n 4 April, during the height of the first wave of the novel coronavirus and coinciding with Sir Keir Starmer’s election as Labour leader, Boris Johnson wrote to all of Westminster’s opposition parties inviting them to a briefing with senior government advisers.
The prime minister told them as “leaders we have a duty to work together during this moment of national emergency” and in his own (virtual) victory speech to the party faithful, Sir Keir set the scene for Labour’s approach to pandemic, vowing to “engage constructively” with the government during the crisis.
It was a political consensus that by and large appeared to stand firm during the initial weeks and months of the pandemic. Of course, Labour remained critical of the government’s failings on issues such as the beleaguered test and trace system and economic support for those unable to work, but the party supported Mr Johnson’s measures to fight the virus in the Commons.
