The miracle achieved by Boris Johnson’s 50-page ‘Plan to rebuild” strategy for ‘Covid-19 recovery’ is that somehow the PM succeeded in alienating the leaders of Wales and Scotland and create an apparent rift between the nations, when the liberation from lockdown he is offering the people of England is so slight as to be barely perceptible.
There is a tonal shift in respect of work, namely that the PM would like to see businesses that are not on the proscribed list, such as factories and building sites, operating again. But that’s a wish, not an order. And the overarching message is unchanged, namely that it is far better to work from home where that is possible.
In other words, the PM would much prefer Nissan motorcars to be handcrafted in workers’ front rooms. But since that is unlikely to be feasible any time soon, he would nudge car-workers back to the production line, so long as they and their robots can be insulated from the virus.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in