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You clapped for the NHS now clap for yourself

Shaun Flores
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You clapped for the NHS now clap for yourself

On Thursday 26th March at 8 pm, the public clapped for the NHS to show gratitude for the continuing service they provide amongst the ongoing rampage of COVID 19. Actors and royals, including Daniel Craig, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined in with the clapping.

Voting for a party that funds the NHS is sufficiently supporting the workers.

Dr Adrian Heald tweeted “Thanks for the #clapforNHS but after a decade of voting for a party who always stripped the NHS and tried to sell us off, it seems to be a bit of an empty gesture. Please vote in the future for a party who supports the NHS, if you mean that clap seriously.”

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has historically fought to protect the NHS. During the 2019 election, Labour accused Boris Johnson and the Labour party of preparing to sell the NHS in international trade talks.

He proposed that the Labour government would have passed an emergency “NHS protection” law if they won the general election, to ensure that US pharmaceutical companies cannot infiltrate the health service and increase the price of drugs. Below are some of the promises The Labour Party made during that election, in response to fears surrounding Conservative privatisation.

Boris Johnson won the election, Brexit continued, and here came the Coronavirus. We had three disasters for the price of one.

However, to understand the argument surrounding the privatisation of the NHS, the history must be explored. The NHS was once considered ‘politically untouchable’, but now private companies are able to have their hands on the NHS.

The History of Privatization

NHS - The National Archives

The NHS was launched in 1948, to be a publicly funded and publicly provided service, which directly employed doctors and other staff.

The Thatcher government from 1979, brought in compulsory competitive tendering, and the 1990 NHS and Community Care Act which separated commissioners from providers. This, in turn, created the market for NHS services and a considerable expansion of private healthcare.

The Tories introduced the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). This involved private, decade-long contracts to build and manage hospitals alongside other public infrastructure. The years of Tory governance saw the systematically defunding of the NHS and as a result, buildings crumbled and waiting lists became lengthy.

Tony Blair

Tony Blair announces his return to politics - and hints at ...
Tony Blair Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007
Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007

New Labour Governments from 1997 believed the way to reduce NHS decline was through more private sector involvement.

New Labour marked the transitional period of converting the NHS from a public sector provider, to include the private sector under the illusion of choice and competition. New Labour’s reforms of the NHS was highly unpopular both within and outside the mainstream Labour Party.

New Labour reversed the principle of social democracy: society became the servant of the market, meaning the interests of the economy ruled. The state would be actively used to help people survive as individuals in the global economy.

The New Labour under the leadership of Tony Blair laid down the framework for the conservative government to follow in their footsteps.

David Cameron Says The NHS Is Safe In His Hands. Erm... | HuffPost UK
David Cameron in his slogan in 2015 said “We can’t go on like this, I’ll cut the deficit not the NHS”

Former Prime Minister David Cameron proclaimed the NHS was “ring-fenced” from cuts. Spending increases for the NHS dramatically decreased under austerity. An annual average of about 1 per cent between 2010 and 2015, the average during the leadership of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown was 6 per cent between 1997 and 2010.

In 2017, conservatives, under the leadership of Theresa May, voted against the 1% pay-rise cap for NHS nurses and firefighters, which was originally introduced under David Cameron.

Twitter user @Mackerssean77 tweeted “Sheer hypocrisy by Johnson clapping the health service personnel. The party that cheered the blocking of a pay rise for nurses and who are damaging the NHS..”

Very rarely do I take political sides, but the clapping for the NHS was a beautiful moment, it enriched the hearts mind and souls of NHS workers who deserved it. They are working tirelessly, around the clock to make sure we are safe. Clapping was the bare minimum we could do.

However, if you voted Conservative your clapping was a backhanded slap. The conservative government need the NHS more now than ever, but if through systematic underfunding and the very real and imminent threat of more privatisation where will the NHS be after the current COVID-19?

Clapping without the appropriate actions fall on deaf ears. Claps should be accompanied by writing letters to your local MP, and active protests. Most importantly appreciate the NHS whilst we have it. If you love the NHS vote within its best interests to have it funded as a strong healthcare system which enriches us all: rich, poor, black or white, male or female.

Robots: the answer to the Coronavirus healthcare crisis?

Common Sense Contributors
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Robots: the answer to the Coronavirus healthcare crisis?

With a nationwide lockdown now in place due to COVID-19, many might understandably seek escapism from the news at times, watching online movies in their spare time, perhaps tuning into a hit series like Westworld; one of a number of science fiction shows that have reflected how advances in AI and robotics have captured public attention.

Westworld, the 1970’s sci-fi film; Source: phys.org

While shows like these are thought-provoking, they don’t tend to delve into the immediate social concerns regarding AI and robotics, such as whether they can truly operate in roles where sensitivity toward mental and physical health difficulties is intrinsic, or where protocols make these fundamental. This is particularly pertinent in the light of tragic accidents that have occurred, notably the ‘catalogue of errors’ that lead to the death of Stephen Pettitt in 2015, the first UK patient to undergo robotic heart surgery.

With little to show these concerns being addressed, what’s inevitably worrying is when robotics is presented as a solution to the UK’s NHS and social care sectors, despite underfunding and staff shortages being highlighted as the cause of its crisis.

The UK government’s intentions to move to AI use in the UK at the expense of recruiting migrants, was spotlighted last October when it announced £34 million of investment in developing AI and assistive robots to ‘revolutionise’ the underfunded care system.

This February, the government announced the end of ‘Free Movement’ for December 2020 and outlined this plan to move towards ‘automation’ and away from overseas recruitment. However, the plan doesn’t account for position care workers, who will fail to meet the 70 points needed for a Tier 2 General Work Visa due to their lower salary levels. The result may leave the sector with a possible ‘black hole’ of almost half a million care workers, according to the GMB.

Asimo robot; Source: Unsplash

The automation proposals are clearly a bid to substitute integral migrant staff, yet the problem remains that AI isn’t developed enough to work on its own in achieving this, let alone be rolled out across care homes and hospitals in just short of nine months’ time.

Channel 4’s hit-series Humans depicted a speculative future with robots replacing humans in various jobs, including NHS carers. While entertaining, the sci-fi show reflected what robots greatly lack – decision-making where human intuition, judgement and altruism are vitally involved. Indeed, ‘care robots’ still cannot empathetically attend to the largely unpredictable nature of the job and there is growing evidence that the use of algorithms, such as ones used by Whitehall to scan visa applications, can absorb human prejudices. When systems become corrupt with biases against people based on their nationality, skin colour or gender, new concerns are borne regarding patient safety and the standards of care they may receive at the hands of such humanoids.

Pepper the robot; Source: Unsplash

However, the world is living through an unprecedented era. In light of a multitude of ‘care robots’ and technologies coming to the aid of doctors and nurses around the globe, remarkably the COVID-19 crisis might actually be propelling the case for AI in the UK’s healthcare sector after all.

