labourlist--2020-03-13--“Let’s address the historic injustices of the British empire” – Bell Ribeiro-Addy’s maiden speech

I am truly humbled and grateful to the people of Streatham for electing me as their member of parliament , as well as to my family , the hard-working members of the Streatham Labour Party who pounded the streets every day , and all those who voted for me .
I do not take this job lightly , and it is a personal honour to represent the community in which I was born and raised , and in which I continue to live today .
Over the past few weeks many new members have boasted about their constituencies .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places , but Streatham is undeniably the best .
My constituency also covers parts of Balham , Clapham Common , Tulse Hill , and my birth place , Brixton Hill .
There really is no place like it for its history of activism , community and faith .
We have the longest high street in Europe , and an array of independent shops that is represented by our fantastic Streatham business improvement district .
We hosted the first ever supermarket in this country .
We have one of the oldest train stations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go by now , and one of the last working windmills was on Brixton Hill .
We also have the iconic Lambeth town hall .
Let me say a few words about my predecessor .
In 2010 I was so encouraged that a young black man who , just like me , was born and bred in Streatham could soon be our MP , that I went out and campaigned for him .
I was paired with a young woman that day , and she reminded me — I was quite sceptical about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although I was angry about tuition fees and the war in Iraq , many party members and MPs were just like me and thought exactly the same thing .
They were able to be members of the Labour Party , and I could be too .
That evening I went home , opened up my laptop and joined the Labour Party , and the rest is history .
I thank my predecessor , Chuka Umunna , for getting me out campaigning that day , although he may not think much of it now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people of Streatham .
There is one member of this House who I must mention : our shadow Home Secretary , my right hon .
friend the member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington .
I never dreamed that I would get the opportunity to work for a living legend , a trailblazer , and the first black woman to enter parliament , and for a black woman in politics there could be no better mentor .
There is also no better person to put someone off wanting to get into politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she faces , which has personally affected me .
I see the way that some members of the House treat her .
I love her ; you don ’ t have to like her , but you will respect her .
I understand that we are here because of her , and members such as Lord Boateng , Bernie Grant and Keith Vaz , and I am proud to be part of the most diverse parliament in history .
Indeed , there are so many of us that people are struggling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they fix that really quickly .
Alongside my right hon .
friend the member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington , my right hon .
friends the members for Islington North and for Hayes and Harlington have been an inspiration .
They stand for a principled , unfaltering stance on opposing war , cuts and racism over decades .
They have consistently supported peace , Palestinian human rights and LGBT rights , and they have opposed austerity , racism and bigotry , regardless of whether that was popular at the time , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press , or whether something would win in parliament .
To me , they are socialist heroes .
They have always been where I aim to be : on the side of the oppressed , not the oppressor , and always on the right side of history .
I am proud to be the daughter of Ghanaian migrants , and they are even prouder that myself and my hon .
friend the member for Erith and Thamesmead are jointly the first women of Ghanaian heritage to sit in this House .
The support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the UK and globally has been immeasurable .
Ghanaian Brits boast many notable names including Stormzy ; June Sarpong ; the editor of Vogue , Edward Enninful ; and too many others to count .
But as I am often reminded , the most important British-Ghanaian to ever walk this earth is of course my mum .
I cite my heritage not just because it is important to me , but because it underpins my experience in this country , my country , and my fear as racism and other hate crimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are debating global Britain .
There is the saying that ‘ if you don ’ t know where you ’ ve come from , you don ’ t know where you ’ re going ’ .
It strikes me that as a country we can not begin to fulfil the idea of global Britain until we first address the historic injustices of the British empire , injustices including slavery and colonialism ; first , because it is the right thing to do , but also because we may soon find ourselves out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While we spent years debating Brexit and , as my hon .
friend the member for Putney said , engaging in monumental self-harm , India surpassed the UK to become the fifth-richest economy in the world .
India , a former British colony , where this country presided over a bloody partition , the Amritsar massacre and the Bengal famine .
Countries in Africa , such as Ghana , Kenya and Uganda , are among the fastest-growing economies in the world ; countries that Britain deliberately underdeveloped , stole resources from and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaker , were you aware that in the mid to late 1700s , over 50 members of this House represented slave plantations ?
Members of parliament just like me enslaved people that looked just like me .
I am someone who believes firmly that the only way to tackle an issue is at its very root , and the racism that I and many other people in this country face on a daily basis has its root in those very injustices .
Not only will this country , my country , not apologise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; not ‘ expressing deep regret ’ — it has not once offered a form of reparations .
People see reparations as handing over large sums of money , but why could we not start today with simple things like fairer trade , simple things like returning items that do not belong to us , and simple things like cancelling debts that we have paid over and over again ?
I believe the reason for that is that we only apologise to our equals .
We only make amends with our equals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can I be equal to every other member in this House , when this is how this House treats people who look just like me ?
While billionaires and large corporates find creative ways to dodge their taxes , do you know who doesn ’ t ?
Most immigrants .
They are the same immigrants who are vilified as the government enforce their hostile environment and the three million EU nationals , many of whom live in my constituency — another Windrush scandal in the making .
I recently discovered that after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , my country — took out a loan of the equivalent of £300bn to pay off slave owners .
We only finished paying off that loan in 2015 .
That means that for decades the descendants of the enslaved and the colonised have been contributing to paying their oppressors .
That means that members of the Windrush generation who were invited here to work paid their taxes to pay off a debt to those who brutally enslaved their ancestors .
For their troubles , some lost their homes and their jobs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , deported and dehumanised , and are now being denied the dignity of a proper civil compensation scheme .
Let us not forget the people of Grenfell Tower : 72 people dead and many more traumatised by the loss of their loved ones and the loss of their homes , a community scarred for generations .
This government failed them on their promise to rehouse them in the aftermath of the catastrophe and have failed to remove flammable cladding .
They all need justice as equal citizens , and that means bringing those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not let my maiden speech pass without touching on the scourge of knife crime , because the area of Streatham is particularly affected .
I agree that we need more policing and more community policing , but we can not arrest our way out of this situation and we can not seem to stop it .
We need real investment in youth services and real investment in preventive measures , but most of all we need to be frank with ourselves .
If you live in my area and you are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested with drugs , it is a very different outcome for you .
But apparently if you admit to taking drugs in this House , you may find yourself a candidate in the Conservative party leadership contest and nobody seems to care or places the same level of responsibility on you .
Now , I am not judging .
I believe we all need to look at drug reforms , but I also believe there needs to be more equality in how people in this House are treated and the people we represent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historic and unprecedented times .
It is clear that we can not carry on our old ways .
Half of the wealth of the world is hoarded by the top 1 % .
We are more connected than ever , but fake news has ended up as an ally of the powerful .
We live in a world where , across the pond , there is a leader who cages migrant children .
To our shame , our government this month voted down refugee children ’ s rights .
This country welcomed Kindertransport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis .
I stand with Lord Dubs who was one of those children and who now opposes the heartless policy of the government .
I was proud to speak on Holocaust Memorial Day against the scourge of antisemitism and all forms of racism that allow fascism to thrive .
I want to make it clear that with fascism rising across Europe , we must all say , “ never again ” and mean it , but that charity needs to begin at home and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case for being more internationalist could not be clearer .
Fires are burning in the Arctic , the Amazon and Australia .
In Indonesia , just like in parts of Italy and Britain , flash floods and heatwaves expose people and places to unimaginable risk .
My right hon .
friend the Member for Islington North led this House to declare a climate emergency , but the government have carried on as if it is business as usual .
Brexit , coming tomorrow , looks set to weaken environmental protections , unless climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people on our planet have hangs in the balance .
This time of crisis is a test of the government ’ s leadership and our duty to protect our citizens .
Good leadership will create jobs , with a green new deal tackling economic insecurity and ecological crisis in one fell swoop .
What leadership is it if we allow the government to bury their heads in the sand as if the neoliberal pursuit of the profit for the 1 % matters more than living within our planetary means in the interests of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like mine in Streatham ?
Our planet does not have time for the government to check in with Donald Trump and the fossil fuel industry about what we should do .
The next generation needs real action on the climate crisis .
From Britain came the industrial revolution .
It is now time for us to lead the environmental revolution .
My road to parliament was not by the well-trodden route of power , privilege , connection or wealth .
I was energised as a student activist to stop the fascist BNP and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my fellow students .
So I am very proud to have been appointed shadow immigration minister and continue that fight today .
My path is not the statistically trodden path of a young black girl from a council estate on Brixton Hill , and that needs to change .
It needs all of us to make sure it does .

