Ok. Let's hypothetically take domestic politics out of the equation. The Uk"s response to the virus has been woeful. Just imagine if the building nest door to you was on fire and in danger of burning down. Would you sit idly by and hope that it wouldn't spread to your building? Would you maybe get a garden hose and just in case a few sparks fell your way? Would you have a plan to deal with and mitigate the risks from a fire spreading to your building (or perhaps starting in your building)? Would you have kept that plan updated and made sure that the firefighting equipment that you might need was kept in good order and that any water supply you needed was adequate and properly maintained? Once it was clear that the building was alight and in danger of spreading to you building would you take expert advice on what measures to take next?
I watched a rather revealing documentary last night on how South Korea has been dealing with the epidemic and it was frankly embarrassing for the UK. And I'm sure there are those who will trot out the nationalist stereotypes about Koreans being more deferential to authority - watch the documentary on catch-up if you can. We have deep problems in our society that makes us extremely vulnerable to disasters like this. And that is where the politics starts.