Although there are still concerns around ‘dystopian’ surveillance solutions utilised by police forces around the world to restrict people’s civil liberties, in the most part, technology has helped to reduce the spread of Coronavirus – and minimise the death toll.

Telehealth services over the phone, robo-disinfection and tracking apps seemed limited to the realm of sci-fi and cyberpunk fiction, until very recently. Now, such measures are becoming standardised in protecting public health. Countries such as China, South Korea, Israel and Singapore have all reduced the spread of infection by relying on technology.

Robot playing piano; Source: Unsplash

China has further been seeing success through devices such as infrared thermometer guns, and the pandemic there has expedited greatly, through the usage of robots and drones used for disinfection and distribution of food and medicine. Given that robots can’t contract the virus, it would be foreseeable and welcome to see these technologies assisting healthcare in the near future.

Yet even before the global epidemic, Japan has been at the forefront of AI development, namely in the care robots Pepper and Paro the Seal. For several years, Japan has been finding solutions to its burgeoning retired population and a shortage of care workers, and has found great success in its robots that have proven to reduce loneliness, depression and comfort those with dementia. These robots further allow human staff more time with their patients, whilst the humanoid appropriations fulfil all the mundane tasks.

Sci-fi novels have often explored themes such as ‘the singularity’ and the arrival of ‘sentient’ robots, and as yet, it remains an interesting speculative vision of a distant future. However, it is evident that there is room for AI to assist in the UK healthcare sector in a multitude of ways – if only the Government sought it as a way to support, rather than replace, the hard work of migrant staff.

This article has been written by Raoul Walawalker who is a content writer for the Immigration Advice Service; an organisation of UK and Ireland immigration lawyers that is currently offering free legal advice to all NHS staff amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Corporate social irresponsibility in a crisis

Adele Walton
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Corporate social irresponsibility in a crisis

Earlier this week, it was found that ASOS workers at their distribution centre in Barnsley are not being provided with protective gear, with 98% saying they felt they were working in unsafe conditions in a survey conducted by GMB Union. Similarly, Amazon workers across America have been walking out after being denied hazard pay and protective gear, as well as workers for health foods company Whole Foods, which is a subsidary of Amazon. These corporations have faced significant backlash over their lack of concern for their workers’ safety and wellbeing during the midst of a pandemic. But it begs the question, why would corporations which depend on exploitation of workers in order to meet targets in a regular business climate, care any more about their workers during a pandemic that threatens their profits? 

Corporate exploitation and worker invalidation

Of course, these realities are greatly troubling, but this is sadly not a new phenomenon. In an age of globalisation where trans-national corporations race to the bottom to find the cheapest labour, exploitation of workers operates at the core of the industry – be that in the sourcing, manufacturing or dispatch stage. During these highly unpredictable times, where business is volatile and prone to collapse, companies will continue to prioritise boosting profit margins in order to survive this period. However, that all comes at a cost, and within a capitalist system, the burden of that cost falls on the workers. 1 in 6 of the world’s workers are employed in the fashion industry and 80 percent of those workers are women. These workers, whose relentless efforts are typically framed as ‘unskilled labour’ by the political and corporate elite, operate within the key modes of production and are keeping the cogs of consumption turning with their labour. They are repeatedly subject to dangerous working conditions and meagre wages – in both the Global North and Global South. Without them, from farmers to cashiers to seamstresses, the entire system would collapse.

Politician Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez expresses her opinion on ‘unskilled labour’; Source: @AOC Twitter

We know that Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and world’s richest man, got $3.4 billion richer last month after he sold off shares just before the financial crash. Meanwhile, his company’s workers in New York had to take part in a walk out demonstration, to urge their employers to clean the warehouse as a safety precaution. The very same worker who led the walk out yesterday, Chris Smalls, has been fired from his job. This just demonstrates the type of coercion that corporations use to keep workers complacent and prevent resistance.

Fast fashion never stands still

Fast fashion retailer Public Desire using ‘self care’ to sell; Source: Public Desire mail list

With unprecedented numbers of us staying at home, fast fashion companies are attempting to capitalise from the crisis, by bombarding our email inboxes with flash sales and discount codes. Enticing us into spending irresponsibly and consume unnecessarily is deeply problematic but is telling of the nature of how businesses operate in a capitalist economic system that disregards human suffering. Here are just a few examples of the subject lines of the emails received since the Coronavirus was announced a pandemic, which were sent to me:

 “We call them self-isolation shoes!” – UNIDAYS

“Sippin’ On My Quarantini” – FASHIONOVA

“Slay at home” – Public Desire

“”Hurry!!! EXTRA 50% OFF SALE” – Urban Outfitters

“WERK IT (from home)” – PrettyLittleThing

“Stay in with EGO” – EGO Official

“Staying in styles that are selling FAST” – PrettyLittleThing

The fast fashion industry has normalised reckless overconsumption and conditioned us to believe that the things we want are things we need. By marketing online shopping to us now as ‘self care’ or a way to ‘up your productivity’, brands are actively tapping into elements of our life which are now priorities as we sit at home and yearn for something to distract ourselves with – so what better way than to spend? Understanding how our buying habits effect workers and standing in solidarity with them, by questioning whether you really need to buy those items is so important in the current climate to make an impact.

The power of the consumer

Recognising how companies and business owners act in times of crisis, how they navigate corporate social responsibility and whether they prioritise workers’ safety or sales targets is extremely important. For example, CEO of Gravity Payments Dan Price famously took a million dollar pay cut in 2015 so all of his employees would receive a $70,000 minimum salary for all his employees. He has now cut his own pay to $0 dollars to ensure none of his staff have to be made redundant during the pandemic. Another company, the British discount store Home Bargains, has created a £30 million Coronavirus Fund to support their staff throughout this time. Whilst it takes some financial commitment from big business owners, supporting staff and guaranteeing their safety is a small ask and arguably, a moral duty.

Home Bargains statement regarding their Coronavirus Fund; Source: @homebargains Twitter

Sociologist Erik Olin Wright suggests that “periodically there will be intense capitalist economic crises in which the system becomes vulnerable” and this is precisely one of those crises. Coronavirus is only exposing the deeper cracks at the foundations of corporate capitalism. As consumers it is imperative that we not only share and tweet our disdain for exploitation and injustice, but channel that energy into our consumption habits too. Our purchasing power is one of the most powerful tools we have as individuals, that is guaranteed to get corporate elites listening – if you can impact their profits, you can impact their policies.

Stranded and forgotten? The British nationals abroad

Benedicta Denteh
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Stranded and forgotten? The British nationals abroad

It has been four months since the novel Coronavirus first broke out in the Chinese province of Wuhan and since then it would appear that the whole world has ground to a halt. With employers implementing work-from-home initiatives, schools closing down and graduations being cancelled, it would seem that everyone is staying inside, awaiting the storm to pass.