I am truly humbled and grateful to the people of Streatham for electing me as their member of parliament, as well as to my family, the hard-working members of the Streatham Labour Party who pounded the streets every day, and all those who voted for me. I do not take this job lightly, and it is a personal honour to represent the community in which I was born and raised, and in which I continue to live today.
Over the past few weeks many new members have boasted about their constituencies. I have been to many of those great places, but Streatham is undeniably the best. My constituency also covers parts of Balham, Clapham Common, Tulse Hill, and my birth place, Brixton Hill. There really is no place like it for its history of activism, community and faith. We have the longest high street in Europe, and an array of independent shops that is represented by our fantastic Streatham business improvement district. We hosted the first ever supermarket in this country. We have one of the oldest train stations, although Southern Railway is not much to go by now, and one of the last working windmills was on Brixton Hill. We also have the iconic Lambeth town hall.
Let me say a few words about my predecessor. In 2010 I was so encouraged that a young black man who, just like me, was born and bred in Streatham could soon be our MP, that I went out and campaigned for him. I was paired with a young woman that day, and she reminded me — I was quite sceptical about party politics at the time — that although I was angry about tuition fees and the war in Iraq, many party members and MPs were just like me and thought exactly the same thing. They were able to be members of the Labour Party, and I could be too. That evening I went home, opened up my laptop and joined the Labour Party, and the rest is history. I thank my predecessor, Chuka Umunna, for getting me out campaigning that day, although he may not think much of it now, and for his amazing service to the people of Streatham.
There is one member of this House who I must mention: our shadow Home Secretary, my right hon. friend the member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. I never dreamed that I would get the opportunity to work for a living legend, a trailblazer, and the first black woman to enter parliament, and for a black woman in politics there could be no better mentor. There is also no better person to put someone off wanting to get into politics, because I have seen the abuse that she faces, which has personally affected me. I see the way that some members of the House treat her. I love her; you don’t have to like her, but you will respect her. I understand that we are here because of her, and members such as Lord Boateng, Bernie Grant and Keith Vaz, and I am proud to be part of the most diverse parliament in history. Indeed, there are so many of us that people are struggling to tell us apart, and we hope they fix that really quickly.
Alongside my right hon. friend the member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, my right hon. friends the members for Islington North and for Hayes and Harlington have been an inspiration. They stand for a principled, unfaltering stance on opposing war, cuts and racism over decades. They have consistently supported peace, Palestinian human rights and LGBT rights, and they have opposed austerity, racism and bigotry, regardless of whether that was popular at the time, and regardless of being hounded by the reactionary press, or whether something would win in parliament. To me, they are socialist heroes. They have always been where I aim to be: on the side of the oppressed, not the oppressor, and always on the right side of history.
I am proud to be the daughter of Ghanaian migrants, and they are even prouder that myself and my hon. friend the member for Erith and Thamesmead are jointly the first women of Ghanaian heritage to sit in this House. The support we have received from the Ghanaian community in the UK and globally has been immeasurable. Ghanaian Brits boast many notable names including Stormzy; June Sarpong; the editor of Vogue, Edward Enninful; and too many others to count. But as I am often reminded, the most important British-Ghanaian to ever walk this earth is of course my mum.
I cite my heritage not just because it is important to me, but because it underpins my experience in this country, my country, and my fear as racism and other hate crimes are on the rise. Today, we are debating global Britain. There is the saying that ‘if you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going’. It strikes me that as a country we cannot begin to fulfil the idea of global Britain until we first address the historic injustices of the British empire, injustices including slavery and colonialism; first, because it is the right thing to do, but also because we may soon find ourselves out in the cold if we do not.
While we spent years debating Brexit and, as my hon. friend the member for Putney said, engaging in monumental self-harm, India surpassed the UK to become the fifth-richest economy in the world. India, a former British colony, where this country presided over a bloody partition, the Amritsar massacre and the Bengal famine. Countries in Africa, such as Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, are among the fastest-growing economies in the world; countries that Britain deliberately underdeveloped, stole resources from and brutally enslaved their people. Madam Deputy Speaker, were you aware that in the mid to late 1700s, over 50 members of this House represented slave plantations? Members of parliament just like me enslaved people that looked just like me.
I am someone who believes firmly that the only way to tackle an issue is at its very root, and the racism that I and many other people in this country face on a daily basis has its root in those very injustices. Not only will this country, my country, not apologise — by apologise I mean properly apologise; not ‘expressing deep regret’ — it has not once offered a form of reparations. People see reparations as handing over large sums of money, but why could we not start today with simple things like fairer trade, simple things like returning items that do not belong to us, and simple things like cancelling debts that we have paid over and over again?
I believe the reason for that is that we only apologise to our equals. We only make amends with our equals. So I have to ask: how can I be equal to every other member in this House, when this is how this House treats people who look just like me? While billionaires and large corporates find creative ways to dodge their taxes, do you know who doesn’t? Most immigrants. They are the same immigrants who are vilified as the government enforce their hostile environment and the three million EU nationals, many of whom live in my constituency — another Windrush scandal in the making.
I recently discovered that after the slave trade, this country — our country, my country — took out a loan of the equivalent of £300bn to pay off slave owners. We only finished paying off that loan in 2015. That means that for decades the descendants of the enslaved and the colonised have been contributing to paying their oppressors. That means that members of the Windrush generation who were invited here to work paid their taxes to pay off a debt to those who brutally enslaved their ancestors. For their troubles, some lost their homes and their jobs, were separated from their families, detained, deported and dehumanised, and are now being denied the dignity of a proper civil compensation scheme.
Let us not forget the people of Grenfell Tower: 72 people dead and many more traumatised by the loss of their loved ones and the loss of their homes, a community scarred for generations. This government failed them on their promise to rehouse them in the aftermath of the catastrophe and have failed to remove flammable cladding. They all need justice as equal citizens, and that means bringing those responsible to face the law.
I could not let my maiden speech pass without touching on the scourge of knife crime, because the area of Streatham is particularly affected. I agree that we need more policing and more community policing, but we cannot arrest our way out of this situation and we cannot seem to stop it. We need real investment in youth services and real investment in preventive measures, but most of all we need to be frank with ourselves. If you live in my area and you are a young black man who is caught or arrested with drugs, it is a very different outcome for you. But apparently if you admit to taking drugs in this House, you may find yourself a candidate in the Conservative party leadership contest and nobody seems to care or places the same level of responsibility on you. Now, I am not judging. I believe we all need to look at drug reforms, but I also believe there needs to be more equality in how people in this House are treated and the people we represent are treated.
We find ourselves in historic and unprecedented times. It is clear that we cannot carry on our old ways. Half of the wealth of the world is hoarded by the top 1%. We are more connected than ever, but fake news has ended up as an ally of the powerful. We live in a world where, across the pond, there is a leader who cages migrant children. To our shame, our government this month voted down refugee children’s rights. This country welcomed Kindertransport children fleeing the mass murder of millions of Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis. I stand with Lord Dubs who was one of those children and who now opposes the heartless policy of the government. I was proud to speak on Holocaust Memorial Day against the scourge of antisemitism and all forms of racism that allow fascism to thrive. I want to make it clear that with fascism rising across Europe, we must all say, “never again” and mean it, but that charity needs to begin at home and it needs to begin in this House.
The case for being more internationalist could not be clearer. Fires are burning in the Arctic, the Amazon and Australia. In Indonesia, just like in parts of Italy and Britain, flash floods and heatwaves expose people and places to unimaginable risk. My right hon. friend the Member for Islington North led this House to declare a climate emergency, but the government have carried on as if it is business as usual. Brexit, coming tomorrow, looks set to weaken environmental protections, unless climate breakdown is confronted. What future the people on our planet have hangs in the balance.
This time of crisis is a test of the government’s leadership and our duty to protect our citizens. Good leadership will create jobs, with a green new deal tackling economic insecurity and ecological crisis in one fell swoop. What leadership is it if we allow the government to bury their heads in the sand as if the neoliberal pursuit of the profit for the 1% matters more than living within our planetary means in the interests of the 99%, citizens in constituencies like mine in Streatham? Our planet does not have time for the government to check in with Donald Trump and the fossil fuel industry about what we should do. The next generation needs real action on the climate crisis. From Britain came the industrial revolution. It is now time for us to lead the environmental revolution.
My road to parliament was not by the well-trodden route of power, privilege, connection or wealth. I was energised as a student activist to stop the fascist BNP and to help stop the deportation of one of my fellow students. So I am very proud to have been appointed shadow immigration minister and continue that fight today. My path is not the statistically trodden path of a young black girl from a council estate on Brixton Hill, and that needs to change. It needs all of us to make sure it does.


labourlist--2020-03-13--What new data tells us about why voters rejected Labour in 2019

