The COVID-19 restrictions on international travel have been among the most ill-conceived measures imposed by the government. Trying to keep out a virus that was already circulating in the UK was illogical, resulting only in lost opportunities to go on holiday, visit friends and family overseas, and a travel industry pushed to the brink of financial collapse. It is disheartening to see the chaos that is currently plaguing the nation’s airports, with thousands of flights cancelled due to a lack of staff. While it may be claimed that Britain has a shortage of workers, the figure does not include the millions of working-age people on benefits who are not seeking employment. Rather than encouraging them back into work, ministers are likely to wave through a rise in benefit payments far above the increases for most people in work, perpetuating the issue.
Moreover, with British Airways workers at Heathrow voting to go on strike over pay disputes, it is apparent that neither side comes out of this row well. The unions are expected to time their strike with the start of the summer holiday season to exert greater leverage, leading to concurrent rail strikes. This could add to the growing sense that Britain is decaying under the Conservatives’ watch, risking further damage to the country’s reputation and exacerbating the economic fallout of COVID-19. Inexpensive international travel is one of the bounties of the era of mass capitalism, providing ordinary people with opportunities that were once reserved only for the wealthy. We must be vigilant against sliding back into the days of constant personal inconveniences and disappointments reminiscent of the broken system of the 1970s.
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