However, outside of Britain, a range of other countries are host to over a million British nationals who are stuck or seeking to return to mainland Britain before it becomes impossible to do so.  It has not been an easy task, especially for those who are students, whose university year abroad has come to an incredibly sudden and abrupt standstill. As an Arabic and French student studying in Jordan, Amman, I myself am no stranger to the effects of this particular ordeal.

What is going on in Jordan, amongst all else?

For almost two weeks, from March 2nd till March 15th, Jordan remained at one case of Coronavirus. Suddenly, after a period of stability the numbers began to rise, firstly to 6, then to 50 and now currently to 254 (March 29th). In order to limit the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible on March 17th Jordan closed its borders and airports to the rest of the world. Later, intercity travelling was banned and tourist destinations were shut down, such as Petra, the ancient civilisation (one of the seven wonders of the world) and Wadi Rum (a desert which hosted the set of many movies including Aladdin and Star Wars and Transformers).

The ancient civilisation of Petra which has been closed since March 17th is order to limit the spread of Coronavirus; Source: ArabianTravelMarket

Due to the nonchalant attitude of the general public, who continued to about their days on regular errands, work and social events in spite of the government’s advice, those in power decided to enforce a full lockdown to ensure citizens recognised the seriousness of the situation. This was put in place in order to deter people from going out and to encourage them to keep social distances to prevent further spread of the virus.  Whilst police vans and military tanks monitor and search the streets, the consequences of ignoring these strict guidelines now include on the spot arrests by the police and the possibility of up to a year in prison if caught outside.

For five days a full force lockdown was put in place, including going out for groceries and exercise. After almost a week the quarantine was lowered on on March 25th allowing people to go out solely for food shopping between the hours of 10am and 6pm. An air-raid siren sounds on the hour every day in order to inform the country that curfew has struck and anyone outside from then on will be at risk of imprisonment.

The air raid sirens signalling the start of curfew in all of Amman ; Source: Twitter filmed by Manchester Arabic Student Saira Ahmed, Posted by Manchester Arabic Student Yassine Harris

Prosecutions

It is reported by Middle East Eye, the online Arabic news site, that around 1,657 people have been arrested since March 24th for disobeying the new prohibitions of the country. Those who were arrested have been placed in quarantine camps run by the army and will remain there for fourteen days then will potentially be placed in prison for up to twelve months. Despite it being an effective deterrent, one must question whether keeping so many people in an enclosed space during the outbreak of the contagious virus is a good idea.

Furthermore, since just the morning of March 28th, 273 cars have been seized and from them 314 people have been arrested for violating the curfew orders.

Cars being seized for violating government mandated orders; Source: RoyaNews

When will nationals return to Britain?

Currently, the FCO is aiming to bring British nationals from Jordan back to the UK in the coming weeks if all goes to plan. They are currently working closely with the Jordanian government and their chosen airline, Qatar Airways, to make this happen but like every day under the threat of COVID-19 things are in constant change and motion.

Despite the dire need for British nationals to be brought home as soon as possible, the FCO’s current emergency flights range at around £2000 which is undoubtedly a hefty sum for a one-way trip, that on average ranges between £200 and £450. These flights are very limited so no one knows whether they will withstand the number of nationals who would like to return home. The potential impact of this on peoples’ mental health and physical safety, in cases of needing to return to work, loved ones or leave unstable conditions in their host country, could be devastating.

Flights are being organised all around the world for different groups of nationals. French and German nationals have already been flown out to their respective countries from Jordan, but Brits still await a single flight. As the prices of plane tickets rise and airports close in the rhythm of dominoes, it is a wonder as to who can actually afford to return home. It seems a somewhat empty gesture to provide extortionate flights, that the government isn’t paying for and may not even reimburse its citizens for. Some universities have also expressed that it is uncertain as to whether university travel insurance covers these emergency flights and if they don’t, what do they cover if not emergency situations like this one?

For now, I and many other British nationals remain stuck on research trips, holidays and placements and await the news of when it will be possible to return home. It would seem as though everyone in the world is playing the waiting game.

Gentrification and The Destruction of Cultural Communities

Common Sense Contributors
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Gentrification and The Destruction of Cultural Communities

The term ‘gentrification’ was first used by sociologist Ruth Glass back in 1964. Glass was studying the movements of people in urban areas of London such as Islington and how the character of those areas were changing over time. She noticed that terraced houses and houses previously occupied by the working class were slowly but surely transforming into houses exclusively for the middle class. Once this process – gentrification – began, it continued until those original working-class residents were displaced – essentially ‘priced out’ of their own communities.

The process of gentrification has disproportionately affected BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) and migrant communities, since they are more likely to live in poor, deprived areas. In her book London: Aspects of Change, Ruth Glass wrote:

“Here are immigrants from other parts of Britain or overseas who nowadays can find hardly any open doors […] and who have to take the left-overs of accommodation, however dingy, however expensive.”

Often this pattern has been born out of either necessity – due to financial or geographical need – or governmental decisions – for example, council housing being put aside for refugees.

Leyton High Road, in Waltham Forest, was given a makeover before the 2012 London Olympics; Source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/from-no-go-to-go-go-the-anatomy-of-gentrification-nsx6sjj9vmw

Often when these communities grow, families, friends and those from similar cultural backgrounds choose to live in the same neighbourhood. Again, this can be due to a multitude of reasons – some positive, such as a desire to be near to loved ones or to enjoy familiar culture. However, it can also be an indictment of a hostile society. For example, we see a growing hostile environment for immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, which can lead to feelings of fear, mistrust and an environment in which cultural groups may decide it’s safer to ‘stick together’.

Whatever the reason a community has come together and however that may be defined, the outcome of gentrification remains the same: it is those with the least financial and societal freedom that fall victim to it.

If we look at the ‘Windrush Generation’ and how their communities and patterns of residency have evolved from the 50’s and 60’s until now, we can clearly see how gentrification can devastate whole communities. After the Second World War, around half a million people from the Caribbean took up crucial roles in the UK, helping to rebuild the nation. Despite this, they arrived in an environment of hostility and outright racism; this they have continued to struggle with, having to fight for their rights as British citizens. As a result of being alienated, people formed their own distinct tight-knit communities – such as within Brixton – as they lived, worked and socialised together. Vibrant neighbourhoods filled with Caribbean culture thrived for decades, until slowly but surely, gentrification began to erode these community bonds. Houses and shops were bought by the rich, prices shot up and whole communities were displaced and destroyed.

Henrie Kwushue’s YouTube documentary series ‘Is Your Area Changing?’ documents gentrification in various communities in London; Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GokOo34FtII&t=50s

In some places, communities have been able to come together and successfully fight back against the process of gentrification, ensuring their homes remain theirs. In Camley Street, Camden, residents banded together and created a Community Land Trust, or CLT. CLTs essentially allow a community to acquire a piece of land – in this case, homes on their street – and take control of prices so that they are guaranteed to remain affordable for residents. CLTs are about protecting the community from the negative impact of gentrification and putting a stop to the price of profit.

