An illustration of just how limited our democratic space has become
With Kier Starmer's press conference on October 13 the consensus that accompanied the first lockdown has officially broken down. In addition there is widespread talk of Covid-fatigue at the same time as some recognition that it is multi-faceted Note: Covid Fatigue . One might expect northern (Labour) mayors to challenge central government for bypassing them, but at the same time we have Jake Berry MP for Rossendale and Darwen setting up a “trade union” of 27 conservative MPs as the Northern Research Group Note: Northern Opposition .
In this piece I look at track and trace through the lens of a politics that the state is a human activity system operating for the benefit of its citizens
As we enter a second phase of the Covid-19 pandemic we can reflect on how the 6 months between April through September have been used. In June reporting the end of the Ebola outbreak the WHO stated
“As countries around the world face the COVID-19 pandemic, the DRC Ebola response provides valuable lessons. Many of the public health measures that have been successful in stopping Ebola are the same measures that are now essential for stopping COVID-19: finding, isolating, testing, and caring for every case and relentless contact tracing.” Note: WHO Ebola Outbreak Over (my emphasis)
A pandemic requires a government response that is neither partisan nor ideological. Whatever our individual political allegiances good governance is the common denominator on which we all depend and in the expectation of which we pay our taxes.
Envisaging what a working Track, Trace and Quarantine system would look like and how it could be brought into being highlights what is wrong with the governance that our current political system delivers. Our political system isn’t just ineffective, it is structurally incapable of delivering good governance. It is not actually very democratic, it is overcentralized, hostile to participation, combative and ineffective What we are experiencing is far removed from good governance, it shows up in a very poor light how destructive and combative the political process has become and how restricted is the space for discussion – we seem to have lost the ability to imagine what good looks like and act accordingly.
The outline of the Track Trace and Quarantine system I imagine and describe requires a more sophisticated partnership between central and local efforts Note: My Qualifications . Doing it this way also answers the legitimate challenge made of critics; so, what would you do?