In an article in Counterpunch, “The UK’s Pandemic Gets Worse”, Kenneth Surin summarises what went wrong with how the pandemic was managed in UK. The current variant is not only more efficient at being transmitted but is also more lethal. The NHS capacity, already below par

“An important consideration here is that the UK entered the pandemic with fewer staffed, funded ICU beds compared with other developed countries. Germany has 29 ICU beds per 100,000 population, the US around 25, the UK 6.6.”. and the shortfall is compensated for by cancelling other NHS activities such as routine surgery and by overworking the existing staff . Covid-19 related admissions are almost 38,000 today and the deaths are hovering over 1000 daily.
“The prime minister, Boris “BoJo” Johnson, let 17 days elapse between being alerted of the new variant and imposing a tough national lockdown.” That is true to the pattern of behaviour from the outset of this pandemic, delay lockdown despite advice from SAGE. The messaging is also often confused and there is little attempt at enforcement. International travel is not restricted.
“However, the biggest cause of the continuing transmission is almost certainly the fact that so many workplaces remain open. The government is unwilling to close non-essential workplaces.”

So some covid sceptics are in a way right, the lockdown is not working but that is mainly because it has not been implemented properly and we have the worst of both worlds.