Although some people may feel that those against gentrification are preventing progress and the development of neglected neighbourhoods, this is not the case. In fact, most communities actively push for their homes and communities to be improved – issues only arise when those changes come at the expense of their own homes and relationships. In one community report on gentrification, an affected resident expressed this sentiment: “We’re not against urbanizing, we’re against gentrification. Don’t drive us out to put new housing and new people in. Drive things alongside with us.”

A report by the Institute of Race Relations, The London Clearances: Race, Housing and Policing, discusses the links between urban policy, housing and policing. The report notes that, since 1979, social housing in London has significantly reduced thanks to privatisation and financialisation. It explores how neoliberal policies have deeply hurt the most marginalised, as housing is now treated as a commodity: ‘Longstanding social networks in BAME and multicultural working-class areas of London have been slowly eroded, dispossessing entire neighbourhoods of community and culture.’

Gentrification holds up a mirror to an array of societal problems which preserve damaging inequalities; racism, xenophobia and poverty, in the pursuit of profit. Only when a community is able to take rightful control of its improvement, and is allowed to do so freely, can regeneration projects truly help existing residents. 

Lynsey Burrows is a content writer for the Immigration Advice Service, an organisation of immigration lawyers based in the UK & Ireland

Lambs to the slaughter? The NHS volunteers

Shaun Flores
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Lambs to the slaughter? The NHS volunteers

405,000 people have stepped up to Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s call for NHS volunteers to fight against COVID 19.

On Tuesday 24th March, Health Secretary Matt Hancock launched NHS volunteers, calling for 250,000 members of the public to support people who are unable to leave their homes during the current coronavirus pandemic.

A day later and Hancock’s call was indeed answered. Within just 24 hours, over 400,000 people answered the call to be a NHS volunteer.

What is the volunteer scheme?

The volunteers will aid the NHS and local services through the delivery of shopping and medicines to over 1.5 million people who have to self-isolate for 12 weeks. They can also transfer patients back to their home, medical supplies to NHS sites or provide companionship over the phone to people at risk of loneliness. Hancock also announced that an extra 35,000 staff, including final-year medical students and retired doctors and nurses, are adding to the fight against COVID 19.

What does this tell us about the current state of our NHS? Understaffed and insufficient in times of crisis. COVID 19 bares all for the British public to see if they did not previously know. The needs of the general public are growing, and the NHS must grow alongside it, otherwise it will be left behind.

Do they really know what they are getting themselves into?

https://twitter.com/HiddenV17831091/status/1242876644693618690?s=20

Twitter user “@HiddenV17831091asked @MattHancock “Why are medical staff in China wearing full PPI kit and #NHS workers don’t even have masks. Will you provide volunteers with protection? – is there still a #MASKSHORTAGE#PPEShortages Will our families receive compensation if we die volunteering due to government negligence?”

Volunteers are almost casually walking into a suicide mission when the politicians themselves are not doing the same. This comes after the Doctors Association and The Royal College of Nursing both say their members are being asked to take ‘unacceptable risks’. A spokesperson said ‘nursing staff should never be forced to choose between their safety and their livelihood’.

Staff in the NHS do not have enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which include: masks, visors and suits to protect them against droplets of water in sneezes and coughs of an infected patient. Only now are 3.5 million coronavirus tests also being sent to the NHS, and over 7 million pieces of PPE shipped. This is the equivalent of going into a fire stark naked and not expecting third-degree burns. The NHS needs more money to ensure the volunteers, and the already existing staff are protected. If the current NHS staff are not adequately protected, how will the government ensure the protection extends in the same way to volunteers?

Monday 23rd March, NHS nurse Areema Nasreen was put into critical care after contracting coronavirus, in the hospital where she was a nurse for 16 years. This highlights the threat at hand for workers and volunteers alike.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Areema Nasreen 36 years old is on a ventilator and is critically ill after contracting coronavirus. Source: thetimes.co.uk

A letter published in the Sunday Times, signed by almost 4,000 NHS workers, alerted the Health Secretary to the harrowing fact that some workers have to share masks, filters and even cutlery. Some workers have reported working up to 36-hour shifts.

On Good Morning Britain, NHS worker Lorraine revealed she would have to share filters for masks with other colleagues treating patients with COVID-1. She put the blame firmly on Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Image result for nhs sharing masks
NHS worker Lorraine has worked in the NHS for 18 years and was informed she would have to share filters for masks with other colleagues treating patients with COVID-1. Source: express.co.uk

What will happen next?

Admiration for the hearts and attitudes of the 405,000 should not cloud what this exposes: the vast understaffing and under-appreciation of the NHS. Many of us take the NHS for granted. In some countries, healthcare is considered a privilege only afforded to the wealthy. Whilst the NHS has its problems we are fortunate to have it at our disposal.

If the government had enough time to hire more staff for the incoming virus, it could have had time to better prepare and to stem the flow of the virus. Under Tory governing, the NHS has been compromised through rapid and ruthless privatisation and underfunding.

COVID 19 has unearthed the sheer power of the British community, one that is united in a common enemy. It has demonstrated the best in humanity, encapsulated through these 405,000 volunteers. Their effort is something to be applauded. Thanks to the incredible response, the NHS has now extended its target to 750,000 people. Your NHS needs your respect and support 365 days a year. More and more everyday people are coming into contact with how the service works practically over the coming weeks could generate a new wave of appreciation, or at least awareness of it’s vulnerability.

Coronavirus lockdown finally exposed that we need to appreciate the NHS

Shaun Flores
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Coronavirus lockdown finally exposed that we need to appreciate the NHS

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a complete lockdown on the UK in attempts to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

The Police will be able to issue fines and prevent mass gatherings. Individuals will only be allowed to leave home for shopping, medical reasons, exercise and to travel to and from work.

Image result for boris john lockdown

This lockdown came as a welcome relief to many individuals who felt the general public were not heeding the government’s advice to self-isolate. The government gave people the opportunity to listen without forcing it through a lockdown, now the choice has become mandatory.

Though, in some aspects, Boris Johnson’s decision may be breaching the political divide.

Twitter user @TheRealShenna tweeted “I have never voted conservative in my life but I just want to say I think PM @BorisJohnson and his team are doing a sterling job!! Let’s show our appreciation to the government and front line services who are battling 24/7 to save lives and keep us safe.”

Many believe London to be late compared to other European countries to lock down the country. COVID 19 as of today has killed 578 people so far, new cases are 1427 and 11,658 cases confirmed in the UK. The NHS is continually being stretched thin.

Tubes were still packed after previous announcements were made as some individuals were still forced to go to work.

Image result for public transport COVID 19 UK crowded trains
Trains still packed in spite of social distancing advice.

NHS receive some appreciation

Organisers of clap for our carers announced that On the 26th March at 8 PM the general public will clap to show appreciation for the NHS workers who continue to provide key services in the fight against coronavirus.

York Press:

Previously companies such as Dominoes, Nandos and Pret showed their solidarity to NHS workers, by offering discount and even 50% off. Greggs also offered hot drinks as well. Since then Nandos and even Mcdonalds alongside other restaurants have closed to prevent further spread of COVID 19.

