VE Day 75 coronavirus lockdown we must move forward
VE Day, UK was broke, Europe was broke. Had useless prat George Osborne been Chancellor, we would have had austerity for 75 years. Instead we invested, rebuilt UK, rebuilt Europe.
Following the euphoria and celebrations of VE Day, VJ Day was yet to come, a more low key event, life was tough, rationing did not end until 1954. And we should not forget the role played by the Commonwealth. Nevertheless what followed, creation of the Welfare State, NHS, free secondary schools, school leaving age raised to 15, nationalisation of key industries, coal, steel, railways.
The desire was to create a fairer more just society.
During WWII we knew who the enemy was, we had weapons to fight. With covid-19, we know who the enemy is, but the enemy is invisible, a silent killer, we have no weapons with which to fight.
Post-Pandemic we are heading for the worst economic collapse since the South Sea Bubble.
We therefore do the same, we rebuild, not by going backwards. After VE Day, we did not go back to the 1930s, we moved forward.
We therefore must do the same. We do not bailout out dirty industries, we do not bail out tax dodging conman like Richard Branson.
We bail out people, local indie businesses, not global corporations, we fund a Green New Deal.
Strategic sectors we bail out through acquisition of a controlling share.
Minimum bailout conditions: no use of offshore tax havens, zero carbon by 2035.
Denmark, Hungary, France and Canada will not bailout tax dodgers.
There can be no return to normal as normal was not normal.
We hear birdsong, our streets are traffic free, cities centres pollution free. We have learnt we do not have to engage in pointless consumerism, visit ghastly shopping malls.
As we slowly relax lockdown, indie coffee shops first, we allow them to spread out into the street, improve the ambience of the street, the norm in Athens, people can social distance, safeguarding staff and customers.
But it needs worthless council jobsworths to engage their brains, act on behalf of local businesses, the local community. When a coffee shop in Lincoln asked of Lincolnshire County Council they were met with an emphatic no. That is how much they care about the local environment and helping local businesses back on their feet.
We need to develop Doughnut Economics for every city, every sector.
Amsterdam working with Kate Raworth has developed Doughnut Economics Amsterdam. A rough draft has been drawn up for Cyprus, Doughnut Economics Cyprus, focusing on the tourist sector.
