Green Left Statement on Coronavirus

18/03/2020

Green Left Statement on Coronavirus – An Emergency!

There has been a serious lack of urgency, either by design or sheer ineptitude, in the Johnson government’s response to the Coronavirus emergency.

When the UK should have been funding large scale testing and retesting infrastructure and manufacturing equipment such as masks and ventilators, there  has been a reduction in testing and people have been left to fend for themselves in their own homes.

It’s a perfect storm for the British people 

·      Slashing of hospital beds (in the last 30 years, 299,000 to 142,000)

·      43,000 nursing vacancies, 11,000 short, 

·      Social Care is in crisis with – with skilled carers grossly underpaid and devalued, 

·      The GP system is in meltdown,

·      Ambulances cut and

·      Cleaning staff privatised with resultant cuts and transfer of illnesses in poorly cleaned hospitals. 

Green Left calls for 

Testing

1. Everyone to have a legal right to be tested.

2. The government to work closely with WHO and the EU and related institutions.

Equipment and Services

1. NHS supply companies to be be supported and if needed, taken into public ownership to meet the need for masks, gloves, aprons ventilators and other health equipment.

 2. Visiting professionally staffed health assessment vans to be assigned to carry out tests as part of an urgent , safe and comprehensive assessment service.

Care and NHS staff

1. The government to immediately reverse its decades-long policies of cuts and privatisation.

2. All care and NHS staff to be supported through the proper provision of protection and safe working conditions including training.

3 Those staff members who will need to stay at ‘work’ or become infected shall be fully supported including financially. (MF not sure what this means)

4.  The NHS to immediately requisition private sector resources, in particular private healthcare facilities, to guarantee extra capacity during the crisis and to bring provision of intensive care and high dependency beds into line with Germany and other well-provisioned countries

Free Isolation parcels

1. A government scheme where individual and families will be able to register (or be nominated by others) for a service to provide free weekly isolation parcels containing food, household items and other items – including pet food. 

2. Special powers to be brought in to take supermarkets and the food supply and distribution into public ownership.

3. Local food banks, newly established mutual support groups, local authorities and others to be organised into Community Support Groups to manage the distribution and initial registration of isolation parcels. 

4. Transport and related costs to for the above to be back funded by government – with expenses paid to people involved in this activity. This should not be not counted in respected of benefits.

5. Workers taking leave to support the community during this crisis to be provided with a basic universal income to allow their skills to play an important and essential role in this health crisis

6. Members of the Green Party to support the movement for Mutual Community Support without losing the sight of the responsibility of the government in the 5^th richest economy.

Civil and political rights   

Green Left regrets the cancelling of local elections for 1 year – a review after 4 months should take place instead. We also note the wide concern about the lack of transparency in the government’s plans. We urge the Green Party, other political parties of the left,  trade unions and community groups to be alert to any attempts by the right-wing government to clamp down on civil rights, including free expression on social media, and to share information as the crisis develops.

Green Left welcomes the following statements from groups and political organisations and agrees with many of the positive ideas put forward.

The Green Parties of the UK – Greens Call for the Coronavirus Solidarity Pact https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2020/03/14/greens-call-for-coronavirus-solidarity-pact/

The Peoples Assembly Statement – Statement on Coronavirus.  https://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/index.php/news/16-people-s-assembly-statement-on-the-coronavirus-crisis

Jeremy Corbyn demands emergency support for people affected by coronavirus - The Labour Party
https://labour.org.uk/press/jeremy-corbyn-demands-emergency-support-for-people-affected-by-coronavirus/

COVID-19 Coronavirus - Guidance for unions | TUC
https://www.tuc.org.uk/resource/covid-19-coronavirus-guidance-unions

Coronavirus at work #SickPayForAll | TUC
https://www.tuc.org.uk/campaigns/coronavirus-work-sickpayforall

UNISON - the public service union
https://www.unison.org.uk/

National Covid Aid Group https://m.facebook.com/CovidAidUK/

London Green Left Blog https://londongreenleft.blogspot.com/2020/03/coronavirus-uk-government-bows-to.html

Peace Pledge Union://www.ppu.org.uk/news/coronavirus-ministers-urged-divert-military-spending-tackle-pandemic

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Green Left is an Ecosocialist Group within the Green Party