Boris Johnson will have to adopt some very socialist principles “whether he likes it or not”, ITV political editor Robert Peston has said.
After two months of leaning on Labour policies, the Conservatives will likely have to go one step further in dealing with the escalating coronavirus crisis.
Peston outlined a handful of policies that should inform how they should respond, many of which have the hallmarks of left wing governance.
He implored Johnson to look after the vulnerable and incentivise certain behaviours that will keep us all safe.
If vital infrastructure and services are at risk of collapse, and the market cannot bear the cost of restoring them, “those costs should be socialised, or shared between all of us, with the wealthy shouldering the lion’s share”, he said.
The government and Bank of England should also be the insurer of last resort for companies.
They will likely have to introduce many modern welfare concepts, such as the universal basic income which gives an entitlement to everyone to a minimum income.
“We’ll find ourselves implementing most of Jeremy Corbyn’s programme”, one Tory minister told him.
Related: Boris has got his Churchill moment
Since you are here
Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.
Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.
Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.
If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.
To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.
The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.
The shop can be found here.
You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .
