Rule Britannia (2020)

John Spellar: Self

Quotes 

• John Spellar : I got a scholarship to Oxford where I did Politics and Economics and then worked for over 20 years for the Electricians' Union. I was a Labour councillor in South London and then have been a member of parliament in the West Midlands for 27 years. In government I was a defence minister, transport, Northern Ireland and then Deputy Chief Whip in opposition, being incredibly busy. We have had a huge upsurge in case work from constituents. I've got one of the most multicultural constituencies in the country. The Guardian newspaper estimated there's about 134 languages spoken in my constituency.

  John Spellar : The particular nature of the Covid19 pandemic is unusual. However, as a government minister, I've been involved in planning for a pandemic basically around influenza. But, an influenza against which there was not any defences. And that's obviously been things like avian flu and also when influenza is combined with pigs. What slightly surprised me in the government's response is that many of the lessons and the basic practices and schemes that we had worked out don't seem to have clicked in as efficiently, as effectively, as I'd have thought.

  John Spellar : I think China has a considerable responsibility, particularly in the delays in letting the rest of the world, and particularly the scientific community, have access to the data. It's very clear that specialists in China were concerned at a much earlier stage and, basically, were repressed by the Communist Party machinery. And, China, but the rest of the world, has paid a very, very heavy cost for that.

  John Spellar : China is a fact. China is a major country but what it does mean, that there has to be a reset of British policy.