming one would expect...
In fairness, I think Gove said he was speaking from a personal perspective on that one and from memory, he tends to lean a bit more on the libertarian side when it comes to his politics.
The MO of the government so far during this crisis seems to have been for Johnson to make a throwaway comment a few days before it becomes policy so as to prepare people? I don't really know what their thinking is. But now he's worn a mask in a shop and made that comment, I imagine they will become a bit more forceful with it in the upcoming days.