Whilst this may seem nice, is it not backhanded for all the stress NHS workers have endured before coronavirus, during coronavirus and after coronavirus? Where were the discounts then?

Image result for nhs discounts coronavirus
Image result for nandos 50%

The best way we can support and show our appreciation for the NHS is by self-isolating unless absolutely necessary to go outside.

Companies should have been appreciating and serving to help NHS workers before Coronavirus. NHS workers work many hours, to be under appreciated, understaffed undervalued.

The general public must now comply with the rules of the lockdown, to relieve the strain on the NHS and help to quell the spread of COVID 19. Stay Home Save Lives is the motto.

Moreover, we need to truly appreciate the NHS and their workers whilst we can. Without the NHS and their selfless workers, we would not be able to treat those who are injured and infected. Heed the advice from Boris Johnson, and on the 26th March at 8 pm show your support by clapping as well.

Why self isolation demands us to reflect

Adele Walton
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Why self isolation demands us to reflect

For the first time in our lives, many of us are experiencing a degree of uncertainty that is unbeknown to us – we could even describe our lives as legitimately unpredictable. Usually the most routine of events become so unconscious to us that we take their regularity for granted – commuting to work, grabbing a coffee en route, doing a food shop and being able to get everything we need because not only do we have a regular income but these services are provided to us by a workforce who are reliable and present. However, since the pandemic all of this has become disrupted.

The need for social distancing in order to suppress the spread of the virus, has demonstrated quite succinctly how interconnected we all are as a species. We are an incredibly mobile and active population and arguably globalisation has made us this way. We depend on a continuous work rate from people who work in supermarkets, to hospitals to social services – many of whom are overlooked, overworked and undervalued. But what globalisation and modernity has also done is embed so many livelihoods in a system of precariousness, a system dependent on a multitude of factors. Thousands of people in this country, let alone worldwide, have to consider where their next meal will come from, making a choice between food or another expense. Rates of fuel poverty and food poverty are at an all time high in Britain, with Britain having the worst record of excess winter deaths in Europe apart from Ireland and one in four parents skipping meals so their child could eat. This is a situation that millions of people in the UK experience, and whilst some people are fighting over toilet roll to stockpile, foodbanks are rapidly running out of supplies to provide those in real need.

Pandemics, financial crashes, wars and conflict are all huge events which can mean our lives become uncertain overnight. Refugees who flee from violence have to abandon their houses, possessions and often everyone they know to seek physical safety, quite often instantaneously. Luckily, many of us have never had to experience such a traumatic situation but millions worldwide do and they receive almost no real support in doing so, whilst being shamed, stereotyped and degraded by mainstream politicians and the media. 

Thoughts on how our outlook should change after the COVID- 19 crisis; Source: Twitter

Now that we ourselves are experiencing something extremely strange and uncomfortable, it must be something that we learn and grow from. Our individualistic culture means we often lack empathy, see other people as an enemy we need to compete with and forget to pause to recognise how lucky we are. But what this pandemic can teach us is that whilst people discriminate, catastrophes do not. At any point in our lives unexpected events can happen which result in everything we had planned or expected to be written off at the very least. It is easy to turn a blind eye when certain things don’t affect you, but let’s use this situation to reflect on what we ourselves might have taken for granted in the past and times where we may have lacked empathy. 

Turkish people have expressed their empathy for those in need by leaving packages in the roads; Source: Twitter

So whilst we find ourselves at home for a longer duration than we are used to, with our freedoms of movement limited on lockdown and our favourite places to socialise closed, consider those who experience uncertainty on a daily basis and what kind of effect that has one someone’s mental health. I urge you to reflect on how as much as these times are frustrating for us, there are still so many things we are immensely lucky to have. Safety and security of self-isolating in heated and fully stocked homes, whilst it may become boring, is a privilege. Yes, we may have to cancel plans and expect to have a less busy schedule this summer, but this is just one summer out of the rest of our lives and the faster we take the measures to combat the pandemic the sooner this will be over.

America’s Coronavirus Failure

CheVaughn Starling
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America’s Coronavirus Failure
A map of the U.S. Coronavirus cases; Source:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html

The Coronavirus has taken the world by storm and not in a good way. The notorious virus is continuously spreading globally. As countries are desperately trying to stop the spread and quarantine their citizens, there seems to be a glimpse of hope for some nations slowly recovering from the virus. While some countries took precautions during the first outbreaks of the virus, America seemed to not catch the hint until it became classified a global pandemic. For the most powerful to not take an outbreak seriously, leaves its nation in a frenzy that only has the government’s lack of guidance to blame. Decisions to not take early action before the virus came to the US blinded America and here’s how it happened.

The Warning Signs

Staff member checking the temperture of a citizen entering the subway in China; Source: www.businessstandard.com

Last December, the Chinese government alerted the World Health Organization of an outbreak of a strain of Coronavirus causing severe illness in its population. Since then, there have been over 167, 000 COVID- 19 cases, and the virus has killed over 6,000 people worldwide. When the first cases of COVID- 19 emerged on US soil several weeks ago, US public health officials were worried the outbreak could be severe.  Although the outbreak first appeared in China and was slowly growing in the States, America suppressed this information and acted like COVID- 19 wasn’t a problem that would affect the entire world.  While the total number of Coronavirus cases stands at over 300,000, officials have projected the virus could effect millions and kill hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

America’s Response

President Trump holding a press conference to discuss COVID-19; Source: NBC

After the initial outbreak in China, U.S. health officials warned President Donald Trump of the severity of the threat.  Trump seemed unmoved by the information and did not have any concerns about the epidemic. In fact, Trump made a mockery of the disease as a whole and compared the virus to regular influenza. To go further, during several press conferences in February, Trump dismissed Democrat’s concerned about the virus as a “hoax” and propaganda. He claimed this was a new way for them to politicize the epidemic and try to take down the Trump administration. Infectious disease experts begged Americans to self-isolate and cancel social events. However, many Americans reacted nonchalantly about the spread of the virus and mimicked the President’s dismissive tone.

America’s Failure

A health provider demonstrating protective gear medical staff should wear during the crisis; Source: NPR.org

Aside from Trump’s dismissive tone about the virus, America has too failed in administering test kits nationwide as well as not providing the necessary emergency plans to prepare for the pandemic. In the month of February, there were only less than 500 tests provided throughout the entire country. For a country that prides itself on leading the world in healthcare, America is desperately lagging behind countries such as China, Italy, and South Korea who have administered thousands of tests since the outbreaks occurred in their respective countries. Additionally, the Trump administration has ignored the shortages of basic medical supplies such as hospital beds, ventilators, masks, sanitizer, etc. People who work in the medical sector are now turning desperate to make the best of the remaining supply, due to the immense spike in demand for medical supplies caused by COVID-19. As the disease began to spread far quicker than the administration predicted, despite the warnings from health officials, it quickly became known America had nothing in place to combat the disease.

