Record View says the inquiry report does not feel like justice for those who suffered the most.
The sudden and traumatic upheaval of the first national lockdown in March 2020 is an experience none would ever wish to repeat.
We were told at the time there was no alternative to shops closing, schools shutting their doors and everyday activities being brought to a halt. Lockdown was portrayed as something we were in together – in reality, the poorest and most socially isolated paid the highest costs.
Those stuck in small one-bedroom flats with no garden had to follow the same suffocatingly restrictive rules as those living in spacious detached houses.
And yet, as the UK Covid Inquiry set out yesterday, lockdown could have been avoided. If steps such as social distancing and isolating those with Covid symptoms – and their households – had been introduced earlier, then we might not have had to make our homes become our prisons.
But the report, which focuses on government decision-making, says that by the time then prime minister Boris Johnson took action it was already too late and a lockdown was “inevitable”.
Voluntary measures were brought in on March 16, 2020, followed by a stay-at-home order seven days later. An immediate lockdown on March 16 would have meant 23,000 fewer deaths in the first wave. That equates to nearly half the deaths seen in that initial period.
The report paints a picture of a “toxic and chaotic culture” in the then UK Government and it had a dire impact on decision-making as a result.
Damningly, that Johnson failed to tackle – and sometimes actively encouraged – such a dangerous working environment. Many Scots made up their minds on Johnson a long time ago and the report’s stark conclusions will only reinforce their position.
But it’s worth repeating that this man was singularly unsuited to taking on the top job in UK politics, as many people warned before his election in 2019. Even in normal times, his determination to ignore the rules that apply to everyone else would have caused damage.
The fact Johnson was in charge when the biggest public health crisis of the post-war era arrived cost thousands of lives. And yet we can’t forget that, ultimately, many of the major decisions in Scotland were taken at Holyrood.
The report criticises the lack of planning undertaken by the SNP. Nicola Sturgeon chose to sideline her Cabinet on key issues like school closures. There was a closed shop culture which could have been avoided.
Ultimately, this report will not satisfy the many people who still feel anger at the way their loved ones died. The process of coming to terms with Covid will continue for a long time to come. Sadly, this report does not feel like justice for those who suffered the most.
