See below a model motion for consideration in your Branches/ CLPs. You can also download the motion as as a also Word document and PDF. 

Email addresses for Keir Starmer and NEC members can be found here

CLPD Model Motion – Labour needs to back a ‘Zero Covid’ Strategy

To: Keir Starmer and all members of the NEC

This CLP/Branch notes that:

• the Tory government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has already led to more than 100,000 deaths – one of the highest per capita death tolls in the world – plus many suffering with virus-related long term health problems;
• this has resulted in the UK experiencing the deepest economic recession for any major economy;
• countries that have adopted a ‘Zero Covid’ strategy – such as New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia and China – have the lowest death tolls and suffered the least economic contractions due to the pandemic.

We believe that:

• the Tories’ approach which allows the virus to spread (‘herd immunity’/’living with the virus’) is responsible for this disaster – the evidence indicates it is not possible to live safely with this virus;
• Britain urgently needs to adopt a ‘Zero Covid’ strategy, to stop the situation deteriorating even further and more deadly mutations arising;
• such a strategy requires a serious lockdown – not the partial lockdowns introduced by the Tories. All non-essential workplaces, nurseries, schools, colleges and universities need to be closed, the test, track, trace and isolate system should be completely overhauled so that it works – which requires it to be run by the NHS, full economic support provided to everyone affected – so people do not need to carry out non-essential jobs during the lockdown and can isolate, and full border controls / enforced and supervised quarantine measures need to be introduced that are capable of halting the spread of new cases arriving from abroad;
• the lockdown should only be lifted when the level of new infections has been suppressed to the point where the virus can be eliminated – any earlier will simply result in the virus spreading again, many more dying and further economic damage;
• vaccinations play a part in suppressing the virus, but are not sufficient on their own to eliminate it;
• eliminating the virus is a necessary precondition for economic recovery.

We call on our Party Leader to campaign for such a ‘Zero Covid’ strategy and to stop supporting the Tory government’s disastrous policies on this pandemic.

For Further information

Independent Sage
website: https://www.independentsage.org/    Twitter: @IndependentSage

Zero Covid Coalition
website:  https://zerocovidnow.org/  Twitter:  @ZeroCovidNow1

Articles/Statements

Independent Sage – A Better Way To Go – Towards A Zero Covid UK – 7/7/2020
Richard Horton, The Lancet – The case for No-COVID – 30/1/2021
Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs statement –  For A Zero Covid Strategy – 9/9/2020
Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs statement –  A Zero Covid strategy is needed to save lives – 29/1/2021