The publication of British Election Study data on the 2019 general election last week went relatively unnoticed amid concerns about Covid-19 .
For those of you unfamiliar with the BES , this is the ‘ gold standard ’ when it comes to analyses of general elections , as well as other elections .
It tracks not just the voting intentions of large numbers of people – between 35,000 and 38,000 – but also people ’ s changing voting patterns over time .
In the run up to last year ’ s general election , the BES undertook several waves of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave was on November 1st and 12th and involved just under 35,000 people .
The campaign wave was on November 13th and December 11th , and polled just under 38,000 people .
Finally , there was a post-election follow-up wave on December 13th and 23rd , involving just over 32,000 people , a 70 % retention rate of the campaign wave cohort .
The initial analysis of these data is striking .
After months of speculation , it provides the actual evidence of why people voted as they did .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was that the election saw the confirmation of the end to party political allegiances as we have known them .
Vote switching between Conservatives to Labour , Labour to Conservative , between Labour and Liberal Democrats and so on , was very marked .
12 % of Labour ’ s vote from the GE in 2017 went to the Tory Party with only 4 % of Tory votes coming to Labour .
There was noticeable campaign ‘ volatility ’ of Labour voters , with over 30 % switching to another party or saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were going to vote during the campaign compared with a much lower rate of Tory voters .
Interestingly , when analysing inter-election volatility – that is , how much switching there was between parties from one election to the next – the BES showed this was most pronounced in 2015 .
GE19 showed the lowest level of switching from the previous election since the GE in 2001 .
It appears that large numbers ( 1.3 million ) of 2017 UKIP ‘ abstainers ’ gave their support to the Tories in 2019 .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In relation to where people placed themselves on a scale of left to right values , which broadly relates to attitudes to economic policy – for example , redistribution and big business – and how this reflected their voting intention , most people placed themselves as centrists .
A fairly even distribution favoured left of centre and right of centre economic policies .
Unsurprisingly , Labour voters were more left-leaning , but there was some mismatch with where voters as a whole perceived themselves on a left-right scale and how they perceived the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scale .
Over 30 % of non-Labour voters saw Labour ’ s policies as the most left that they could be – i.e .
zero on a zero to ten left to right scale .
When both economic/left-right values and social-liberalism values – such as attitudes to law and order , censorship , and so on – are considered together , it is clear that Labour voters have become significantly more liberal and progressive in 2019 compared with 2015 .
Conservative voters have more authoritarian values , more closely aligned with people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forerunners , UKIP .
Social class is no longer a predictor of voting intention .
But the change in left-right values in 2019 compared with 2017 was marginal .
We didn ’ t lose because we became more ‘ left wing ’ .
This alignment of values also broadly corresponded with whether someone identified themselves as a Leave or Remain supporter in the EU referendum .
In the run up to GE19 , nearly eight out of ten Remain supporters identified themselves as Labour voters , and this was broadly reflected in strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrow Leave ( 50-60 % ) seats , including the so-called ‘ Red Wall ’ constituencies .
But when it came to December 12th , many previously identified Labour voters failed to support us .
Again , why ?
The evidence indicates that it was not our Brexit position .
From the GE19 BES data , it is clear that one of the key drivers for the way people voted was whether they preferred one leader to another .
In 2017 , over the course of the campaign , the decline in popularity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in popularity in Jeremy Corbyn ( fig .
1 ) .
In 2019 , however , the same preference for Jeremy Corbyn as opposed to Boris Johnson just didn ’ t materialise ( fig .
2 ) .
What isn ’ t clear is what drove these views on the different leaders .
The other key driver was voters ’ ‘ feelings towards Labour ’ ( fig .
3 ) .
To put it bluntly , we just weren ’ t trusted .
Again , it is unclear what led to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be much speculation and personal views about the ‘ drivers of the drivers ’ , I would counsel caution .
Always an optimist , I believe that this is fixable .
The election of a new party leader provides the opportunity for new beginnings , to learn from our mistakes .
We need to have a better understanding of the ‘ drivers of the drivers ’ , but we also need to address those issues we already know about .
We need to be competent and relevant to people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tackle the inequalities in income and wealth but also in power .
We know the more unequal a society , the less trust there is between different communities , and crime rates are higher .
Our mental health even how long we live are directly impacted by these inequalities .
Less is known about inequalities in power and their impacts .
This includes inequalities in political power , where politicians have power over rather than with citizens , and practical , everyday power – for example , how responsive and supportive local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s housing , health or other services .
We need to do more here .
For me , how we treat people , how we work , needs to be as much as a priority as our policy platform .
And it needs to start now .

The publication of British Election Study data on the 2019 general election last week went relatively unnoticed amid concerns about Covid-19. For those of you unfamiliar with the BES, this is the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to analyses of general elections, as well as other elections. It tracks not just the voting intentions of large numbers of people – between 35,000 and 38,000 – but also people’s changing voting patterns over time.
In the run up to last year’s general election, the BES undertook several waves of an internet panel survey. The pre-election wave was on November 1st and 12th and involved just under 35,000 people. The campaign wave was on November 13th and December 11th, and polled just under 38,000 people. Finally, there was a post-election follow-up wave on December 13th and 23rd, involving just over 32,000 people, a 70% retention rate of the campaign wave cohort.
The initial analysis of these data is striking. After months of speculation, it provides the actual evidence of why people voted as they did. One of the most important, if sobering, points was that the election saw the confirmation of the end to party political allegiances as we have known them. Vote switching between Conservatives to Labour, Labour to Conservative, between Labour and Liberal Democrats and so on, was very marked. 12% of Labour’s vote from the GE in 2017 went to the Tory Party with only 4% of Tory votes coming to Labour.
There was noticeable campaign ‘volatility’ of Labour voters, with over 30% switching to another party or saying they didn’t know how they were going to vote during the campaign compared with a much lower rate of Tory voters. Interestingly, when analysing inter-election volatility – that is, how much switching there was between parties from one election to the next – the BES showed this was most pronounced in 2015. GE19 showed the lowest level of switching from the previous election since the GE in 2001. It appears that large numbers (1.3 million) of 2017 UKIP ‘abstainers’ gave their support to the Tories in 2019.
What else changed between 2017 and 2019? In relation to where people placed themselves on a scale of left to right values, which broadly relates to attitudes to economic policy – for example, redistribution and big business – and how this reflected their voting intention, most people placed themselves as centrists. A fairly even distribution favoured left of centre and right of centre economic policies. Unsurprisingly, Labour voters were more left-leaning, but there was some mismatch with where voters as a whole perceived themselves on a left-right scale and how they perceived the Labour Party’s position on this scale. Over 30% of non-Labour voters saw Labour’s policies as the most left that they could be – i.e. zero on a zero to ten left to right scale.
When both economic/left-right values and social-liberalism values – such as attitudes to law and order, censorship, and so on – are considered together, it is clear that Labour voters have become significantly more liberal and progressive in 2019 compared with 2015. Conservative voters have more authoritarian values, more closely aligned with people who had supported the Brexit Party and their forerunners, UKIP. Social class is no longer a predictor of voting intention. But the change in left-right values in 2019 compared with 2017 was marginal. We didn’t lose because we became more ‘left wing’.
This alignment of values also broadly corresponded with whether someone identified themselves as a Leave or Remain supporter in the EU referendum. In the run up to GE19, nearly eight out of ten Remain supporters identified themselves as Labour voters, and this was broadly reflected in strong Leave (over 60%) and narrow Leave (50-60%) seats, including the so-called ‘Red Wall’ constituencies. But when it came to December 12th, many previously identified Labour voters failed to support us. Again, why? The evidence indicates that it was not our Brexit position.
From the GE19 BES data, it is clear that one of the key drivers for the way people voted was whether they preferred one leader to another. In 2017, over the course of the campaign, the decline in popularity of Theresa May was matched with an increase in popularity in Jeremy Corbyn (fig. 1). In 2019, however, the same preference for Jeremy Corbyn as opposed to Boris Johnson just didn’t materialise (fig. 2). What isn’t clear is what drove these views on the different leaders.
The other key driver was voters’ ‘feelings towards Labour’ (fig. 3). To put it bluntly, we just weren’t trusted. Again, it is unclear what led to this mistrust. Although I’m sure there will be much speculation and personal views about the ‘drivers of the drivers’, I would counsel caution.
Always an optimist, I believe that this is fixable. The election of a new party leader provides the opportunity for new beginnings, to learn from our mistakes. We need to have a better understanding of the ‘drivers of the drivers’, but we also need to address those issues we already know about. We need to be competent and relevant to people’s day to day lives. We need to tackle the inequalities in income and wealth but also in power. We know the more unequal a society, the less trust there is between different communities, and crime rates are higher. Our mental health even how long we live are directly impacted by these inequalities.
Less is known about inequalities in power and their impacts. This includes inequalities in political power, where politicians have power over rather than with citizens, and practical, everyday power – for example, how responsive and supportive local services are, or not, whether that’s housing, health or other services. We need to do more here. For me, how we treat people, how we work, needs to be as much as a priority as our policy platform. And it needs to start now.


labourlist--2020-03-13--Get off your backside and show some leadership, McDonnell tells PM

John McDonnell has told the Prime Minister to “ get off your backside and show some international leadership ” in response to the spread of coronavirus , or Covid-19 , worldwide .
The comment comes after repeated calls from Labour ’ s Shadow Chancellor for the government to work internationally with other countries to coordinate the response to the virus .
He has made the point previously that international cooperation has been crucial during other major global crises , such as the financial crash that took place in 2007/08 .
McDonnell said : “ Despite my repeated calls on four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government to work internationally to co-ordinate a response to the coronavirus , there has been no leadership and no action from either the Prime Minister or the Chancellor .
It seems Number 10 is following Donald Trump ’ s lead yet again .
“ We are saying to Boris Johnson , bluntly , get off your backside and show some international leadership .
That is what UK Prime Ministers of all political colours have traditionally done .
“ So far Johnson seems to have self-isolated himself from his international responsibilities .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we need global economic co-ordination and a global economic strategy as Labour secured in the last major crisis of 2007/8.
” McDonnell initially called for the government to work with other countries on social media two weeks ago , and his five-point economic plan that included measures to respond to the virus was published on March 2nd .
The pre-Budget speech from the MP for Hayes and Harlington called for the Chancellor to demonstrate “ that there is a clear plan of action nationally and internationally ” .
The UK ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ contain ’ to ‘ delay ’ phase following a COBRA meeting yesterday , advising that people with mild symptoms self-isolate .
The Prime Minister has held back from taking more stringent action such as banning public meetings , as Scotland has , or closing schools and universities like the Republic of Ireland declared yesterday .
There are now 590 official cases in the UK , but the government ’ s chief scientific minister said that the true figure is actually likely to be between 5,000 and 10,000 .
There are more than @ @ @ @ @

