The Aftermath of Covid-19: a 1945 moment?

In an excellent and thought provoking article, Teacher of Politics and History Simon Vincent, delves deeper into the impact of the pandemic and aims to give some context to the circumstances that we face today. 

As we near the 75^thAnniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day on 8^thMay 2020 we will hopefully also be seeing a slackening of the lockdown that we have all experienced as a result of the Covid 19 virus. The two events are linked inasmuch as World War 2 changed the very nature of the country, and the world, that we live in and Covid has the potential to do the same.

VE Day brought huge political, social and economic change to Britain and forced her to completely re-evaluate her place in the world. The stunning victory of Attlee’s Labour Party in the 1945 election was achieved with a huge wave of public hope that they would tackle the 5 great Evils identified in the 1942 Beveridge Report: Want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness. World War 1 is often held up as the first ‘democratic’ war fought by Britain but it seems more apposite to say that it was a war that drove the development of democracy rather than reflecting its influence. The Britain that experienced World War 2 was, from the start, a society of universal suffrage and the war affected almost every inhabitant of Britain in the way that World War 1 had not. The war was also a great leveler in society with rigid censorship replaced by more subtle appeals to summon the ‘Blitz Spirit’, the National Government which saw partisan politics suspended in the service of the greater good and with Lord and labourer alike being subject to rationing, enforced blackout and conscription into the Armed Forces. There was a widespread recognition that the county needed to do more for all of its citizens, that traditional class divisions should be challenged and that ‘public ownership not private monopoly’ should guide the actions of government. Britain was broken financially, its Empire was teetering on the brink and it owed huge sums of money in war debt. British politics could simply never be the same again. Internationally the rise of the United Nations, NATO (and its Communist doppelgänger the Warsaw Pact) and the economic bailouts given in Europe and Asia under Marshall Aid prompted the nations of the world to look beyond narrow, national interests for the solutions. Building upon the good work done by the League of Nations Commissions in the 1920s and 30s the new UN agencies like the World Health Organisation coordinated responses across the globe – if sometimes disrupted by the impositions of the Iron Curtain and subsequent Cold War.

The impact of the Covid 19 pandemic will not be assessed for many years but it, too, has profoundly changed both the domestic and international agenda. Emerging from a time of great political polarization over the last 3 or 4 years it seems likely that public may emerge from the present crisis with little patience for traditional party squabbling. Brexit looks like a shallow vanity-project compared to the huge problems posed by the virus and 10 years of ‘austerity’ look to have been short-sighted to say the least. Equally the petty pseudo-radicalism of North London Socialism look outdated and over-indulgent and I suspect that few will regret the departure of those policies along with their champion Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Leader. In addition to making the public quite rightly sit up and take notice of NHS workers (and mutter a quiet prayer of thanks that a health service free at the point of delivery was set up in this country nearly 70 years ago) Covid 19 has shone the spotlight on the small people: bin men, delivery drivers, vegetable-pickers, supermarket staff – in short many ‘unskilled’ workers who have been the powerless pawns of political machinations in recent months. Where would we all have been without the guys who make the toilet roll or delivered our milk, the lady on the till at Tesco or the Polish Amazon dispatcher? 

We will also live with the financial burden created by this crisis for a generation. The cost of the financial stimuli promised by central governments across the world is truly jaw-dropping and Rishi Sunak’s most welcome attempts to ameliorate the worst effects of financial damage have effectively put an end to the entire contents of his Budget issued as recently as March. Many businesses will have gone bust, many casual workers will be without wages (and thus a burden on the welfare state) and the housing market will inevitably stall. 

But let us look for the silver linings. Families have become closer, people are making their own bread. People volunteering and showing neighbourly spirit have far outnumbered  the hoarders and queue-bargers, pollution levels will inevitably have reduced and public appreciation of key workers has been expressed in public displays. 