Despite the lack of leadership from the President, local and state officials have tried to come up with solutions to contain the virus. Schools nationwide have shut down and some colleges have shut down indefinitely for the remainder of the school year. The NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA tournaments, and other sporting events have been suspended until further notice. Recently, California called for a lockdown of the state of 40 million residents; while California is the first state to call for a lockdown, it might be safe to say other states are following suit. With over 13,000 cases in the US in such as a short amount of time, government officials are scrambling to come up with a solution and begging for funding to be directed towards implementation of solutions. Although the federal government finally made measures to invoke spending bills, a call for a national emergency, and travel bans to certain places outside of the US, it may be too little too late.

What Should Have Been Done?

Citizens in Italy wearing mask; Source: thehill.com

Testing is crucial in slowing epidemics and is beneficial for numerous reasons: 1) It lets public health officials identify the sick people and can isolate them from the public to prevent spreading. 2) It can help trace the sick person’s recent contacts to make sure those contacts are isolated as well. 3) It can help find a vaccine to cure the sickness through the research collected with each test. Other countries such as Italy and China, created the playbook on how to handle this pandemic. Italy placed severe travel restrictions and shutdowns early when the virus first appeared in the country. China placed heavy restriction of movement within their borders to try to contain the disease and limit movement to home and to gather food.  Other countries vastly followed suit mimicking these models, with America slowly following these models at the final hour.   

As a nation that posits itself as having a strong healthcare system and a bustling economy is scrambling in panic because they were ill prepared, despite the continuous alarming warning signs from experts. In fact, by vital metrics such as life expectancy, infant mortality and unmanaged diabetes, the US performs as one of the worst developed countries according to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development 2019 staistics. The US spends double that of an average wealthy country at $10,600 without better outcomes, mostly due to their extortionate spending on administrative costs.

Source: ppgf.org

Although America has made desperate strives to try to contain the virus, the damage has already been done. The citizens are panicking, the markets are plunging, and the disease is spreading.  The measures that are now being taken is an attempt to play catch up with the rest of the world. If America would have taken the outbreak seriously in the beginning, they would have been better prepared to handle the pandemic and how it will grow. With the Senate still in deadlock over the COVID-19 stimulus package on offer, we must find ways to put pandemic before partisanship.

Ways to help your local community during a pandemic

Courtney Carr
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Ways to help your local community during a pandemic

Humans have a beautiful way of pulling together in the midst of crisis, and despite all of the suffering that COVID- 19 has put the world through, different responses have been a reminder of humanity’s strength. Here are top ways in which you can help and encourage those around you.

1. Online activities/clubs

Set up an online activity club in an area of your expertise or something that you are passionate about – for example, an online book club, a community page or an online community choir like choirmaster Gareth Malone. He is launching the Great British Home Chorus, with Decca Records, in response to Glastonbury festival being cancelled due to the recent pandemic. He asks people who are at home to send material to him.

Speaking to Sky News, he said: “The idea of loneliness as a subject for me to tackle has been around for quite a while, and it’s suddenly the moment – there are going to be a lot of lonely people, and I think music is a great way to reach out to people.”

Social distancing is the safest measure to take, as COVID- 19 is highly contagious and is currently spreading. However, this does not mean we cannot still interact with each other in a fun and uplifting way – the abundance of technology that many of us have access to helps us in these types of situations.

You can also set up groups on platforms such as Facebook – or host a Netflix watching party (with Chrome browser). Singer John Legend also started a #TogetherAtHome concert series.

John Legend debuts his first Instagram Live concert; Source: @johnlegend on Twitter

2. Donate or help in the ways you can

The national response in helping key workers – those who are on the front line in dealing with COVID- 19 across different sectors – has been significant. Shops like Greggs are offering free coffee to those who are NHS workers and some supermarkets such as Tesco have created time slots for the elderly and vulnerable – Tesco has “priority hour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning from 9am-10am (apart from Express stores.)”

NHS staff asking people take all precautions they can; Source: @AnitaSamNHS on Twitter

By respecting the measures put in place by these institutions, we can ensure that we are doing our part by considering the wellbeing of the wider community. We can also do our best to avoid stock-piling, so that there is food and other essential items available for key workers when they come home from work – and so that the entire community have access to what they need.

Furthermore, even though there are initiatives such as priority hour, some elderly people and those that are vulnerable, such as those with underlying conditions, may be still afraid to pop out to the shops to grab the essential items that they need. There are others in poverty that need help or will need help in the weeks to come, especially as large groups of workers have lost their jobs due to businesses closing down. Martin Lewis has announced that he is donating £1 million in “a fund to provide grants of £5k – £20k to small UK charities who are doing/want to do immediate Coronavirus poverty relief. ”

We can also do our part with what we have – if you are going out for your own shopping for example, you can be a helping hand by offering to pick up items for your neighbour or donate some spare food items to your local food bank =. Like others, you can distribute helping cards through letterboxes, or to be more safe and maintain distancing – outside of doorsteps.

The postcard that went viral. Source: Twitter

3. Self-isolate if you have ANY symptoms

It is important to follow Government guidelines and self-isolate if you have any symptoms because you may feel fine but many cases can be asymptomatic – and tests are not nationally inclusive at the moment. This is not only essential for your own health, but for the health of those with underlying conditions such as asthma or diabetes, or immunocompromised individuals. The Government has also recommended that these at risk groups self-isolate for a period of up to 12 weeks.

4. Be a friend and don’t lose touch

It may be disheartening to be separated from certain loved ones or friends, but there are ways that you can connect and avoid losing touch. Try to schedule in time to have a conversation over the phone, or through virtual means – this is especially important for those in your life that do not cope well with isolation, and those more at risk. You can also participate in online activities together such as online gaming or challenges.

There are also some learning schemes online such as the Coronavirus Home Learning Support Page on online educational publishing house Twinkl, for children who will be at home from the 20th March.

5. Don’t give up

Every life matters and although we face the unknown, we can overcome if we pool our resources, adhere to guidelines and band together in the face of this crisis.

"Chinese Flu" – Understanding the real-life implications of Trump's words

Shaun Flores
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"Chinese Flu" – Understanding the real-life implications of Trump's words

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump described Covid-19 (Coronavirus) as “The Chinese Flu” during a press conference.

He defended the words as a deliberate retaliation against claims that the virus was brought to China by U.S. military personnel, which he denies.

Covid-19 has created worldwide chaos across the world; cancellations, lockdowns and travel bans. Shops have closed down and the economy is beginning to stutter. Emergency services are stretched thin. In attempts to stop further spreading countries such as: Canada, Poland and The US, borders have been closed.

The toll of those infected with Covid is predicted to be 55,000 in the UK alone.

Where did Coronavirus come from?

This new strain of coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China. Scientists believe the outbreak begun in December at a seafood market. Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, a landlocked province in the middle of the country.