John McDonnell has told the Prime Minister to “get off your backside and show some international leadership” in response to the spread of coronavirus, or Covid-19, worldwide.
The comment comes after repeated calls from Labour’s Shadow Chancellor for the government to work internationally with other countries to coordinate the response to the virus.
He has made the point previously that international cooperation has been crucial during other major global crises, such as the financial crash that took place in 2007/08.
McDonnell said: “Despite my repeated calls on four occasions in the last fortnight for the government to work internationally to co-ordinate a response to the coronavirus, there has been no leadership and no action from either the Prime Minister or the Chancellor. It seems Number 10 is following Donald Trump’s lead yet again.
“We are saying to Boris Johnson, bluntly, get off your backside and show some international leadership. That is what UK Prime Ministers of all political colours have traditionally done.
“So far, Johnson seems to have self-isolated himself from his international responsibilities. We are facing the risk of a global recession so we need global economic co-ordination and a global economic strategy as Labour secured in the last major crisis of 2007/8.”
McDonnell initially called for the government to work with other countries on social media two weeks ago, and his five-point economic plan that included measures to respond to the virus was published on March 2nd.
The pre-Budget speech from the MP for Hayes and Harlington called for the Chancellor to demonstrate “that there is a clear plan of action nationally and internationally”.
The UK’s response to the coronavirus moved from the ‘contain’ to ‘delay’ phase following a COBRA meeting yesterday, advising that people with mild symptoms self-isolate.
The Prime Minister has held back from taking more stringent action such as banning public meetings, as Scotland has, or closing schools and universities like the Republic of Ireland declared yesterday.
There are now 590 official cases in the UK, but the government’s chief scientific minister said that the true figure is actually likely to be between 5,000 and 10,000. There are more than 138,000 recorded cases worldwide.


labourlist--2020-03-14--Corbyn demands rent deferrals and sick pay increase in coronavirus letter to PM

Jeremy Corbyn has issued a series of demands in a fresh letter to the Prime Minister about the Covid-19 pandemic , including the introduction of rent deferrals and an increase in statutory sick pay .
In the list of requested coronavirus measures , the Labour leader calls on the government to implement the following : • Full sick pay and lost earnings protection from day one for all , including insecure , low paid and self-employed workers , during self-isolation and illness ; • Statutory sick pay to increase in line with other European countries with similar economies ; • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that landlords can not evict tenants and mortgage companies can not take action against homeowners ; • Remove the requirement for face to face Universal Credit interviews in all cases , immediately suspend sanctions , and immediately and sharply reduce the five-week wait for a payment ; • Support local authorities working with food banks to buy and distribute food .
Corbyn has asked for an urgent meeting with Boris Johnson – as well as urgent sight of the emergency legislation being drafted to deal with coronavirus , which would reportedly stay in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed by The Times today that the laws being prepared include a measure that would allow local authorities to lower standards in care homes in a bid to cope with staff shortages .
These laws would also give the police the powers to detain infected people , could see schools forced to stay open , and would introduce measures to speed up cremations and burials .
Amid complaints that the government has not fully explained its strategy , which has made the UK an outlier , Corbyn has said that the public are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of explanation and transparency ” .
Below is the full text of Jeremy Corbyn ’ s letter .
Thank you for the coronavirus briefings on Privy Council terms that myself and shadow cabinet colleagues have had from officials and experts , and for the meeting that Jonathan Ashworth and Shami Chakrabarti had with Matt Hancock and Michael Ellis to discuss emergency legislation .
I am now writing to request a meeting with you to discuss the crisis and for urgent sight of the draft legislation so that the Opposition , in the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in advance of the parliamentary process – which we understand needs to be truncated owing to urgency .
In recent weeks , we have sought to avoid fuelling public panic and to support the vital work of officials and health and scientific advisers .
We are committed to ensuring we fully contribute to the collective effort to protect public health .
However , this crisis demands political as well as scientific judgements and clearer public communication based on greater transparency of scientific and behavioural evidence and modelling than has been provided to date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much higher level of explanation and transparency as to the course of action being taken , including whether more far-reaching measures , as taken in other comparable states , could be necessary .
While Department of Health officials were not able to share draft legislation last Thursday , we understand that Matt Hancock and Michael Ellis were able to give the following assurances as to constitutional safeguards that will be provided : • The Bill will come under cover of a ministerial statement of ECHR compatibility under section 19 , HRA .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers to be “ turned on and off ” subject to necessity and proportionality as the situation develops .
It will have to be renewed in parliament after one year and contain an absolute sunset of two years .
• It will avoid broad Henry VIII-type powers to amend primary legislation ( such as in the Civil Contingency Act ) , instead adopting a purpose-specific approach relating to each anticipated need .
Of course , the most vulnerable in our society are at most risk .
Any legislation introduced should be rigorously tested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a financial care package for those groups who are forced into self-isolation and during a period of illness and self-isolation .
Our view is that in the light of the scale of the crisis the government should bring forward a package of emergency financial security measures to give people the security and confidence they need to follow public health advice as part of our collective national endeavour , including : • There must be full sick pay and lost earnings protection from day one for all workers including insecure workers , low paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-isolation and illness , with consideration given to government funding of sick pay compensation in order to share the burdens with business ( and not just in relation to SMEs and for a temporary 14-day period , which is the current government position ) .
• Statutory sick pay should be raised in line with the amounts paid in other European countries with similar economies .
• Rent and mortgage payment deferment options should be made available , so that landlords can not evict tenants , and mortgage companies can not take action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government should work with banks and other mortgage lenders to offer mortgage payment holidays .
• The government should remove the requirement to present for Universal Credit interviews in all cases , immediately suspend sanctions and the claimant agreement , and immediately and sharply reduce the wait time of five weeks for the first payment .
• Support must be given for local authorities working with food banks in the purchase and distribution of food stocks .
There are of course a number of other important issues facing the country as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impact on our public services , that I look forward to discussing further with you .
I look forward to your early response .

Jeremy Corbyn has issued a series of demands in a fresh letter to the Prime Minister about the Covid-19 pandemic, including the introduction of rent deferrals and an increase in statutory sick pay.
In the list of requested coronavirus measures, the Labour leader calls on the government to implement the following:
Full sick pay and lost earnings protection from day one for all, including insecure, low paid and self-employed workers, during self-isolation and illness;
Statutory sick pay to increase in line with other European countries with similar economies;
Rent deferrals and mortgage holidays, so that landlords cannot evict tenants and mortgage companies cannot take action against homeowners;
Remove the requirement for face to face Universal Credit interviews in all cases, immediately suspend sanctions, and immediately and sharply reduce the five-week wait for a payment;
Support local authorities working with food banks to buy and distribute food.
Corbyn has asked for an urgent meeting with Boris Johnson – as well as urgent sight of the emergency legislation being drafted to deal with coronavirus, which would reportedly stay in place for two years.
It was revealed by The Times today that the laws being prepared include a measure that would allow local authorities to lower standards in care homes in a bid to cope with staff shortages.
These laws would also give the police the powers to detain infected people, could see schools forced to stay open, and would introduce measures to speed up cremations and burials.
Amid complaints that the government has not fully explained its strategy, which has made the UK an outlier, Corbyn has said that the public are “rightly seeking a much higher level of explanation and transparency”.
Below is the full text of Jeremy Corbyn’s letter.
Dear Prime Minister,
Thank you for the coronavirus briefings on Privy Council terms that myself and shadow cabinet colleagues have had from officials and experts, and for the meeting that Jonathan Ashworth and Shami Chakrabarti had with Matt Hancock and Michael Ellis to discuss emergency legislation.
I am now writing to request a meeting with you to discuss the crisis and for urgent sight of the draft legislation so that the Opposition, in the public interest can feed in proposals or amendments in advance of the parliamentary process – which we understand needs to be truncated owing to urgency.
In recent weeks, we have sought to avoid fuelling public panic and to support the vital work of officials and health and scientific advisers. We are committed to ensuring we fully contribute to the collective effort to protect public health.
However, this crisis demands political as well as scientific judgements and clearer public communication based on greater transparency of scientific and behavioural evidence and modelling than has been provided to date.
The public are rightly seeking a much higher level of explanation and transparency as to the course of action being taken, including whether more far-reaching measures, as taken in other comparable states, could be necessary.
While Department of Health officials were not able to share draft legislation last Thursday, we understand that Matt Hancock and Michael Ellis were able to give the following assurances as to constitutional safeguards that will be provided:
The Bill will come under cover of a ministerial statement of ECHR compatibility under section 19, HRA.
The legislation will contain provision for specific powers to be “turned on and off” subject to necessity and proportionality as the situation develops. It will have to be renewed in parliament after one year and contain an absolute sunset of two years.
It will avoid broad Henry VIII-type powers to amend primary legislation (such as in the Civil Contingency Act), instead adopting a purpose-specific approach relating to each anticipated need.
Of course, the most vulnerable in our society are at most risk. Any legislation introduced should be rigorously tested by an equality impact assessment and include a financial care package for those groups who are forced into self-isolation and during a period of illness and self-isolation.
Our view is that in the light of the scale of the crisis the government should bring forward a package of emergency financial security measures to give people the security and confidence they need to follow public health advice as part of our collective national endeavour, including:
There must be full sick pay and lost earnings protection from day one for all workers including insecure workers, low paid workers, and the self-employed, during self-isolation and illness, with consideration given to government funding of sick pay compensation in order to share the burdens with business (and not just in relation to SMEs and for a temporary 14-day period, which is the current government position).
Statutory sick pay should be raised in line with the amounts paid in other European countries with similar economies.
Rent and mortgage payment deferment options should be made available, so that landlords cannot evict tenants, and mortgage companies cannot take action against mortgagees in these circumstances. The government should work with banks and other mortgage lenders to offer mortgage payment holidays.
The government should remove the requirement to present for Universal Credit interviews in all cases, immediately suspend sanctions and the claimant agreement, and immediately and sharply reduce the wait time of five weeks for the first payment.
Support must be given for local authorities working with food banks in the purchase and distribution of food stocks.
There are of course a number of other important issues facing the country as a result of the spread of coronavirus, including the impact on our public services, that I look forward to discussing further with you.
I look forward to your early response.
With best wishes,
Jeremy Corbyn
Leader of the Opposition


labourlist--2020-03-14--This week’s Budget was getting it wrong, not ‘getting it done’

