WHILE claps and “thank yous” are plenty, PPE and workers’ rights are scarce. 

This government and the media are quick to shut down political opposition and criticism, claiming we all need to work together — but what happens when it’s only us left working?

As we approach one month since the government implemented a partial lockdown of Britain, still we see hundreds of daily deaths and conflicting guidance from the government. 

Sadly, we are also seeing daily increases in front-line healthcare workers dying as well. 

When questioned on this less than a week ago, Heath Secretary Matt Hancock claimed that there had been 19 NHS staff deaths. 

Despite this claim being wrong, he stood by it and went on to lay the blame at the feet of NHS staff for what he stated was “misuse of PPE” and claimed that there was no link between the deaths and inadequate supply of PPE and testing.

This negligence and incompetence is not new, of course. 

During my 10 years as an NHS nurse, I have seen first-hand the destruction of our beloved NHS at the hands of the Tories. 

These are the same people who are quick to ride on the current pride in our healthcare system and class us as “heroes,” while voting down pay rises and workers’ rights and continuing mass privatisation of services.

Capitalists love to refer to emergency workers as “superheroes” and larger-than-life individuals. 

They use this as a way of projecting that we can apparently deal with anything, while adding pressure continuously, failing to provide adequate protections, necessities and safety standards. 

However, we aren’t “superheroes,” we are human beings, with families, mortgages, rent and everyday life issues. 

This is the problem we are seeing currently, the depoliticisation of our society through this mantra. 

Suddenly, “now is not the time for politics” and “the government are doing the best they can under such pressure.” 

Meanwhile, my colleagues are becoming unwell and refused testing, and NHS staff are dying. 

All this due to political decisions made by our government. 

The memory of this pandemic will live on once it has passed. It is our duty to make sure the memory of this government’s disastrous response also remains.  

Iain Mooney is a Labour councillor on Barrow Borough Council in Cumbria and an NHS nurse.