In defence of u-turns

I find myself in the unfamiliar situation of saying something nice about a Tory government. But I must say that among all their policy errors there have been a few occasions when I have found myself applauding them. Let me make it clear I dislike the almost universal refusal to give a direct answer to a straightforward question, the parrot-like repetition of a No-10 taught phrase such as "we're being led by the science" or "the journey was within the legal guidelines", and constant use of statistics which as the admirable More or Less (on Radio 4) regularly demonstrates are anything from inaccurate to misleading.

Nevertheless, there seems to be a generally accepted view that u-turns are a sign of weakness in a government - and to be pilloried. On the contrary, it seems to me refusing to admit you were wrong and changing direction can be pig-headed folly. My wife has to tolerate my navigation when we drive anywhere. Not infrequently I direct her the wrong way. Were we to persist we'd either take an awfully long route or completely fail to reach our destination. Sometimes u-turns are the best policy.

Of course taking the wrong road in the first place was unwise. Yet it takes humility and courage, especially if you're a political leader under public scrutiny, to admit that you were mistaken. And I don't think I've ever heard a government representative issuing an unqualified apology. Matt Hancock refused to apologise on Thursday morning for accusing premiership footballers such as Marcus Rashford for failing to do their bit in the pandemic. He had the gall to attribute some of that young man's achievement to his original comments, and seemed to confuse him with the star of the Harry Potter films. Even Boris Johnson spoiled his u-turn in reponse to Marcus Rashford's impassioned plea for the continuation of lunch vouchers for free-school-meal children by declaring at the Tuesday briefing that he'd 'only become aware' of Marcus Rashford's campaign that day. Presumably he doesn't watch even the BBC News, as it was a major item the day before. But credit where credit's due. Someone in government made the decision to reverse the previous mean policy of stopping it when "term time" finished. Presumably they were moved more by political than compassionate considerations - consider the adverse publicity in the media of starving children on the streets. But at least the right thing was done in the end.

Then there was the schools' affair. At first Mr Williamson thought it would be a good idea to send lots of children back to school. When headteachers pointed out that you can't conjure extra space out of nowhere and parents refused to send their children into potential, perhaps imagined, risk, he scratched his head and changed his mind. So the media-maligned teachers, having worked their socks off to provide distance learning to the pupils, many of them at the same time as providing the children of key workers in-school teaching, now face the job of teaching Reception, Years 1 and 6. Reluctantly it seems the minister has listened to the professionals, and suddenly policy changed. And vague - definitely vague - plans for September - definitely September - have been announced. Well, so far, so good. As instructed, we watch this space.

The "reforms" of the amateur Ms Truss within her justice brief have largely been rolled back to the relief of lawyers and the probation service, including the abandonment of her privatisation of probation.

Of course the biggest change of direction was announced by the young Chancellor of the Exchequer when he became, by force of circumstances, an adherent of corbynomics in a manner trashed months earlier by his boss. However in hindsight we'll probably agree that his decisive action will have saved the economy from total catastrophe. Taking advantage of currently rock-bottom interest rates, he borrowed billions of pounds in order to pay for locked-down workers on furlough. And so in company with other countries we find our economy with a debt larger than the GDP. Of all government ministers Rishi Sunak is the most impressive, not least as a communicator.

The Track and Trace app abandonment illustrates vividly the Prime Minister's pig-headed determination to "beat the world". The Government seems intent on making its own mistakes rather than learning from other countries' experience: late lock-down, inadequate stocks of PPE, abandoned testing, trying to create our own app. Of course it would be best not to go in the wrong direction in the first place, but turning round is better than pursuing that road. And we must acknowledge that no government would get everything tight.

Iconoclasm and #Black Lives Matter

"They just don't think about it!" It was spoken dismissively. The group of churches met remotely twice a week by zoom.

A nice reflective service (in which the prayers mentioned justice and peace) was followed by "break out groups" where people were put in randomised groups of 5 or 6 other screens. In one group there was a general consensus among the participants that the recent demonstrations had been irresponsible, criminal and dangerous. "We'll see when the infection rate goes up." There was no mention of George Floyd whose funeral was going on nor of Black Lives Mattering. In fact they'd not been mentioned at all in any service. 

Edward Colston (Bristol News)

Slave ship (Wikipedia)

Meanwhile an inarticulate old man was thinking to himself: "Of course they'd thought about it. They've been thinking about it for years, decades and centuries. And of course they knew the risks they were running. Look at the masks, the distancing, the overwhelming self-restraint." He was thinking, "As a Bristolian from age 2 and a bit, who in my schooling up till university never heard a word about how Edward Colston made his money, I was glad when I heard that his statue had been toppled (like Saddam Husain), and dumped in the harbour. The rope round the neck reminiscent of the many slaves hung for wanting freedom; the dumping in the river echoing the thousands of African slaves dumped overboard in the Atlantic. It's high time the public honouring of slavery was removed. I am ashamed of my ignorance - for example I did not realise the significance of Whiteladies Road leading to Blackboy Hill *. I profoundly admire Bristol's elected mayor, Marvin Rees, who regarded the statue as a personal affront, but also said, 'My concern though is that racism is tackled not just by pulling down statues in symbolic moments – it’s stitched into the system. It’s the systematic exclusion of people from opportunity and power.' If it deserves to be replaced anywhere, it's in a museum exhibition about slavery." (I gather that's where it's going. Good decision.)

In the event all he said was, "I disagree. I think the cause of the demonstrations is hugely important. Black lives matter." There was momentary silence. 

Recently the vicar alluded to them in his weekly letter: 

"There have been many demonstrations about the inequality and mistreatment of people different from us. Psalm 58 helps express outrage at injustice. It might be a bit too brutal and vicious for you, but it does claim hope in God to achieve justice. If you have been or are a victim of unfair treatment, then Psalm 59 may express what you want to say."

Photo: London Evening Standard

Personally, I am happy that the statues of men who made their money from slavery should be removed. I would like it carried out after examination of the history and debate in democratic forums. I do understand the danger of hot-headed activists attacking monuments only to be confronted by white racists "defending" Britain and polarising public opinion - which would lead to the rise of extreme nationalism in our political life. It could easily germinate and flourish in the comfortable white shires of rural England. So I hope for a thorough and unflinching examination of our colonial past - and its being taught in our schools from the moment they're allowed to return. The context of 21st-century Britain is very different from the mid 20th when I was at school, and even more so from Victorian Britain when many statues were erected. The National Curriculum Stage 3 includes the example of "Britain’s transatlantic slave trade: its effects and its eventual abolition" as one option, which might explain why the younger generation was so represented in demonstrations. The generations who most need education about slavery and colonialism are mine (baby boomers) and those the succeeding one or two. 

I agree with the view that we are at a potential turning-point in the history of racial equality. The horrific killing of George Floyd with onlookers unwilling or unable to save him coincides with the world having the time to reflect and understand. My wife and I have been watching the TV adaptation of Andrea Levy's The Long Song, set in the cane fields of Jamaica. We need more of such uncomfortable programmes. I hope the debates continue.

Finally a single history test for you: What do you understand by the Middle Passage?

Barbara Holmes, an American theologian, may help:

"It was a community of sorts, yet each person lay in their own chrysalis of human waste and anxiety. More often than not, these Africans were strangers to each other by virtue of language, culture, and tribe. Although the names of their deities differed, they shared a common belief in the seen and unseen. The journey was a rite of passage of sorts that stripped captives of their personal control over the situation and forced them to turn to the spirit realm for relief and guidance. . . ."

*As is clear from the comments below, I hadn't realised the significance of the road names, which is less objectionable than I implied. (13th June) Apologies.