In the Queen’s address to the nation on the 5^thApril I believe that the most important element was: “I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.” Her Majesty is right. We cannot define ourselves by our generations but only in how we react to adversity. The current generation of young people have been condemned for their profligacy, hedonism and lack of ‘backbone’ – yet how dare previous generations claim that they have lived through more difficult times? Many of the generation of young people who lived through WW2 had previously been maligned by their elders for the softness of their increasingly comfortable lives in the 1920s and 30s. When the war came many acted with grit and determination but many also tried to circumvent rationing, avoid conscription or simply not comply with official guidance. The WW2 generation were no less rebellious, questioning or prescient than us. They faced challenges with the same nervousness, fear and grumbling that we do now. What made them special was the tempering force of experience – just as it does to us now. Thankfully we are not forced to be conscripted in a war -we are just asked to be at home. This sounds easy but of course it is not. Conscription requires central organization and control – self isolation does not. The biggest battles we face are in our heads rather than outside.

From a personal point of view my hope is that the narrow nationalism and introspection of recent years is purged by this current health emergency. Looking out rather than in is a prerequisite of progress and even the most basic examination of History shows us the folly of introspection and isolation. No country alone can mend the damage done by this Covid 19 pandemic. It will take cooperation, communication and shared endeavour to get the country’s, and the world’s, economies and societies back on their feet. This will require responsible politicians to set aside their narrow or ideological agendas and work together for the greater good. Whether they will or not remains to be seen.

Hope in the Fog of the Pandemic

Here the Head of Politics, William Bridges, shares his thoughts on a surreal few days and why there may be glimmers of hope in the fog of the pandemic.

These truly are unprecedented, and yes, worrying times.

I remember telling the pupils just three weeks ago not to worry about the pandemic, "I remember the last pandemic of Swine Flu... I even caught it". Those days are long gone. 

Since we have been put into lockdown. You have to queue for a supermarket. The Queen delivered just her fourth address in time of crisis on Sunday, hours before Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital, before being moved to an ICU yesterday. Families separated and exams cancelled. The early Spring sunshine largely ignored.

The Queen alluded to the ‘spirit of the Blitz’, spoke of evacuation of the 1940s and invoked a wartime rallying cry from Vera Lynn. What times are these? 2020 being compared to 1940. Truly surreal. 

It can seem like the world that we once knew has gone forever, and that things might not be the same again.

Perhaps Britain’s political system is built for moments like these. The PM will be replaced by Dominic Raab, and for now, at least, the experts remain in charge. The flexibility guaranteed by our constitution means that the mechanism of governance keeps rolling, whoever is in charge. When our liberty is taken away the Prime Minister does it with a deep sense of regret, not glee. And that should give confidence at the strength of our power as People.

When we think that things are overwhelming and the world we once knew is slipping away, there is the Queen. For most people alive in the UK today the Queen has always been the Head of State. From Churchill to Johnson, the Queen has guided our leaders through some significant challenges from the Suez to Brexit and now the pandemic. Children, parents, grandparents, would have all sat down on Sunday and listened to the Queen speak, just like generations before.

Of course, the Queen is unelected. Perhaps when the crown is passed on to Prince Charles there may be increasing calls for Republicanism, but whilst the British people consent to the monarchy the monarchy will remain. And it has its benefits. There as a matriarch, the Queen is a valuable and experienced Head of State, above politics (above us all, really) and yet somehow familiar to us all. The unity created by a constitutional monarch, the ‘dignified’ part of our constitution can’t be overstated.

Her Majesty doesn't waste her words when she speaks. She's above politics but she is political and her words resonated with us all when she spoke on Sunday. 

This generation of British people today have taken to lockdown, committed to it in the national effort and have rallied in a manner many thought we perhaps would never be able to do to protect our loved ones and the most vulnerable in society. 

For a society and country so divided in the past, so cold and isolated, perhaps lockdown has bought us closer together. The collective challenge of overcoming Coronavirus is making us see the world differently. We speak more, connect more, we listen more. 

Maybe the world that we once knew has gone. But maybe we have the opportunity to move forward together to a better one. 

Taking a stand on the Climate Emergency

In this edition of the Cabinet, Harry C-S (D), speaks about his involvement in a recent ‘Climate Emergency’ discussion group that was chaired by North Dorset MP, Simon Hoare.

