Vital to get virus truth
After weeks of stonewalling Boris Johnson has finally agreed to an independent inquiry into the response to the coronavirus outbreak.
What the Prime Minister did not spell out is when this investigation will take place or how it will be conducted.
There are already fears the Government will kick the issue into the long grass to avoid being held to account for missteps that left the UK with one of the highest death tolls in the world.
A toothless inquiry held months down the track may spare the Government’s blushes but it will defeat the purpose of a review.
In medicine it is accepted practice that you re-examine every decision to see how you can learn from your mistakes. The same philosophy should apply to politics.
This is all the more important when there is a genuine risk of a second wave of infections and we urgently need to learn the lessons from the initial response to the outbreak.
That requires an inquiry now, not at a time which is politically convenient for the PM.
Help our kids
There is growing evidence that children have become the invisible victims of the Covid-19 crisis.
A report by ITV’s Tonight programme this evening reveals how many young people have struggled during lockdown with mental health problems and loneliness.
At the height of the crisis the priority was protecting people’s health. The attention now is on helping the economy rebound.
But we should not overlook the plight of the next generation. We need an action plan to support them in these challenging times.
Early goal
Congratulations to Marcus Rashford on becoming the youngest recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester.
The football star is now in an even better position to lecture the Government on the need to tackle child poverty.
