Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Editor's Choice

Covid-19: A wake-up call

BMJ 2020; 369 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2021 (Published 21 May 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;369:m2021

Rapid Response:

Nil Carborundum! Almost everybody agrees with you.

Dear Editor

A healthy diversity of views and untrammelled discourse is essential in any decent society. The editorial scepticism directed toward the current UK government does, I believe, reflect a general consensus view - both public and professional - and no hint of an apology is required. Supporting a government that has so conspicuously and horrendously failed the nation, no matter how frenetic their post hoc gyrations, would be a mistake.

Pandemics are foreseeable and foreseen.

This source shows that there is no shortage of educational attainment around the cabinet table but only one degree in the STEM field amongst the whole lot - a grave deficiency in the 21st century. Unfortunately, for us all, the possession of a degree does not confer the necessary mindset to handle complex technical matters and a pandemic is a technical matter par excellence. Receiving advice is not the same as knowing how to use it intelligently.

On current evidence it is reasonable to assert that this Tory government and its immediate predecessors have demonstrated unequivocal maladministration, negligence and incompetence resulting in the largest loss of life in peacetime for a century, for which they must collectively bear direct and personal responsibility. No amount of misdirection of public attention to scientific advice received, referencing of ideological idées fixes, pleas of national poverty, lack of clear advance warning, simple force majeure or act of God will suffice as exculpation.

The Tories have been in office for more than a decade and have so damaged our country in that time that many tens of thousands of avoidable deaths are directly attributable to their acts and omissions. No other UK government has precipitated a reduction in life expectancy. The pandemic is not the only cause of excess deaths. There is no one else in the dock to share responsibility.

The central conceit in the Tory mindset is that a low tax, low regulation, small government posture is an intelligent or practical approach to government in the 21st century. This Tory approach is, in fact, a purposive abdication from the central responsibilities of government - to govern for the benefit of all. Laissez faire neocon free market ideology is no adequate substitute for effective government. Corralling a population without adequate regulatory safeguards in an economic free fire zone is unforgivably barbarous.

Modern, first world countries, like the UK, are terrifyingly expensive to run properly. Positing, as a policy virtue, not raising and spending the sums required to achieve a decent, equitable, educated, healthy, harmonious, productive, peaceful and orderly civil society is simply culpable idiocy of a very high order and, in our current predicament, the direct cause of death for many of our fellow citizens.

Aux armes citoyens!

Steve Ford

Competing interests: No competing interests

23 May 2020
Steven Ford
Retired GP
Dr
Five Stones