WhywastheUKsounpreparedforthepandemic,sufferingoneofthehighestdeathratesandworsteconomiccontractionsofthemajorworldeconomiesin2020?HilaryCooperandSimonSzreterrevealthedeeprootsofourvulnerabilityandsetoutapowerfulmanifestoforchangepost-Covid-19.TheyarguethatourcommitmenttoaflawedneoliberalmodelandtheassociateddisinvestmentinoursocialfabriclefttheUKdangerouslyexposedandunabletomountaneffectiveresponse.ThisisnotatallwhatmadeBritaingreat.ThelonghistoryofthehighlyinnovativeuniversalwelfaresystemestablishedbyElizabethIfacilitatedboththeindustrialrevolutionand,whenrevivedafter1945,thepostwarGoldenAgeofrisingprosperity.Onlybylearningfromthatpastcanwecreatethefairer,nurturingandempoweringsocietynecessarytotackletheglobalchallengesthatlieahead-climatechange,biodiversitycollapseandglobalinequality.