It ’ s been just a few days since the government ’ s first Budget and there ’ s an emerging consensus that , once you scratch beneath the surface of the slogans and the spin , it ’ s a disappointing package overall .
Despite what the Chancellor Rishi Sunak boasted on Wednesday , this looks like a Budget where the government ’ s getting it wrong , not getting it done .
On coronavirus , we have said we will support constructive measures , and work alongside NHS professionals and scientific experts to defeat the outbreak .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to £12bn in funding , were all too vague on Wednesday , full of holes , and didn ’ t go far enough .
No clarity on how much of the £5bn public services package would go to the NHS or social care .
No extension of statutory sick pay to zero-hours contract workers , part-time workers , and low-paid workers .
No increase in the low rate of statutory sick pay , leaving people choosing between health and hardship .
No action to tackle the five-week delay in receiving Universal Credit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its response .
No full explanation for why the government doesn ’ t have a more comprehensive plan for coronavirus testing or social distancing , which has left many vulnerable people – and indeed all of us – increasingly anxious .
Tory underfunding of public services has left them ill-prepared to deal with a crisis like this .
The NHS has been underfunded over a decade of decline , and now has 17,000 fewer beds .
1.5 million people were not receiving the social care they need before this outbreak , with more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care system .
And yet we heard complete silence from the government on a long-term solution to social care , despite years of the Tories promising white papers and green papers .
The Chancellor said “ over the next few months , we will tackle the big issues ” like social care .
That ’ s not getting it done .
That ’ s getting it wrong .
The Tory austerity experiment is now a proven failure .
This Budget is an admission of failure , even if the Tories don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
George Osborne said in a speech in 2009 , citing work from the IMF , that “ fiscal policy is more or less powerless to affect output ” in open economies .
In other words , he didn ’ t think government spending could increase growth .
He thought the way to rebuild growth was to reduce the size of government .
The OBR this week contradicted George Osborne in their analysis accompanying the Budget .
They said “ a large planned increase in public investment should boost potential output ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ – fundamentally wrong .
They ’ ve been getting it wrong for ten years .
Austerity continues in this Budget , despite all the hype .
Spending levels are still below where they were in 2010-11 , as the IFS has pointed out .
Public services are not being restored , in the face of the urgent demands of those affected by the loss of services like youth centres , legal aid , family violence support , public libraries , Sure Start centres .
Are the Tories ending austerity – and getting it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting it wrong .
Infrastructure was hyped but it doesn ’ t fill the hole the Tories created .
The Tories have trumpeted their infrastructure investment .
But at most it appears the new infrastructure investment is about £143bn excluding depreciation – when the Tories created a £192bn infrastructure investment hole between 2010 and 2020 .
They are asking to be congratulated for only beginning to rebuild what they have destroyed .
And they have no plan , with the National Infrastructure Strategy shelved until later in the year , and no grasp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver on infrastructure promises .
Again – getting it wrong , not getting it done .
The Budget is profoundly disappointing on climate change .
There was no national infrastructure plan to shift the tracks on which the economy runs and move it towards a zero-carbon future .
The IPPR ’ s Environmental Justice Commission said £33bn a year was needed in green investment just for the Tories to achieve their unacceptably unambitious target of net-zero emissions by 2050 .
That target wasn ’ t met , and instead £27bn was allocated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and solar energy .
No new measures to tackle the affordability of public transport .
No action to decarbonise how we heat our houses – just a consultation on action for 2022 .
Getting it done ?
On the existential threat of climate change , this government is also getting it wrong .
All eyes are now rightly on the coronavirus crisis .
That will require all of government , and all of us , to pull together .
But I regret to say that in this Budget the Tories have postponed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-equipped to deal with the crises of our time .
Getting it wrong , not getting it done .

It’s been just a few days since the government’s first Budget and there’s an emerging consensus that, once you scratch beneath the surface of the slogans and the spin, it’s a disappointing package overall. Despite what the Chancellor Rishi Sunak boasted on Wednesday, this looks like a Budget where the government’s getting it wrong, not getting it done.
On coronavirus, we have said we will support constructive measures, and work alongside NHS professionals and scientific experts to defeat the outbreak. But the announcements on coronavirus, adding up to £12bn in funding, were all too vague on Wednesday, full of holes, and didn’t go far enough. No clarity on how much of the £5bn public services package would go to the NHS or social care. No extension of statutory sick pay to zero-hours contract workers, part-time workers, and low-paid workers. No increase in the low rate of statutory sick pay, leaving people choosing between health and hardship. No action to tackle the five-week delay in receiving Universal Credit, which the government is relying on in its response. No full explanation for why the government doesn’t have a more comprehensive plan for coronavirus testing or social distancing, which has left many vulnerable people – and indeed all of us – increasingly anxious.
Tory underfunding of public services has left them ill-prepared to deal with a crisis like this. The NHS has been underfunded over a decade of decline, and now has 17,000 fewer beds. 1.5 million people were not receiving the social care they need before this outbreak, with more than 120,000 staff vacancies in the social care system. And yet we heard complete silence from the government on a long-term solution to social care, despite years of the Tories promising white papers and green papers. The Chancellor said “over the next few months, we will tackle the big issues” like social care. That’s not getting it done. That’s getting it wrong.
The Tory austerity experiment is now a proven failure. This Budget is an admission of failure, even if the Tories don’t have the honesty to openly admit it. George Osborne said in a speech in 2009, citing work from the IMF, that “fiscal policy is more or less powerless to affect output” in open economies. In other words, he didn’t think government spending could increase growth. He thought the way to rebuild growth was to reduce the size of government. The OBR this week contradicted George Osborne in their analysis accompanying the Budget. They said “a large planned increase in public investment should boost potential output”. The Tories got it wrong in 2010 – fundamentally wrong. They’ve been getting it wrong for ten years.
Austerity continues in this Budget, despite all the hype. Spending levels are still below where they were in 2010-11, as the IFS has pointed out. Public services are not being restored, in the face of the urgent demands of those affected by the loss of services like youth centres, legal aid, family violence support, public libraries, Sure Start centres. Are the Tories ending austerity – and getting it done? No, they’re getting it wrong.
Infrastructure was hyped but it doesn’t fill the hole the Tories created. The Tories have trumpeted their infrastructure investment. But at most it appears the new infrastructure investment is about £143bn excluding depreciation – when the Tories created a £192bn infrastructure investment hole between 2010 and 2020. They are asking to be congratulated for only beginning to rebuild what they have destroyed. And they have no plan, with the National Infrastructure Strategy shelved until later in the year, and no grasp of how skills investment is needed to deliver on infrastructure promises. Again – getting it wrong, not getting it done.
The Budget is profoundly disappointing on climate change. There was no national infrastructure plan to shift the tracks on which the economy runs and move it towards a zero-carbon future. The IPPR’s Environmental Justice Commission said £33bn a year was needed in green investment just for the Tories to achieve their unacceptably unambitious target of net-zero emissions by 2050. That target wasn’t met, and instead £27bn was allocated to roads. No new support for wind and solar energy. No new measures to tackle the affordability of public transport. No action to decarbonise how we heat our houses – just a consultation on action for 2022. Getting it done? On the existential threat of climate change, this government is also getting it wrong.
All eyes are now rightly on the coronavirus crisis. That will require all of government, and all of us, to pull together. But I regret to say that in this Budget the Tories have postponed, prevaricated, and prevented government from being well-equipped to deal with the crises of our time. Getting it wrong, not getting it done.


labourlist--2020-03-14--“We deserve answers”: Lisa Nandy calls for coronavirus ‘Marshall Plan’

Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy is set to declare that UK residents “ deserve answers ” on the government response to the Covid-19 pandemic , and recommend that a ‘ Marshall Plan ’ be developed .
Speaking to the National Union of Mineworkers in Barnsley today , Nandy will voice concerns about the lack of transparency in relation to the expert advice being used by the government to formulate its response to Covid-19 .
The Wigan MP is also planning to advise that the UK should implement “ the equivalent of a Marshall Plan to protect our older people ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent foreign aid to Western Europe after World War Two .
In a speech criticising the government ’ s handling of coronavirus so far , Nandy is expected to say : “ We need leadership .
So far we have not seen it .
For families across the country , there are hard decisions .
“ Is now the time to see your elderly relatives or to stay away from them ?
The lack of information is becoming a major problem .
Increasingly , it feels we are left to ourselves to decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information campaigns on planning for a no deal Brexit .
Where is the comparable response ?
“ We deserve answers about why our response differs from other governments , based on their own medical and scientific advice , and from the World Health Organisation .
The government must publish the analysis behind its decisions to reassure the public .
Who conducted that analysis , and is it medical or behavioural science that is driving these decisions ?
“ We need the equivalent of a Marshall Plan to protect our older people .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could affect up to 80 % of the population will not be dealt with by our NHS alone .
But in the budget this week no new funding was announced for social care .
This is not good enough.
” The calls from Nandy come after it was revealed by The Times that emergency laws being prepared for Covid-19 include a measure allowing local authorities to lower standards in care homes in a bid to cope with staff shortages .
These laws , which are reportedly going to be pushed through parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police the powers to detain infected people , could see schools forced to stay open , and would introduce measures to speed up cremations and burials .
Labour has today backed the call by the GMB union for private sector hospital beds to be requisitioned to help the NHS deal with the pandemic .
Jon Ashworth has said emergency powers could guarantee NHS doctors access to beds in privately-run hospitals .
Reflecting similar statements from trade unions , Nandy will argue that the government should set up “ a COVID-19 workers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care workers are not exploited and “ forced to go into work sick ” .
Nandy will add : “ Reports today show that the police will get powers to arrest people showing signs of coronavirus .
We know where this can end .
My message to the government is , in times of crisis , support and empower communities , don ’ t fight them .
“ Provide advice , information , proper levels of sick pay and help for people who want to follow advice and self-isolate but face financial and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Support your citizens , don ’ t fight them .
“ The government must bring together council and community leaders to lead this national effort .
They know their own communities – who is vulnerable and who is more resilient – in a way that politicians in central London never will .
“ Recently , government brought in tech companies to lead a response to coronavirus .
This could have had so much more impact if they had invited in community leaders to tell those tech companies what is needed .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older people who self-isolate must be cared for and supported .
Charities should have access to an emergency fund to support people who don ’ t have relatives living close by , pay for people needing to become temporary carers should be covered , and most of all we need a whole community response.
” Labour has cancelled its special conference due to be held on April 4th , where the party was supposed to reveal the results of the leadership and deputy leadership elections .
It will be replaced by a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .

Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy is set to declare that UK residents “deserve answers” on the government response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and recommend that a ‘Marshall Plan’ be developed.
Speaking to the National Union of Mineworkers in Barnsley today, Nandy will voice concerns about the lack of transparency in relation to the expert advice being used by the government to formulate its response to Covid-19.
The Wigan MP is also planning to advise that the UK should implement “the equivalent of a Marshall Plan to protect our older people”, referring to the American initiative that sent foreign aid to Western Europe after World War Two.
In a speech criticising the government’s handling of coronavirus so far, Nandy is expected to say: “We need leadership. So far we have not seen it. For families across the country, there are hard decisions.
“Is now the time to see your elderly relatives or to stay away from them? The lack of information is becoming a major problem. Increasingly, it feels we are left to ourselves to decide. The airwaves were saturated with public information campaigns on planning for a no deal Brexit. Where is the comparable response?
“We deserve answers about why our response differs from other governments, based on their own medical and scientific advice, and from the World Health Organisation. The government must publish the analysis behind its decisions to reassure the public. Who conducted that analysis, and is it medical or behavioural science that is driving these decisions?
“We need the equivalent of a Marshall Plan to protect our older people. After a decade of underfunding, a virus that could affect up to 80% of the population will not be dealt with by our NHS alone. But in the budget this week no new funding was announced for social care. This is not good enough.”
The calls from Nandy come after it was revealed by The Times that emergency laws being prepared for Covid-19 include a measure allowing local authorities to lower standards in care homes in a bid to cope with staff shortages.
These laws, which are reportedly going to be pushed through parliament in two weeks, would also give the police the powers to detain infected people, could see schools forced to stay open, and would introduce measures to speed up cremations and burials.
Labour has today backed the call by the GMB union for private sector hospital beds to be requisitioned to help the NHS deal with the pandemic. Jon Ashworth has said emergency powers could guarantee NHS doctors access to beds in privately-run hospitals.
Reflecting similar statements from trade unions, Nandy will argue that the government should set up “a COVID-19 workers’ taskforce” to help ensure that home care workers are not exploited and “forced to go into work sick”.
Nandy will add: “Reports today show that the police will get powers to arrest people showing signs of coronavirus. We know where this can end. My message to the government is, in times of crisis, support and empower communities, don’t fight them.
“Provide advice, information, proper levels of sick pay and help for people who want to follow advice and self-isolate but face financial and employer pressure to turn up for work. Support your citizens, don’t fight them.
“The government must bring together council and community leaders to lead this national effort. They know their own communities – who is vulnerable and who is more resilient – in a way that politicians in central London never will.
“Recently, government brought in tech companies to lead a response to coronavirus. This could have had so much more impact if they had invited in community leaders to tell those tech companies what is needed.
“With loneliness now a recognised crisis, older people who self-isolate must be cared for and supported. Charities should have access to an emergency fund to support people who don’t have relatives living close by, pay for people needing to become temporary carers should be covered, and most of all we need a whole community response.”
Labour has cancelled its special conference due to be held on April 4th, where the party was supposed to reveal the results of the leadership and deputy leadership elections. It will be replaced by a “scaled back event” on the same day.


labourlist--2020-03-13--Get off your backside and show leadership on coronavirus, McDonnell tells PM

John McDonnell has told the Prime Minister to “ get off your backside and show some international leadership ” in response to the spread of coronavirus , or Covid-19 , worldwide .
The comment comes after repeated calls from Labour ’ s Shadow Chancellor for the government to work internationally with other countries to coordinate the response to the virus .
He has made the point previously that international cooperation has been crucial during other major global crises , such as the financial crash that took place in 2007/08 .
McDonnell said : “ Despite my repeated calls on four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government to work internationally to co-ordinate a response to the coronavirus , there has been no leadership and no action from either the Prime Minister or the Chancellor .
It seems Number 10 is following Donald Trump ’ s lead yet again .
“ We are saying to Boris Johnson , bluntly , get off your backside and show some international leadership .
That is what UK Prime Ministers of all political colours have traditionally done .
“ So far , Johnson seems to have self-isolated himself from his international responsibilities .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recession so we need global economic co-ordination and a global economic strategy as Labour secured in the last major crisis of 2007/8.
” McDonnell initially called for the government to work with other countries on social media two weeks ago , and his five-point economic plan that included measures to respond to the virus was published on March 2nd .
The pre-Budget speech from the MP for Hayes and Harlington called for the Chancellor to demonstrate “ that there is a clear plan of action nationally and internationally ” .
The UK ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ‘ contain ’ to ‘ delay ’ phase following a COBRA meeting yesterday , advising that people with mild symptoms self-isolate .
The Prime Minister has held back from taking more stringent action such as banning public meetings , as Scotland has , or closing schools and universities like the Republic of Ireland declared yesterday .
There are now 590 official cases in the UK , but the government ’ s chief scientific minister said that the true figure is actually likely to be between 5,000 and 10,000 .
There are more @ @ @ @ @ @


labourlist--2020-03-15--Sunday shows: Nandy, Ashworth and Allin-Khan on the coronavirus outbreak

