[jonplackett]

Basically they just lost everyone. The best explanation I heard was this quote, I forget by who-

"The government are now pulling on levers that they have not realised are no longer connected to anything"

Changing the rules may have made sense, but only if anyone was even remotely close to obeying them. I follow the rules as closely as I know how, and even I have been lost many times. Most people have completely given up.