Labour councillor Penny Wrout has praised the Hackney community for their willingness to look after each-other as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps through London.
Councillor Wrout, who has served Victoria Ward since 2018, told the Hackney Post that the community’s response was a lesson in overcoming a crisis through cooperation.
“I have been massively impressed by the community response: thoughtful, well-organised and trying to consider everyone’s wider circumstances,” she said.
“It gives me great heart and makes me think we’ll get through it together and learn some lessons for better collaboration in the future.”
One way residents have banded together in their hour of need is by joining the Hackney Covid 19 Mutual Aid Facebook group. The online community receives multiple requests per hour ranging from help topping up mobile phone credit to collecting medicine on behalf of people who speak little English. There has even been a request asking that those self-isolating help in fostering homeless cats.
Wrout was less complementary when addressing government plans to contain the virus, which she labelled as reactive rather than proactive.
“I am dismayed by the time the government wasted when it could have been preparing,” she told the Hackney Post.
Despite the £330bn care package announced on Wednesday by chancellor Rishi Sunak, which aims to keep flailing businesses afloat with government-backed loans and £20bn in tax cuts, Wrout also argued that the government is neglecting the needs of ordinary employees and families.
“The government must guarantee some income for everyone if they don’t want people to take risks to provide for their families,” she said.
Her calls coincided with a letter signed by 46 opposition MP’s and peers urging Sunak to introduce a basic income payment to ensure that all citizens remain financially stable throughout this crisis.
Citizens Advice have also suggested a “crisis minimum income” of at least £180 a week to enable citizens stuck at home “to protect their own health and the health of others”.
