From the council: No going back to ‘normal’

In between Dominic’s comings and goings, flip-flop after outright lie, cover-ups and backpedals from this government, this pandemic has exposed:

The interconnectedness of us all; The ineptitude and callousness of Boris and his gang; The need for a wholesale re-evaluation and restructure of our political, economic and social system.

The compassion and resilience of Brent has been heartwarming to see, and shows what we are about. The same cannot be said of this government, dithering their way through briefings, scandals and running away from a death toll of 45,000 and counting.

But the issue is not just incompetence on behalf of this government. It goes deeper than that. It is the injustices ingrained within this system, which needs a radical overhaul.

A system in which children go to sleep hungry is not just. A system which requires the government to be shamed into providing meals for them, over summer, is not just. (Salute, Marcus Rashford!)

A system which claps for carers, whilst denying them pay rises, is not just.

A system which cuts funding for its national health service, then opens the door for it to be sold off, is not just.

A system which has cut services for the poor and vulnerable, and then expects the poor and vulnerable, to die for the sake of share prices, is not just.

A system which doesn’t understand the language of hunger and poverty; which speaks and understands only the language of profit and greed, is not just; not fit for purpose; not acceptable.

So, on top of the ruins of this uncaring and failed system, we must build a system for those who really run this country; the carers, the teachers, the nurses, the bus drivers, the cleaners, the doctors, and all others on the front line.

What about those at the top: big business and the super rich? Don’t worry, they can play their part too - by bringing back all their money held in offshore bank accounts, and paying their tax. Oh and I am sure we can find them a £10-off voucher at Nandos.