The government’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic, has not only exposed the ravaging inequalities in our society today, but it has also shone a light on a system that has failed to protect all lives equally.

The BAME death rate from COVID-19 has been three times higher than non-ethnics. It is clear that government decision making is partly to blame for policy responses that have disproportionately impacted some of the most marginalised in our society.

The current decision making architecture – particularly at the centre – was formed hundreds of years ago and is currently still the backbone of driving government activity. In modern times, the disconnect between parts of the ‘centre’ and departments, can lead to fragmented decision making, where diverging tensions result in a suboptimal outcome for the public. Furthermore, the archaic nature of the processes mean that the structures are not fit for 21st century Britain where demographics and social issues are vastly different to the past. There is now an opportunity for governments to improve institutional decision making to better solve future problems that require a whole systems approach, whilst ensuring that equalities are at the heart of policy making.

 

 

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