The A-Z blogging challenge is quite straightforward, blog everyday in April, except Sundays, with subjects that follow the alphabet. It’s all a bit of fun. My subject is ‘A month in lock down’.
P is for politics. These are strange times in British politics, indeed they are strange times in many countries in the world. After three years of wrangling about the Brexit vote we find ourselves dealing with a pandemic crisis, the effects of which we will feel for many years to come.
If ever there was a time for political stability then it is now. The 2019 general election certainly gives the impression of stability in that a majority government was elected yet this was on less than 44% of the votes cast which leads to significant dissatisfaction with the party in power. This is the way with our first past the post system of elections (FPTP).
But now is not the time for politics and point scoring, or is it?. We need to resolve the crisis caused by the spread of the virus and this leads me to two thoughts. Firstly the government’s decisions, which have huge ramifications, need to be scrutinised and held to account. Laws need to be reasonable and powers curtailed and this is the job of the opposition parties. Secondly, we need all of the talent at our disposal to thwart the disease and so a government of national unity would be preferable to bring politicians from all sides of the political divide together. After all, each party has access to and influence over different parts of the populace.
Instead we find ourselves without Parliament sitting. It was dissolved early for Easter though is due to go back in virtual form, from the 21st of this month. The new leader of the opposition is already putting pressure on the government to publish its exit plan from lockdown, if it has one, which is a good move along the lines of what I described above.
This pandemic is a health crisis and no doubt will lead to an economic crisis. What we don’t need is a political crisis on top of it all.
Stay safe.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 