Jonathan Ashworth repeated his call for the government to publish the science behind its approach and said it was “ unacceptable ” for government sources to be “ briefing journalists overnight ” .
• On testing : “ The World Health Organisation is saying that we should continue testing and contact tracing… I just need to understand better why the government is taking a different approach.
” • On briefing journalists : “ Utterly unacceptable for government sources to be briefing journalists overnight on issues which are very , very fundamental to how we deal with this virus.
” • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stringent actions : “ It ’ s not for me to adjudicate… But I think it ’ s important that when people are raising concerns that the government modelling is published and can be scrutinised.
” • Asked about NHS preparedness : “ We know we don ’ t have enough beds in the NHS , we certainly don ’ t have enough intensive care beds .
• He added : “ We need to understand whether the government is able to scale up the intensive care bed capacity.
” • Asked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up those ventilators , we should have been doing that weeks ago .
But of course , ventilators need staff to operate them.
” • More specifically on NHS staffing : “ Ministers urgently need to reassure us they have a resourcing plan in place to support NHS staff.
” • Asked if people are selfish to stockpile : “ No I don ’ t think they are , I think they ’ re worried… People just want clear advice , not briefings to journalists overnight.
” • On government information sharing : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily , speaking to the nation… People want that certainty and to be reassured that the government has a grip.
” Health Secretary Matt Hancock also appeared on the show .
He stated that the UK needs “ many more ” ventilators , and said : “ If you produce ventilators , then we will buy it – no number is too high.
” Asked to guarantee that everyone who needs a ventilator will get one : “ We don ’ t make guarantees in healthcare… What I will guarantee is that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect life.
” Hancock said that the government is “ not yet ” saying that elderly people need to self isolate for a period of four months , but that it is “ clearly in the action plan ” for people aged over 70 to self isolate at some point .
Lisa Nandy spoke about the government ’ s response to the virus , calling the last 48 hours a “ real shambles ” as well as discussing her thoughts on the Budget and a future immigration system .
• On the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 48 hours has been a real shambles… They effectively stuck on an out-of-hours and then went to ground.
” • On government information sharing : “ We need far more information from the government… The public must have confidence in the strategy.
” • She added : “ I would insist that we immediately publish the advice on which the strategy… We need to see far more information in the public domain.
” • On whether Labour should support emergency powers : “ It depends what they are… I ’ m really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re giving sweeping powers to the police and immigration officers in order to detain people who are sick.
” • On elderly people : “ We don ’ t actually seem to have a real plan to deal with our older people and the fact that many of them are now going to be asked to self isolate for several months.
” • On sick pay : “ We need a workers ’ task force set up to make sure that we deal with the outstanding issues of sick pay.
” • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do win in this contest and become Labour leader , we will be crossing the floor in order to say to the government let ’ s work together.
” • Asked about the Budget : “ Most of the things that the government said that they were going to do… they just haven ’ t done it .
They ’ ve set up review after review after review.
” • On money for devolved governments : “ The Treasury has already decided how much of that money is going to be spent… This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Asked about her ideal immigration system : “ We need a much more flexible immigration policy that can respond to the needs of the nations and regions of the UK… That should be built from the ground-up by the leaders in those areas.
” • She said she does “ believe in free movement ” and that the real problem with it was that “ we used it as an excuse not to invest in young people ” .
• Asked how her campaign is continuing against the backdrop of coronavirus : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtual Q & As… The Nandwagon will continue to roll on.
” Rosena Allin-Khan also answered questions about Covid-19 .
She stated that she did not think the situation should be politicised , and shared her view that “ shambles is a strong word ” .
• On the decision for the NHS to use private hospital beds : “ We need to really make sure that we have the capacity to deal with this epidemic and we need to be using resources from across the board .
So I welcome the move.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I truly believe that this outbreak will highlight the gaping chasm that exists in regards to the under-resourcing of our NHS.
” • On colleagues she is speaking to in the health service : “ They don ’ t even have the protective equipment to keep themselves safe.
” • She added : “ We are looking at a very bleak picture .
We are still in the midst of the winter crisis , which is no longer just confined to winter anymore.
” • On availability of equipment , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were facing a crisis weeks ago .
Why wasn ’ t this looked into earlier ?
” • On the UK ’ s approach : “ I don ’ t personally fully understand why our adopted practices are so entirely different to the rest of the world.
” • On the government ’ s priorities : “ I haven ’ t been reassured enough to this point that the government are really putting people ’ s lives first.
” • On school closures and NHS staff : “ We do need to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to that – there needs to be things in place for them to take care of their children.
” • On extra resources for the NHS : “ We need to know more now about what it means exactly that the NHS will have everything that it needs.
” • Asked about Nandy ’ s comments : “ Shambles is a strong word… I don ’ t think this should be politicised .
I believe , though , that we should be rightly asking questions of the government .
”

Ridge on Sunday
Jonathan Ashworth repeated his call for the government to publish the science behind its approach and said it was “unacceptable” for government sources to be “briefing journalists overnight”.
On testing: “The World Health Organisation is saying that we should continue testing and contact tracing… I just need to understand better why the government is taking a different approach.”
On briefing journalists: “Utterly unacceptable for government sources to be briefing journalists overnight on issues which are very, very fundamental to how we deal with this virus.”
On whether we should be taking more stringent actions: “It’s not for me to adjudicate… But I think it’s important that when people are raising concerns that the government modelling is published and can be scrutinised.”
Asked about NHS preparedness: “We know we don’t have enough beds in the NHS, we certainly don’t have enough intensive care beds.
He added: “We need to understand whether the government is able to scale up the intensive care bed capacity.”
Asked about ventilators: “We need to buy up those ventilators, we should have been doing that weeks ago. But of course, ventilators need staff to operate them.”
More specifically on NHS staffing: “Ministers urgently need to reassure us they have a resourcing plan in place to support NHS staff.”
Asked if people are selfish to stockpile: “No, I don’t think they are, I think they’re worried… People just want clear advice, not briefings to journalists overnight.”
On government information sharing: “The PM should be out there daily, speaking to the nation… People want that certainty and to be reassured that the government has a grip.”
"Ministers urgently need to reassure us they have a resourcing plan in place to support NHS staff."@JonAshworth says the government should have been buying up ventilators "weeks ago". Follow #Ridge live: https://t.co/8xbsmjBX8F pic.twitter.com/DYijviO2Az — Sophy Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) March 15, 2020
Health Secretary Matt Hancock also appeared on the show. He confirmed that the UK needs “many more” ventilators, saying: “If you produce ventilators, then we will buy it – no number is too high.”
Asked to guarantee that everyone who needs a ventilator will get one: “We don’t make guarantees in healthcare… What I will guarantee is that we will do everything we possibly can to protect life.”
Hancock said that the government is “not yet” saying that elderly people need to self isolate for a period of four months, but that it is “clearly in the action plan” for people aged over 70 to self-isolate at some point.
The Andrew Marr Show
Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy talked about the government’s response to the virus, calling the last 48 hours a “real shambles”, and shared her thoughts on the Budget and a future immigration system.
On the government response to the virus: “The last 48 hours has been a real shambles… They effectively stuck on an out-of-hours and then went to ground.”
On government information sharing: “We need far more information from the government… The public must have confidence in the strategy.”
She added: “I would insist that we immediately publish the advice on which the strategy… We need to see far more information in the public domain.”
On whether Labour should support emergency powers: “It depends what they are… I’m really quite concerned by the idea that we’re giving sweeping powers to the police and immigration officers in order to detain people who are sick.”
On elderly people: “We don’t actually seem to have a real plan to deal with our older people and the fact that many of them are now going to be asked to self isolate for several months.”
On sick pay: “We need a workers’ task force set up to make sure that we deal with the outstanding issues of sick pay.”
On cross-party working: “If I do win in this contest and become Labour leader, we will be crossing the floor in order to say to the government let’s work together.”
Asked about the Budget: “Most of the things that the government said that they were going to do… they just haven’t done it. They’ve set up review after review after review.”
On money for devolved governments: “The Treasury has already decided how much of that money is going to be spent… This is a power grab from Whitehall.”
Asked about her ideal immigration system: “We need a much more flexible immigration policy that can respond to the needs of the nations and regions of the UK… That should be built from the ground-up by the leaders in those areas.”
She said she does “believe in free movement” and that the real problem with it was that “we used it as an excuse not to invest in young people”.
Asked how her campaign is continuing against the backdrop of coronavirus: “At the start of this contest, we launched an app, which was designed to be able to be used on people’s phones so that they could call up Labour members from wherever they were and see if they could persuade them to vote for me. We’ve actually taken that App now and offered it to be used to deal with the coronavirus crisis… The Nandwagon will continue to roll on.”
Labour’s Lisa Nandy on COVID19: "We need to take immediate action now to safeguard people’s health… I’m concerned about sweeping powers to police and immigration officers… whilst we don’t seem to have a real plan to deal with our older people"#Marr https://t.co/MzRrtOGW2Y pic.twitter.com/mjUnvr2B6K — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) March 15, 2020
5 Live Politics
Deputy leadership candidate Dr Rosena Allin-Khan also answered questions about Covid-19. She said she did not think the situation should be politicised, and said “shambles is a strong word”.


labourlist--2020-03-16--Labour must not be afraid to criticise the government’s Covid-19 response

By the end of the week , there is set to be a UK ban on mass gatherings .
Within 20 days , those over 70 will be told to self-isolate for four months .
Up to 80 % of the UK population are to be infected over the next 12 months , which means up to 7.9 million may require hospitalisation .
Most frontline NHS staff won ’ t be tested for Covid-19 even if they have symptoms .
Councils will be allowed to lower standards in care homes .
Measures will be taken to speed up funerals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ detain infected people .
And on it goes .
But these reports have not come from the government directly to the public , but through leaked information ( here and here ) and background briefings to journalists ( here and here ) .
This mishandling of communications during a public health crisis does not only have consequences for accountability .
As a result of this information vacuum , it appears many are either unclear on the severity of the pandemic and therefore doing nothing to change their behaviour , or they are worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No 10 promotes individualism that completely goes against its professed aim of protecting the most vulnerable , who need leaders to be promoting community-based solutions .
The government ’ s shambolic communications approach was typified when plans for some of the most extraordinary moves we have ever seen in this country were announced through Robert Peston ’ s blog .
Incredibly , Matt Hancock also tried to set the record straight via an article for The Telegraph , which at first applied a paywall online .
All journalists appreciate the value of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is a useful tool .
But this is not the time .
Statements on Covid-19 must be attributable and reliable .
It has taken pressure by Labour and high-profile figures for the government to agree to daily press conferences from now on .
The Budget , delivered only on Wednesday , seems such a long time ago .
That is partly because the coronavirus policies put forward look even more pitiful now that we see what other European countries are doing .
In Denmark , the government brought together trade unions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as businesses , and agreed to compensate wages .
Unions here have called for a similar taskforce but this has been ignored by Boris Johnson , who still isn ’ t inviting London mayor Sadiq Khan to COBRA meetings .
Jeremy Corbyn has issued demands – including rent deferrals , mortgage holidays , an increase in statutory sick pay – that are not just reasonable but essential .
While the Labour Party has been willing to criticise the government approach to communications and called for additional policies , it has steered clear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The party does not want to be seen to be ‘ playing politics ’ with such a serious issue .
And yet there are serious concerns that the most at-risk groups are not being protected , and people are not being told that about the risk of asymptomatic people transmitting the virus .
We should note that it is difficult to hold the government to account on its strategy when it is so unclear .
‘ Herd immunity ’ was described as an aim by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was also briefed to the press .
However , after much criticism , they are now saying it was never a goal but simply a consequence that could bring benefits .
The government was slow to move initially , and it is still handling this crisis poorly .
Nobody should be afraid to call this out .

