Covid-19 comment: Winter will be 'catastrophic' without strong leadership
12 October 2020
Dr Mark Shanahan, Head of the Department of Politics & International Relations at the University of Reading, said:
"The government is now forced to face the reaction to lifting the lockdown a little too soon and a little too widely in the summer. It has struggled to get out from under a reputation of dither, of a very selective response to the science, and of an unwillingness to be open and honest around bad news while ideologically always leaning towards economic recovery over public health.
"In relation to implementing further restrictions, what we also see is a government that is equivocal at best around devolution, and unskilled in working with devolved political partners such as the devolved nations and the metro and regional mayors.
"This winter is going to be exceedingly tough. The prime minister and his team have to ensure it is not catastrophic. That means strong and decisive leadership - working with local experts not preaching empty words at them and forcing unevidenced restrictions on them."