What if we were told we were going into lockdown again?
Glasgow-based researcher, Ewan Kerr's telling us it wouldn't go down well
Five years after we were told to stay at home, studies suggest we would struggle to accept another nationwide lockdown.
Glasgow Caledonian University research studies show that people would be sceptical or resistant if such a decision was announced now, following a declining trust in government.
Ewan Kerr, a postgraduate researcher at GCU told Greatest Hits Radio: “People tended to accept the restrictions because they trusted that the government both in Holyrood and in Westminster was acting in the public’s best interest. However, as the crisis unfolded, and the lockdowns became more severe, certain failures in governance became quite clear.”
Kerr points to the first report of the COVID Inquiry which showed that poor planning caused more deaths than there should’ve been during the pandemic.
He also cites the the Partygate scandal and subsequent investigation that showed former Prime Minister Boris Johnson broke lockdown rules in 10 Downing Street and misled parliament about it.
He says in future public compliance would be reliant on a clear and demonstrable threat as well as transparent communication from leaders.
"A lot of our interview data does indicate a shift from initial compliance to frustration and that really means that any future lockdown policy would have to be accompanied by clear transparent communication and clear and demonstrable evidence."
Novelty turned to boredom
Adam Khanna, who was just 16 when lockdown hit, said: “At first, I was a little bit excited at getting three weeks of school, a think a lot of kids around my age were the same. But as three weeks became however long it ended up being it started to become a struggle, and you start missing your friends and the smaller luxuries. Me and my brother used to go to Home Bargains every other day, that was our day out and we’d be queuing for about two hours with all the social distancing, but it was pretty much the only enjoyment we got.”
He added that his brothers and families kept him going through the pandemic, and doesn’t know how people living on their own managed to cope.
The COVID Inquiry is currently investigating the UK Government’s purchase and distribution of £15bn of medical equipment and PPE during the pandemic.
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