By the end of the week, there is set to be a UK ban on mass gatherings. Within 20 days, those over 70 and/or with pre-existing medical conditions will be told to self-isolate for four months. Up to 80% of the UK population are to be infected over the next 12 months, which means up to 7.9 million may require hospitalisation. Most frontline NHS staff won’t be tested for Covid-19 even if they have symptoms. Councils will be allowed to lower standards in care homes. Measures will be taken to speed up funerals. Police will be given extra powers to detain infected people. And on it goes. These reports have not come from the government directly to the public, but through leaked information (here and here) and background briefings to journalists (here and here).
This mishandling of communications during a public health crisis does not only have consequences for accountability. As a result of this information vacuum, it appears many are either unclear on the severity of the pandemic and therefore doing nothing to change their behaviour, or they are worried and panic-buying. The attitude taken by No 10 promotes individualism that completely goes against its professed aim of protecting the most vulnerable, who need leaders to be promoting community-based solutions as well as the fast implementation of radical policies.
The government’s shambolic communications approach was typified when plans for some of the most extraordinary moves we have ever seen in this country were announced through Robert Peston’s blog. Incredibly, Matt Hancock also tried to set the record straight via an article for The Telegraph, which at first applied a paywall online. All journalists appreciate the value of being told things ‘on background’ – it is a useful tool. But this is not the time. Statements on Covid-19 must be attributable and reliable. It has taken pressure by Labour and high-profile figures for the government to agree to daily press conferences from now on.
The Budget, delivered only on Wednesday, seems such a long time ago. That is partly because the coronavirus policies put forward look even more pitiful now that we see what other European countries are doing. In Denmark, the government brought together trade unions and employers, to protect workers as well as businesses, and agreed to compensate wages. Unions here have called for a similar taskforce but this has been ignored by Boris Johnson, who also hasn’t been inviting London mayor Sadiq Khan to COBRA meetings. Jeremy Corbyn has issued demands – including rent deferrals, mortgage holidays, an increase in statutory sick pay – that are not just reasonable but essential.
While the Labour Party has been willing to criticise the government approach to communications and called for additional policies, it has steered clear of publicly finding fault with the core strategy. The party does not want to be seen to be ‘playing politics’ with such a serious issue. And yet there are serious concerns that the most at-risk groups are not being protected, and people are not being told that about the risk of asymptomatic people transmitting the virus.
We should note that it is difficult to hold the government to account on its strategy when it is so unclear. ‘Herd immunity’ was described as an aim by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance on BBC Radio 4 on Friday, and this was also briefed to the press. However, after much criticism, they are now saying it was never a goal but simply a consequence that could bring benefits. The government was slow to move initially, and it is still handling this crisis poorly. Nobody should be afraid to call this out.


labourlist--2020-03-16--With coronavirus, trust matters. When people are afraid, things go wrong

Coronavirus is an unprecedented medical , scientific and economic challenge .
It is also the first global health crisis Britain has faced in an age of social media in which misinformation can spread as fast as the virus itself .
Last month , as the crisis hit China , the director of the World Health Organisation warned of a “ misinfodemic ” and launched a platform to channel information and advice out to the world .
In a vacuum people take action to protect themselves and their families but it can make things worse .
The public stand ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they need the knowledge and power to do the right thing .
This weekend , the government got this wrong .
On Friday morning , the chief scientific advisor toured TV studios explaining why mass events would go ahead .
By evening , the government was briefing that they wouldn ’ t .
Off the record briefings to journalists , advice from the Health Secretary that was hidden behind a paywall and a Friday night press release highlighting that police and immigration officials will have powers to arrest and detain people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters .
When people are afraid , things go wrong .
Statements about quarantine for older people have made many people feel stigmatised .
In the information vacuum supermarket shelves have emptied , parents are considering taking children out of school and families are left unclear about whether to visit older relatives or stay away .
We need a reset .
In South Korea , which is reporting a stabilising trend , the foreign minister cites transparency and public confidence as the key to getting control of a public health crisis .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overdue .
It is right that the government has now agreed to publish the basis of the advice it is giving , and this must happen sooner rather than later .
Government websites need to provide more help for individuals , sectors need a dedicated unit to contact for advice , we need a public advertising campaign – at least comparable to the £104m campaign to prepare for Brexit – and , most of all , we need a clear and comprehensive plan for how to manage the biggest social upheaval since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers ’ taskforce to deal with the unresolved problems that force people into work when sick .
Statutory sick pay is just £18 a day , two million workers are ineligible and too many people work in key industries like home care that have been outsourced and face huge pressure to turn up to work to care for older people who are more at risk .
We need the equivalent of a Marshall Plan for our older people .
This weekend over-70s were told they may need to self-isolate for up to four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country already dealing with a loneliness epidemic .
Funding for charities to extend their outreach work , the use of technology to battle isolation and ensure people have the food and care they need , and a whole community response that brings together local leaders to identify and support people at risk in their communities is now a priority .
Our NHS will not cope without real resources for social care to keep people out of hospital – but in the Budget last week not a single new penny was announced for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting the £4.4bn shortfall in funding as a minimum .
We need a detailed NHS plan to ensure we have the equipment and emergency care beds we need .
This crisis has thrown a spotlight on a country that lacks the resilience to respond rapidly to a public health crisis .
After a decade of underfunding for public services we are short of critical care beds and ventilators .
Our workforce is burnt out .
A million people are on zero-hour contracts and too many families do not have the support , savings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with this level of disruption .
We need to learn these lessons fast .
We are only as strong as our must vulnerable .
We can raise our sights and our standards and call people forward to aid in the national effort .
And we will defeat this together , but to do it requires the courage and humility to admit where we have all got this wrong and work together to set it right .

Coronavirus is an unprecedented medical, scientific and economic challenge. It is also the first global health crisis Britain has faced in an age of social media in which misinformation can spread as fast as the virus itself. Last month, as the crisis hit China, the director of the World Health Organisation warned of a “misinfodemic” and launched a platform to channel information and advice out to the world. In a vacuum people take action to protect themselves and their families but it can make things worse. The public stand ready to help and will act responsibly, but they need the knowledge and power to do the right thing.
This weekend, the government got this wrong. On Friday morning, the chief scientific advisor toured TV studios explaining why mass events would go ahead. By evening, the government was briefing that they wouldn’t. Off the record briefings to journalists, advice from the Health Secretary that was hidden behind a paywall and a Friday night press release highlighting that police and immigration officials will have powers to arrest and detain people who are sick have undermined public confidence.
Trust matters. When people are afraid, things go wrong. Statements about quarantine for older people have made many people feel stigmatised. In the information vacuum supermarket shelves have emptied, parents are considering taking children out of school and families are left unclear about whether to visit older relatives or stay away. We need a reset.
In South Korea, which is reporting a stabilising trend, the foreign minister cites transparency and public confidence as the key to getting control of a public health crisis. A daily press conference from government is long overdue. It is right that the government has now agreed to publish the basis of the advice it is giving, and this must happen sooner rather than later.
Government websites need to provide more help for individuals, sectors need a dedicated unit to contact for advice, we need a public advertising campaign – at least comparable to the £104m campaign to prepare for Brexit – and, most of all, we need a clear and comprehensive plan for how to manage the biggest social upheaval since the war. This must include a COVID-19 workers’ taskforce to deal with the unresolved problems that force people into work when sick. Statutory sick pay is just £18 a day, two million workers are ineligible and too many people work in key industries like home care that have been outsourced and face huge pressure to turn up to work to care for older people who are more at risk.
We need the equivalent of a Marshall Plan for our older people. This weekend over-70s were told they may need to self-isolate for up to four months. This has major implications in a country already dealing with a loneliness epidemic. Funding for charities to extend their outreach work, the use of technology to battle isolation and ensure people have the food and care they need, and a whole community response that brings together local leaders to identify and support people at risk in their communities is now a priority.
Our NHS will not cope without real resources for social care to keep people out of hospital – but in the Budget last week not a single new penny was announced for social care. We must commit to meeting the £4.4bn shortfall in funding as a minimum. We need a detailed NHS plan to ensure we have the equipment and emergency care beds we need.
This crisis has thrown a spotlight on a country that lacks the resilience to respond rapidly to a public health crisis. After a decade of underfunding for public services we are short of critical care beds and ventilators. Our workforce is burnt out. A million people are on zero-hour contracts and too many families do not have the support, savings, or resilience they need to cope with this level of disruption.
We need to learn these lessons fast. We are only as strong as our most vulnerable. We can raise our sights and our standards and call people forward to aid in the national effort. And we will defeat this together, but to do it requires the courage and humility to admit where we have all got this wrong and work together to set it right.