Boris Johnson will have realised that Covid-19 and not Brexit will define him

Leopards never completely change their spots, but sometimes they begin to take on a more pleasant hue.

I am naturally relieved to see the prime minister back at work, but even more so to hear the new tone and substance of his first speech on returning to Downing Street.

Donald Trump is all over the shop, and one wonders how this crisis will end in the US.

But, here we now see a realisation from Boris Johnson that we must work together to avoid a second peak of infection, whilst getting the economy moving again where possible.

When he said that we have sacrificed too much to risk it all now it seemed to come from the heart.

There is now every reason to believe that we will navigate our way through this disaster, and perhaps even be a better country at the end of it.

But the list of issues to address first is enormous.

We need to learn more about the multiple workstreams that will be under way, from medical research to protecting people in residential homes.

The protection of all the vulnerable should be discussed far more.

We must also keep all parts of the kingdom focused and working together, even if some measures vary over time.

Incidentally, many will have noticed the term “the four nations of the United Kingdom” entering into widespread usage during the last few months.

Whilst it is not always an easy term in the Northern Ireland context let’s go with it anyway.

It embeds where we are and the way in which we propose to move forward, co-operatively.

It also gives significant status to Northern Ireland as one of those four nations.

Let’s also be grateful that Keir Starmer is now leader of the opposition.

We are over the worst with Corbyn, even with Brexit despite on-going issues.

If we are careful we are also over the worst of this virus, despite the terrible continuing loss of life.

We now need an ambitious national plan to beat and recover from Coronavirus and I’m sure Boris realises this.

National plans, developed in the right way, can relaunch, unify and build a more just society.

Boris will have realised that it is coronavirus, not Brexit, which will define him.

John Gemmell, Wem, Shropshire

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