By Emily O'Hara and Edited by Tom Guyton-Day
Credit: United Nations
Let me get one thing straight before we dive in: I voted for Corbyn, and genuinely cried when he didn’t get the top job. I’ve always had deep-rooted reservations about the Conservative Government and find what they stand for somewhat disagreeable. I’ve watched the country go from Cameron to Johnson, and through Brexit, in despair. I did however like Theresa May - as a woman, I felt she got a lot more stick than she would have had she been a man when all she was trying to do was get the country through a mess that her predecessor created - but that’s by the by.
I’m here to tell you today, that no, I won’t be voting for Boris or whomever stands in his place at the next election - despite my opinion of the Conservatives being elevated of late, I’d still rather die. I won’t gloss over the fact that this government did have many failures when it came to the pandemic, such as a lack of PPE, a delayed lockdown and the missing of five cobra meetings from Boris Johnson. We have the highest death toll in Europe, which devastates me to the core. This being said, I have been impressed by several of the moves this Government has made when it comes to the coronavirus. I have always expected the worst from this Government, and maybe that is me being prejudiced against a Government I didn’t vote for, which is an attitude I am trying to shed.
Let’s not also forget the whole Cummings fiasco. By refusing to reprimand his failure to adhere to the lockdown guidelines, a bad message was sent to the public, and it made a mockery of the system put in place. However, I implore you keep reading to find out what I think they did well, and why I’m trying to get over my predisposed political ideals in order to accept things that the Conservatives have excelled at during this unprecedented time as I strive to appreciate the views of others whose ideals might oppose mine .
Let’s start at the very first broadcast by the big man himself, Boris Johnson. For weeks we had been heading towards lockdown, and the news headlines had been corona-centred already for quite some time. I remember feeling the terror, the “oh my God, this is actually happening”, when I watched the broadcast with my family. While I personally feel the quality of the lockdown guidance has deteriorated a little since the lifting has begun, this first broadcast was very explicit, clear and concise.
What you could and couldn’t do was simplistically laid out, so the viewers felt little uncertainty as to what their duty was as citizens. Having police enforce the rules was a commendable move, especially as it's no secret that conspiracists and misinformation spread on social media like wildfire and left some of the public questioning the severity of the pandemic. Personally, I felt no uncertainty whatsoever with regards to what I was permitted to do after that first broadcast, and found the fact that the initial lockdown was very strict reassuring.
Similarly, the initial sloganizing of the rules, “Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives” was drummed into our brains as a nation, heard on the radios and television, and this achieved a great effect. This brief, strong, mantra was carried by British people each day, and backed up the points Johnson made during his initial address to the public excellently.
Similarly, the initial sloganizing of the rules, “Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives” was drummed into our brains as a nation, heard on the radios and television, and this achieved a great effect. This brief, strong, mantra was carried by British people each day, and backed up the points Johnson made during his initial address to the public excellently.
While many have argued lockdown was delayed, it really wasn’t delayed for as long as I feared it would be. As a Labour voter, I was pleasantly surprised by this initial message to the public, and that the rules were laid down swiftly.
The Tories also exceeded my expectations with the financial help available - the furlough scheme, at 80% of your average salary, while not perfect was definitely more aid than I would have predicted for some workers. The small business loans, as well, were generous - my partner’s property management business was saved by these. We would have not made it through the pandemic without the aforementioned loans, and for that I am eternally grateful.
While I believe that messages in recent weeks have become increasingly unclear, and that compulsory masks in shops would have been more helpful in the middle of the pandemic, the Government have also surprised me with things like eat out to help out - things like this, to boost the economy and help the average household save money, is a very clever scheme.
The Tories also exceeded my expectations with the financial help available - the furlough scheme, at 80% of your average salary, while not perfect was definitely more aid than I would have predicted for some workers. The small business loans, as well, were generous - my partner’s property management business was saved by these. We would have not made it through the pandemic without the aforementioned loans, and for that I am eternally grateful.
While I believe that messages in recent weeks have become increasingly unclear, and that compulsory masks in shops would have been more helpful in the middle of the pandemic, the Government have also surprised me with things like eat out to help out - things like this, to boost the economy and help the average household save money, is a very clever scheme.
One thing I am very pleased the Government is doing, taking lead from other European countries, is the testing of sewage in England to predict localised outbreaks. This is probably one of the most efficient methods of tracking virus hotspots and a really great means of getting ahead of a flare-up of cases, which could end up saving lives.
Finally - the localised lockdowns. I am thrilled that they have done this where necessary. This minimises both the further spread of the virus and country-wide economic damage, and I commend them for doing this, seemingly just as cases are rising. This is an excellent way to cope with smaller, local spikes in cases.
So, there you have it - I’m a lifelong Labour voter, and I know in my bones I always will be. While this Government definitely hasn’t handled things perfectly, I do doubt any Government could have done - although Jacinda Ardern certainly managed to come damn close. They’ve done many things I didn’t agree with whilst handling this unique global situation but have definitely impressed me at times too. I myself have learnt that maybe the world isn’t split into good people and Tories after all, and will be approaching politics with a more open mind in the future.
Finally - the localised lockdowns. I am thrilled that they have done this where necessary. This minimises both the further spread of the virus and country-wide economic damage, and I commend them for doing this, seemingly just as cases are rising. This is an excellent way to cope with smaller, local spikes in cases.
So, there you have it - I’m a lifelong Labour voter, and I know in my bones I always will be. While this Government definitely hasn’t handled things perfectly, I do doubt any Government could have done - although Jacinda Ardern certainly managed to come damn close. They’ve done many things I didn’t agree with whilst handling this unique global situation but have definitely impressed me at times too. I myself have learnt that maybe the world isn’t split into good people and Tories after all, and will be approaching politics with a more open mind in the future.
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