Looking for the silver lining that must come after the Covid cloud

CAN any good come out of a pandemic that has claimed more than 100,000 lives in Britain and countless hundreds of thousands more around the world?

The same question could have been asked in Britain after World War II. And while no one would want the deaths and the anguish of a world war or a global pandemic, some of the changes – in society and in public services – that followed the Allied defeat of Hitler in 1945 could not, arguably, have happened if it had not been for the conflict which preceded them.

The same may prove to be true of the coronavirus pandemic, with a long list emerging of things that need to change, once we have brought the virus under control.

They might owe their introduction to the pandemic, although it’s worrying to think we need such a spur to improve society.

After the war, voters chose not to give Conservative Winston Churchill a chance to re-build the nation. His work, as the leader of a wartime coalition, was seen to be done. Clement Attlee instead led Labour to a huge victory. As former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt conceded yesterday, it was that government which, in 1948, introduced the National Health Service, one of the UK’s greatest postwar changes. Britain, Mr Hunt suggested, can have another “1948 moment” in rebuilding the country after Covid-19. A focus on healthcare should again be the priority, given what coronavirus has taught us. The lessons are not just about tackling a novel virus that spreads like wildlife, but also reveal the preparedness – or lack of it – of the general population who need to be strong enough to fight off a potentially deadly disease.

The rebuilding after World War II was not only about the creation of the NHS, however. And when the vaccination programme has, hopefully, removed a significant element of risk from all our lives, there are other issues that need urgently to be addressed if we are to – in the words of the Prime Minister – build back better.

That includes the all-important investment here in the South West, not just for the benefit of the region, its businesses and the people who live here, but also so that the region can play its part in boosting Britain.

It is always worth reminding ourselves that great public services, like the NHS, need to be funded through taxes paid by private individuals and businesses. Without a thriving private sector, the public sector cannot function and provide the safety net that we all need.

That is why campaigns like Back the Great South West are so important. They set out what needs to happen to encourage business growth, boost employment and lift up a region to achieve its true potential. We have, over many years, had that potential held back in the Westcountry. The Great South West campaign calls for the removal of barriers.

We are pushing at an open door. Boris Johnson has already made the promises; now he needs to follow through.

Britain and the Westcountry can have its post-Covid “1948 moment” – and the South West can and must play its part.