Will virus bring about a social revolution?
The changes in our lives, from how we shop to the nature of work, may well persist once Covid is beaten, says Ian Handford
THE big question for Britain in 2021 will be whether we experience a ‘Social Revolution’ as the pandemic runs its course. Will our lives ever return to normal again, once this awful disease has passed? Or, as happened in the eighteenth century, could, as history shows, Britain be the first country of the world to recognise that a social revolution has occurred, in exactly the way we experienced our first agricultural and then, due to a British invention (steam power), our industrial revolution.
During the past nine months the world’s human population has been under attack from a bug we now all call Covid-19. We also know it is about to meet its Waterloo, but as daily life returns to normal will Britain experience a third social revolution.
What is certain is thousands of businesses have closed, particularly in retail, taking with them ten of thousands of part-time and full time jobs, while thousands of other employees work from home. Lifestyles have also changed for everyone as going out, visiting others and shopping has been restricted. Our booked holidays had to be cancelled and when the initial Government lockdown occurred, supported by statistics provided by medical scientists, fear entered our lives in 2020.
Yet it is right to point out that although most citizens responded well to the Government edict to support hospitals, the statistical information being relayed rarely explained that the total number of deaths in the past year was only slightly above the average for Britain every year.
Then as the weeks and months passed came a second lockdown, following which it became clear that ultimately our citizens would eventually rebel, as daily life was equally as important as having the assumed or possible deaths.
Britain may become the first in the world to accept a ‘Social Revolution’ has occurred (interestingly a term adopted by many other countries) which in essence would be accepting that Covid-19 had been as deadly as the Black Death in the 14th century. Yet unlike that pandemic Covid-19 affected most parts of today’s populated world. With movement controlled or restricted, with future holidays cancelled, with the majority of our working population changing daily routines and with little socialising, even for those on furlough (unable to visit or welcome others to their home) the social interchange change has been enormous.
At first most new Government edicts were advisory, yet because most citizens wished to comply there became a heavy price to pay. Many
My hope is the New Year may yet see British renewal, a restored economy, if not in fact a revolution
businesses that closed would never re-open as I know to my cost, as having successfully traded on the high street for 45 years my business had to be sold. The daily lives of most citizens changed completely as restricted shopping, visits and trips and even sporting events had to be abandoned. Reduced footfall on the high street and in secondary shopping areas meant closed premises and although at first out-of-town shopping was affected less, even that has changed. Now more people use the internet and this created more white vans and delivery services on streets, while employees furloughed created more parked cars. Their lives also suffered huge change as now they did not go to work, they had to live off a reduced income and many rarely went out at all. The working population meanwhile experienced less traffic, but more delivery vehicles, while witnessing public sector transport on road, rail and underground being used less.
So will it be likely those working in the service sector – public and local services, education, transport, health, refuse etc, plus police, fire and armed services – will continue as before?
Certainly when not at work, they also will be subject to any Government restrictions. The retired sector are now 18% of the UK population and today more use the internet as new-users of the technology, having been helped by either family or friends. At least they now can avoid the bad old days of being out-oftouch.
So, will 2021 see millions of employees working from home rather than having to travel to and from the workplace? It saves them travel costs, but it would have a tremendous effect on life for the retail sector. We can speculate that the banks and building societies might operate from shared premises or merge and we know Amazon are suggesting they might open francisees on our high streets. Yet Brits are natural survivors, we adapt well and history proves we are, above all else, innovative.
As the New Year approaches my growing list of discovered new ideas awaits a future article. Meanwhile those expectations of a ‘Social Revolution’ in 2021 depends upon an end to the pandemic, although my hope is the New Year may yet see British renewal, a restored economy, if not in fact a revolution.