Without trust, societies are vulnerable to forces that will pull them apart just when they should be at their most united
Boris Johnson this week attempted to palm off responsibility for imposing unpopular lockdowns to curb the spread of Covid-19 on to northern English politicians, without adequate compensation. He was wrong to do so. The chaotic responses and blame games have, perhaps permanently, exacerbated divisions in society. The prime minister’s emollience before the cameras on Friday is therefore welcome. Controlling the pandemic needs the public to have faith in the authorities and each other.
Having won power as a populist, maybe Mr Johnson thinks there is political advantage in chaos. But the prime minister cannot afford to lose support in the former “red wall” of traditional Labour seats that voted Conservative in last year’s election. These seats are the key to Mr Johnson’s political survival and events this week risk branding the Tories as being indifferent to the plight of the country’s former industrial heartlands.
