After the Virus : Lessons from the Past for a Better Future

Author: Cooper, Hilary, Szreter, Simon (University of Cambridge)

United Kingdom, Great Britain

Published on 23 September 2021 by CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS in the United Kingdom.

Paperback | 444 pages, Worked examples or Exercises; Worked examples or Exercises
196 x 165 x 28 | 484g

Why was the UK so unprepared for the pandemic, suffering one of the highest death rates and worst economic contractions of the major world economies in 2020? Hilary Cooper and Simon Szreter reveal the deep roots of our vulnerability and set out a powerful manifesto for change post-Covid-19. They argue that our commitment to a flawed neoliberal model and the associated disinvestment in our social fabric left the UK dangerously exposed and unable to mount an effective response. This is not at all what made Britain great. The long history of the highly innovative universal welfare system established by Elizabeth I facilitated both the industrial revolution and, when revived after 1945, the postwar Golden Age of rising prosperity. Only by learning from that past can we create the fairer, nurturing and empowering society necessary to tackle the global challenges that lie ahead - climate change, biodiversity collapse and global inequality.