I have welcomed the very belated implementation of contact tracing by the Welsh government and latterly Westminster. How thousands of lives were jeopardised by inaction is laid out here.
While national governments dithered, one local authority, aided by voluntary bodies and the local health service, took an initiative which has resulted in the lowest Covid-19 death rate in Wales. It has been pointed out that Ceredigion had the advantage of being forewarned by the revelation of the first Covid-19 sufferers elsewhere in the UK before the disease hit rural Wales, but against that, the powers that be in London would have been aware that virus was spreading into Europe in good time for them to take action.
Plaid Cymru are running with this story because they are the largest party on Ceredigion council. However, I see this as the sort of community action which is at the heart of Liberalism and Liberal Democracy, irrespective of who implements it at local level. As a country we have allowed too much decision-making to be made centrally, even when it is obvious that those in charge are ill-informed. There is not only not enough trust in experts, but also in the people on the ground. The sooner we get back to decision-making at the most effective level closest to the people, the better.
No comments:
Post a Comment