A Breath of Fresh Air

I’m a creature of habit. We eat our evening meal at 6.00 pm, and if I’m cooking I listen to pm on radio 4. Sometimes it’s interesting, sometimes it drives me mad, but it’s mostly an informative accompaniment, and occasionally an inspiration. This week what struck me was not a big, dramatic story, but a small snippet which some would regard as a filler.

As the Hallett inquiry moved into gear, they interviewed a Swedish politician about the approach they had taken - a shorter, quicker inquiry which meant that they are currently considering how to take action to prepare for the next pandemic that might strike.

I though it was riveting. A calm, intelligent professional, mapping out alternatives which could lead to intelligent action as a result of which people would be safer and less likely to die. And I thought, when’s the last time I heard a cabinet minister sounding like that? We get tons of posturing, grabbing headlines, provoking reactions, but hardly any evidence of serious government in actin - doing the business, making things work. Whether or not Labour will be able to provide more regular instances of this only time will tell, but in their current state of disarray we’re unlikely o see it from the Conservatives.