Image result for sea food market wuhan
Wuhan Seafood market where it was believed Covid19 originated

Scientists speculate that the source of the outbreak was an animal and it’s been postulated that the virus could have spread to humans via bats, snakes or even pangolins, though it is still unconfirmed the animal that was the source of the virus.

Ebola Virus, why was it not called the African virus?

The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River which is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The virus still infects people and there are outbreaks in many African countries. Scientists remain unaware as to where the Ebola virus comes from.

In 2015, Ebola caused mass hysteria when it arrived in the UK, although there was only one reported case.

UK military healthcare worker Pauline Cafferkey was infected with Ebola in Sierra Leone. She was flown home and was treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

In no news outlet or prime minister or presidents speeches was Ebola defined as the “African Flu”. Perhaps it was because it did not have the same impact that Corona has. Either way, does the principle remain the same? Or does the impact of a virus give credibility to a president defining the flu through nationalist terms?

Racial Hysteria

Attaching race or ethnicity to promotes a hysteria, a panic that incidentally creates a butterfly effect. The hostility it creates has seen attacks on Asians rise. It has created anxiety amongst races and a hostility targeted at Asians.

Image result for racist asian attacks
February 24th Jonathan Mok was attacked on Oxford street

Jonathan Mok a student studying in London was attacked by a group of people on Oxford Street on February 24. Many other students are fleeing England after the rise in racist attacks.

Some people are unable to discern Asian Phenotypes. Trump’s comments have indirectly lumped all Asians into a box, from Chinese to Japanese to other Asian counterparts. Instead, they are all being treated with the same degree of racist and xenophobic anxiety.

Trump does not understand the comments are laden with racism. Without Trump seeing outside of his box, he remains contained in his comments which have no immediate effect on his life. They instead affect the lives of others mainly Asians.

With great power comes great responsibility in the words delivered.

Trump’s comments are unintentionally careless with the intention to refer to where Covid-19 originated. However, to those who may not be able to realise the power in his comments, the Asian community are suffering at the hands of racist attacks. Trump’s words can serve to legitimise the anxiety and widespread hostility. His rhetoric does not help or serve to eradicate the spread of Covid-19. Rather it continues another virus humans are subject to. The social disease that is racism.

Sticks and stone may not hurt our bones, but it can serve to trigger the bones of the racism in others.

Image result for trump asian comment

Self-isolation: top tips on how to avoid cabin-fever

Courtney Carr
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1
Self-isolation: top tips on how to avoid cabin-fever

In the first of a few daily press briefings to come, Prime minister Boris Johnson has warned the UK population to avoid “non-essential” contact. If you find yourself in self-isolation, here are our top ways to stop yourself from going stir-crazy.

1. Watch that show – read that book!

Self-isolation can provide you with the time to truly explore what you like – and to discover new shows and books that you’d otherwise ignore. You may usually have a busy work schedule, and find it hard to make time for exploratory leisure. Here are five of the top 10 Netflix programmes in the UK today: Lost Girls, Spenser Confidential, A Quiet Place, Love is Blind, The Stranger. Amazon’s list of bestsellers for 2020 include Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens at number 1, The Mamba Mentality: How I play by Kobe Bryant at number 4, and Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson at number 19.

2. Communicate

It is important to communicate with others during this time, especially because isolation can in some cases worsen symptoms of conditions such as depression. If you are a student, full-time worker or a freelancer – most of your day is usually spent interacting with others in some shape or form, so the sudden change could have quite an impact. Connect with your peers during this time, and if you are not in a position to do that, there are other ways to express yourself.

3. Unleash your creativity

If you fancy yourself to be a writer like those of us at The Common Sense Network, try purchasing a journal or writing your own blog to document your days. This doesn’t have to be published of course – you could keep it as a private sphere in your life. Keeping a journal can help you to explore thoughts that may be buried in the busy hub of work – you can also jot down your plans for the future or you can live completely in the moment.

Mood boards are another way to revise where you are in life and to plan your next steps – or they can be used to represent your wildest goals in life. You can use photographs, drawings, or little knick-knacks that you find around your home.

4. Learn a new thing

Two weeks of quarantine is a LOT of spare time as an adult these days. In order to avoid total boredom, it may be an incentive to set yourself the goal of learning a new skill, dance, recipe (frankly whatever you want to). For example, now that you may not be able to rely on your favourite takeaway at the moment – see if you have some ingredients to whip up your own version. Pick up that instrument that is sitting in your room, gathering dust – you have always wanted to learn it, right?

A splash of paint. Source; NeedPix

If you need to brush up on work-related skills – take some of your time out to practice what you can. Skills such as public speaking or writing summaries can be practiced at home with the right equipment and in the right state of mind.

Woman in a face mask. Source: NeedPix

5. Pamper yourself

Whether you’re a student or work full-time, everyone needs a day to chill out and forget about the weights on their shoulders. Now is a good time to dig into your cosmetics and find that mask or make your own – or to have that bubble bath that you’ve been dreaming about for months.

6. Stay connected

The news is informative and keeps everyone up-to-date with current affairs. It is still important to keep up with as much as you can, especially because information regarding Covid- 19 is coming out in droves. Of course, you may want to limit your consumption of news if it impacts greatly on how you feel because your state of mind comes first – but make sure that you know essential facts and how to take care of yourself, as well as what to do in an emergency situation.

7. Don’t go back to old habits – make new ones

Self-isolation can be lonely for the most seclusive people, yet alone those who thrive of socialising. No man or woman is an island! For that reason, it can be easier to go back to old habits that bring no peace – such as stress-eating or not looking after yourself. Try to do your best to combat that – make small changes to your routine because this could have a profound and positive impact on your life. If you find it hard to eat healthily for example, use your time to meal-prep and conserve your energy – or declutter that space in your home that has been the source of your anxious feelings.

8. Look after yourself

Most importantly, take care of yourself. Prioritise your health both physically and mentally, and take the time out to recover – COVID- 19 is serious and it is important to continuously monitor your symptoms and health. Don’t feel pressured to be busy, or to do nothing at all – do what works best for you!

Did Women’s Empowerment send kids out of fashion?

Richard Bolton
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Did Women’s Empowerment send kids out of fashion?

The playgrounds are only a little emptier than usual as Italy’s coronavirus locked down the entire country. But with 1.316 births per woman, the current fertility rate in 2020 is far below replacement levels of 2.1 per mother. Combined with a longer life expectancy, the ageing population increases the dependency ratio and strains the pension system sustainability as claimants exceed contributors. This is expected to jump from 34% in 2015 to >60% by 2070. While education and social emancipation are the most potent birth control tool in human populations, the post-industrial story of falling birth rates and zero population growth has failed to materialise. The “pioneers” Japan and Italy have shown not to be the norm, but rather the exception. Their low immigration, high life expectancy, low fertility rates and negative population growth are not the story for the gender equal, highly developed European nations…

Animal Kingdom

Humans are the only species where birth rates respond negatively to better nutrition and shelter. With increasing prosperity and life security, humans perceive lower threat to survival and stem breeding. Even India’s middle class has shifted to having 2 children per mother as the norm.

