No.195 - The UK Announces 100,000 COVID Deaths

Dear James,

A year ago, few, even in their worst nightmares, would have foreseen that the UK would reach 100,000 Covid deaths in less than twelve months. Since then, in disbelief, we have watched, numbers climbing exponentially until yesterday they reached that appalling landmark. As a number, it is difficult for those not affected directly, to grasp their meaning. Today however, the television and newspapers are attempting to put it into human terms by profiling particular families. The BBC is running a continuous gallery of victims with short biographies. Yesterday we saw on tv, a 55 year old man explaining to camera how he was suffering. His eyes flickered in frustrated pain as he struggled to communicate with the world. His sentences came in small gasps, straining for each breath as the medical tubes and pipes criss-crossed his face like railway lines at Clapham Junction. The interviewer explained how his daughter had been with him that morning but had had to go back to work, saying she would see him later. ‘His daughter never saw him again. He died later that day.’ said the interviewer. It was shocking and powerful but it allowed us to share just a fraction of that man’s final turmoil. His ‘number’ became real for the rest of us.

I have friends in places like Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the USA. Most are at this moment looking at our nation with incredulity. New Zealand has had 26 deaths. Australia has had 909. South Korea 1378. Only my American friends can understand the true meaning of 100,000. They passed that number months ago but they have had Trump, their blatantly negligent and blind ex-President to blame: but how could it happen in the UK? I shall not intrude on private grief and state the obvious. 

The UK is fifth in the world in terms of absolute numbers of Covid deaths. Only the USA, India and Brazil and Mexico are ahead of us. But in terms of a more accurate comparison - deaths per 100,000 - only Belgium was ahead of us in mid-January with 179 deaths compared with our 139 per 100K. The USA was 123, Brazil 101 and Germany 60. However we look at the figures, our performance has been disastrous. We have heard all the excuses, seen all the Tory propaganda but it is clear that our government is split between its libertarian wing and its practical wing. Boris sits between the two unable to make up his mind. Confused, dilatory, he has been unable to show real leadership. 

Yesterday evening, Boris appeared at the Downing Street Press Conference looking flustered and harried. He was wearing the mask of contrition and said he was "deeply sorry for every life lost". When a journalist asked if some of the 100,000 deaths were avoidable, he said ‘We have done everything in our power to prevent these deaths”. Everything we could do but always late, always dithering, always trying to create this false balance between the economy and health. And even as he was speaking the government was still dithering trying to decide whether to put strict hotel quarantine requirements on anyone coming into the country or to restrict the measure only to those countries that have the dangerous variant strains of the virus? No surprise then that Mrs Patel has plumped for the latter. The loopholes are everywhere. Too little too late as usual. The story goes from bad to worse. 

This morning, the inimitably dreadful Mr Jenrick, under a goulash of mellifluous insouciance and suave imperturbability, told us that "There wasn't a textbook" on dealing with Covid. Of course there wasn’t Mr. Jenrick. But there wasn’t one for New Zealand, Australia, South Korea or Taiwan. They had bold, decisive leadership. That is the difference between them and us.

James, even as I write, you’re probably penning your own defence of your government’s failure for your website. I will not hold my breath. It will probably be full of the usual bromides and false perspectives only to be expected of a Tory MP from a deep blue constituency. I just hope however, that somewhere beneath your careful words, there may lurk the remains of a heart that knows the difference between success and failure, truth and lies, right and wrong. I suspect however, that I am expecting too much.

BH – Your Concerned Constituent.