“We deserve answers”: Lisa Nandy calls for coronavirus ‘Marshall Plan’

Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy is set to declare that UK residents “deserve answers” on the government response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and recommend that a ‘Marshall Plan’ be developed.

Speaking to the National Union of Mineworkers in Barnsley today, Nandy will voice concerns about the lack of transparency in relation to the expert advice being used by the government to formulate its response to Covid-19.

The Wigan MP is also planning to advise that the UK should implement “the equivalent of a Marshall Plan to protect our older people”, referring to the American initiative that sent foreign aid to Western Europe after World War Two.

In a speech criticising the government’s handling of coronavirus so far, Nandy is expected to say: “We need leadership. So far we have not seen it. For families across the country, there are hard decisions.

“Is now the time to see your elderly relatives or to stay away from them? The lack of information is becoming a major problem. Increasingly, it feels we are left to ourselves to decide. The airwaves were saturated with public information campaigns on planning for a no deal Brexit. Where is the comparable response?

“We deserve answers about why our response differs from other governments, based on their own medical and scientific advice, and from the World Health Organisation. The government must publish the analysis behind its decisions to reassure the public. Who conducted that analysis, and is it medical or behavioural science that is driving these decisions?

“We need the equivalent of a Marshall Plan to protect our older people. After a decade of underfunding, a virus that could affect up to 80% of the population will not be dealt with by our NHS alone. But in the budget this week no new funding was announced for social care. This is not good enough.”

The calls from Nandy come after it was revealed by The Times that emergency laws being prepared for Covid-19 include a measure allowing local authorities to lower standards in care homes in a bid to cope with staff shortages.

These laws, which are reportedly going to be pushed through parliament in two weeks, would also give the police the powers to detain infected people, could see schools forced to stay open, and would introduce measures to speed up cremations and burials.

Labour has today backed the call by the GMB union for private sector hospital beds to be requisitioned to help the NHS deal with the pandemic. Jon Ashworth has said emergency powers could guarantee NHS doctors access to beds in privately-run hospitals.

Reflecting similar statements from trade unions, Nandy will argue that the government should set up “a COVID-19 workers’ taskforce” to help ensure that home care workers are not exploited and “forced to go into work sick”.

Nandy will add: “Reports today show that the police will get powers to arrest people showing signs of coronavirus. We know where this can end. My message to the government is, in times of crisis, support and empower communities, don’t fight them.

“Provide advice, information, proper levels of sick pay and help for people who want to follow advice and self-isolate but face financial and employer pressure to turn up for work. Support your citizens, don’t fight them.

“The government must bring together council and community leaders to lead this national effort. They know their own communities – who is vulnerable and who is more resilient – in a way that politicians in central London never will.

“Recently, government brought in tech companies to lead a response to coronavirus. This could have had so much more impact if they had invited in community leaders to tell those tech companies what is needed.

“With loneliness now a recognised crisis, older people who self-isolate must be cared for and supported. Charities should have access to an emergency fund to support people who don’t have relatives living close by, pay for people needing to become temporary carers should be covered, and most of all we need a whole community response.”

Labour has cancelled its special conference due to be held on April 4th, where the party was supposed to reveal the results of the leadership and deputy leadership elections. It will be replaced by a “scaled back event” on the same day.