Save the middle class

The truly wealthy can afford lots of kids. Those on benefits don’t bear the cost. The middle class can’t afford them. They pay for the welfare for the poor, and the tax cuts for the rich. Housing, good schools, school programmes, day care, tuition, health care etc.

For today’s young adults, maintaining lifestyles of the Baby Boomers while raising children on significantly lower real incomes is not feasible. We are the generations complaining about the lack of time to do the things we want, who has time to raise children anyway?

Women’s Choice

Taken in isolation, when more choices are given to women, many choose to have fewer children or simply none. Many go through education, pursue a career and in doing so have higher standards for choosing their soulmates. Some find theirs, others do not. Whereas, developing countries have young girls married off without consideration of their own life prospects.

Feminist movements modernised developed societies, changing women’s roles from simple child bearer with womb up for auction into productive individuals able to cast their own dice.

Technological change has relieved women in developed nations from the hassle of chores. The washing machine liberated women of “washing days” just as cleaning companies have allowed for division of labour so women could turn their attentions to their most productive pursuits, leaving time to pursue their interests or leisure.

These are reasons for birth rates tending to drop as country’s develop. But the modern phenomenon of falling fertility rates is the rising cost of living. Gross incomes haven’t kept pace with the positive inflation targets for “healthy economies”, causing real wages to fall and resulting in lower purchasing power. As young adults struggle to make ends meet, the incentives to have a child who needs additional financial support are diminished.

Income Inequality within developed nations

Middle classes have been shrinking a while now. Either falling into poverty or never materialising in the first place, the lack of property-owning couples holding down jobs able to support a family is being squeezed. With greater onus on leisure and changing social patterns, the redress needs to be much wider and far reaching.

Though, fertility can increase under more gender equality, not decrease. Kohler and Billari found in 2011 that once a suitable level of gender equality is reached, this serves as a precondition for the increasing fertility in more advanced levels of development. They found this was specific to how countries address the problem of combining work and family. Failure to address the challenges of development with institutions that facilitate work-family balance and gender equality may explain falling fertility rates in otherwise advanced nations.

Bad demographics

Explanations attributing fertility decline in developing nations like Brazil, with fertility falling from 6+ to <2 over the past 50 years, to more urbanised, wealthier living and Brazilian soap operas glorification of small families are over-simplistic.

Likewise, just because a country is rich, does not mean it is good at family planning. Just because women are more empowered than they used to be, does not mean that the work is done. Women have gone to work, and men have not taken up the slack in household chores or bringing up the children, creating a double load. Pew Research found women have more career interruptions, with 58% of working mothers finding it difficult to juggle work-home balance and only 19% of men.

How to redress the balance

The wage gap between men and women cannot be entirely explained away by labour market factors such as part-time versus full-time employment. Wage discrimination takes many forms. With the aim of reducing the expense of raising children, we should strive toward increasing overall household income. This could be achieved by better parental leave policies for men, allowing households to improve family planning and work scheduling. This would balance out the load of parenting, reducing one such hurdle to having children. Supporting day care centres and family planning centres with financing and directives would also help nudge couples to make the step.

Because as we have seen, at a certain level of development, something drastic happens in society. In short, fertility rates in the most developed states started growing again. France, Sweden, UK, Netherlands, Denmark and Norway are nearing sustainable birth rates again.

Post industrial story of declining fertility not reflective of reality / Credit: World Bank

These societies found a way to make it easier and more attractive for their citizens to have 2–3 children again.

What seems to work well is a combination of:

  • Available and affordable childcare and education
  • Full day schools for young children
  • Societal acceptance for children and parents at the workplace.
  • More time for parental leave so work schedule rearranging can increase household income, offsetting some of the stagnation in real wages and high cost of living.

Tax-free Tampons for the UK

Courtney Carr
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Tax-free Tampons for the UK

The latest victory in the fight against period poverty

Campaigners against period poverty have witnessed a substantial victory, as chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that he will abolish the “tampon tax”.  The current rate is 5%, compared to other products that carry a standard rate of 20%. However, this 5% has contributed to the issue of period poverty – Bodyform defines this as when people lack the means to purchase sanitary products and have “a poor knowledge of menstruation often due to financial constraints.”

As the Guardian highlighted, Labour MP Dawn Primarolo led a campaign 20 years ago that succeeded in reducing the VAT on tampons from 17.5% to 5%. However, this was just half of the battle – campaigners have continuously fought for true accessibility, but EU laws presented an obstacle. Under those laws, tampons and sanitary towels were classed as luxury items and taxed as a result. Member states in the EU could not reduce this VAT tax to below 5%.

It wasn’t too long ago that the government announced that all schools and colleges were to provide students with free sanitary products, and now with Britain leaving the EU, the government is creating history and making steps towards improving the quality of life and welfare of women who menstruate.

A menstrual cup compared to a tampon and applicator; Source: Pikrepo

The change is due to come into effect on 21st January 2021 – I spoke to some women about the upcoming change and how it may affect their lives.

Jessica Cryer, 28, said: ““Every little helps – your time of the month shouldn’t be a time when you’re buying cheaper products. Everyone should have access to the same quality no matter what you earn – no matter what your wage is.”

As The Independent documented, the change is set to save the average woman almost £40 in her lifetime – with a “7p reduction on a pack of 20 tampons and a 5p reduction on a pack of 12 pads.

Plan International UK revealed that, as of 2017, “one in ten girls (10 per cent) have been unable to afford sanitary wear,” and “one in seven girls (15 per cent) have struggled to afford sanitary wear.”

Will an overall £40 saving make a true difference?

Bethany Strand, 19, seems to think so.

“I think they are a need and not a want. They are a necessity – it’s not something that you should have to even buy in the first place. It does make a difference!”

Laura Coryton has been a key campaigner for ending what she calls the “period tax” since 2014. In an interview with Sky News, she was asked if she had a struggle to win the campaign.

She said: “Definitely. Just under six years ago now – and at that point nobody wanted to talk about periods. We were still having blue liquid in our period adverts as if it was something nobody wanted to show on TV.”

A clip from Laura Coryton’s interview with Sky News; Source: @LauraCoryton on Twitter

According to Dazed Digital, her next move is to focus on the tampon tax fund – where money raised is donated to women’s charities. She reportedly said: ” Our next campaign will be to ensure the tampon tax fund does not end with tampon tax. Ending tampon tax was a legal duty, meaning it had little to do with the current government. If this government really wants to show their commitment to gender equality, they will keep the tampon tax fund as a form of back payments (as we’ve been paying tampon tax for 48 years!).”

The savings that will come from tax-free tampons may seem small – but it will make such a difference in the lives of those who struggle to afford essential items. This could also mark a change in British society – a nation that is more progressive and open to creating positive dialogue around women’s experiences and the struggles they face – impacting women of this generation and many more to come.

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