When we arrived, Mr Hoare was speaking to the group about the Climate Emergency and highlighting some of the ways in which we could make a difference. Following that, we all split up into different groups which were talking about different things, ‘Brave New World’, ‘The Cow in the Room’ (a discussion about emissions from agriculture), ‘Recycling is a way of life’, ‘Tell the Truth’ and ‘A Roof over our Heads’. The group we were involved in was ‘Tell the Truth’ which was discussing public awareness and education. In the group we talked about lots of different topics and tried to find a way forward. After 45 minutes we convened together, and a representative went up from each group and talked about what their group discussed. This was a particularly enjoyable part of the discussion and it was good to be able to speak on behalf of our group. Mr Hoare concluded by addressing the feedback before ending the discussion. 

Following on from this, I would certainly get involved in future discussions and the reason why is because it was interesting, and it also showed me how political discussions in a way work and how MPs react to the public’s views. It was very good to engage with the MP and others in the issue because I learnt lots of different people’s views and how the MP said he will respond to the different points and views. As a collective I feel like we in a way made a difference but only in the Dorset area, but it could help other parts of a country.  In a way feel I personally made a difference because I went up and spoke to the group, so I like to think I made a difference to an extent.

We are delighted that our pupils attended and demonstrates that although not old enough to vote, they aren’t too young to participate in democracy. Thanks goes to Mr Strongman for arranging the visit and taking the time to accompany the pupils.

The Speaker of the House of Commons

The role and influence of the Speaker of the House of Commons - Raphi D, A3

One of the most high profile roles in Parliament in the last few years has been the Speaker of the House, a position currently held by Lindsay Hoyle, but formerly John Bercow. Bercow has been involved in managing many of the legislative and procedural issues regarding Brexit. But what exactly does the Speaker of the House do, and how much does the role influence British politics?

Dating back to 1377, the role of the Speaker has been one of risk; between 1394-1535, seven Speakers were beheaded because they were blamed for presenting news the King did not like. After the civil war in the 1640’s, the role of Speaker was in need of reform, however not much was done about it until the appointment of Speaker Arthur Onslow in 1728. He begun to distance the role away from Government, and as a result the speaker is above the party today. 

The Speaker is one of the highest ranking politicians in the UK, but also one of the only people who must abide by certain requirements which affect no-one else. Speakers have to be non-partisan and can’t continue to support their former parties once elected. They can only vote when there is a tie between the ‘Ayes and Noes’, and usually they vote in order to encourage further debate. Their most imperative role, however, is to maintain order in the House and punish those who break the rules. 

Due to the uncodified constitution and the flexibility it guarantees, the past ten years have allowed Bercow to have a more controversial role than his predecessors – he has significantly contributed to the influence of backbench MPs, and had say on Brexit amendments. This significant contribution has conflicted with the non-partisan nature of the role, and caused many Brexiteers to become angered over his actions, claiming that he had shown his personal opinion on this matter and in fact halted the UK from leaving the EU.

The legacy of John Bercow will continue to prevail for many years to come, and like the British constitution, the role of the Speaker will continue to evolve. However, the unprecedented nature of British politics, paired with the ongoing Brexit negotiations, simply that the role of Speaker will continue to come under scrutiny from ministers and MPs. There is a question of whether or not the new speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, will try and influence the way Parliament is run, rather than manage it; the fact that Bercow was speaker for ten years un-opposed implies that he became comfortable in his position; which allowed him the opportunity take risks. Lindsay Hoyle will not have this advantage so soon, and his actions in response to amendments to the Brexit deal will have a huge impact on the lives and welfare of British citizens for the next thirty years. 

Welcome!

Welcome to Bryanston's first dedicated Politics blog.

Following the successful publication of The Cabinet in School, we thought it time to share the amazing content that our pupils produce with as wide an audience as possible.

For articles on the British Constitution, to the role of NATO and the UN, to election predictions and Politics lessons from our Politics Ambassadors, this Blog will cover all of your politics needs.

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The Politics Department