Crisis shows how vital it is to look out for each other

THE impact of coronavirus has, among many other things, shown us the importance of our local community. I’ve joined the Govan version of Glasgow Mutual Aid and countless other networks are being set up with friends, neighbours and local businesses looking out for each other.

Third sector organisations like the Glasgow Southwest Foodbank in my Govan ward are facing huge logistical challenges, but people are rallying round to do what they can. In all this adversity, we have a chance to show that the values of compassion, solidarity and mutual care are what really matters at a time like this.

There is a role for all of us in helping to support friends, family and communities and local councillors can help support and amplify that work. For elected politicians it’s also a challenge to work together as never before.

The council has drawn up plans to focus on essential services such as cleaners, refuse workers, education and social care. Museums, sports centres and community buildings are being shut down, local surgeries and community councils have been cancelled and councillors are urged to work from home.

It’s clear that we must do all we can to ensure the smooth running of our vital council services, alongside providing the best support for our workforce and ensuring all Glaswegians are assisted through this.

To deal with urgent business, a scaled-down Emergency City Administration Committee will be established, representing all the main groups on the Council. In a time of crisis it’s right that we pull together and there’s been a thawing of even the bitterest political rivalries in the past week.

That doesn’t mean scrutiny should stop of course. This is a fast-moving situation and even the First Minister has acknowledged that decisions which are made at pace may not always be the right ones. We may have to learn as we go.

So it’s vital elected politicians continue to examine the detail of what’s proposed, ask questions for more clarity, and put forward alternatives where we think they can make improvements.

Locally and nationally, Greens have been calling for action to protect the most vulnerable and those whose incomes are most at risk from coronavirus. We’ve been leading calls for a universal basic income, for rent holidays, for a block on people being evicted from their homes, and we’re supporting calls for action on council tax and other bills.

These are all areas where we think the emergency legislation being taken through the Scottish and UK parliaments should be strengthened.

There will clearly need to be lessons learned from this crisis. Already it has shown what some have been saying for a long time, that many current systems do not provide an adequate safety net. The crisis has also shown glimpses of a society where we can better look out for each other and support our most vulnerable. There’s clearly a debate for another day on how we can best redesign our economy to achieve this. But if we pull together now we can set in train a movement that can lead to a better, fairer society in the years to come.