We must learn the lessons of coronavirus crisis...big and small

There’s a few things I’ve been thinking about during lockdown, and I’d like to share them with you.

Firstly, when this is over and chemical companies have more time, please could somebody invent soap that moisturises your hands as well as leaving them squeaky clean and free of viruses and bugs?

The frequent hand washing with anything that resembles anti-bacterial soap has left my paws drier than the Sahara desert.

Either that, or could somebody please invent a hand cream that has anti-bac properties? That would be good.

Or a hand gel that, as well as killing viruses, moisturises your hands simultaneously?

Thank you. My chapped and bleeding knuckles will be so pleased.

Next, please could we make stuff here instead of importing it from halfway across the world?

Could we have a proper manufacturing industry that makes clothing, cars, electrical equipment, toiletries, and, more importantly, medical supplies and PPE?

As well as providing much-needed, stable employment, it would mean that, heaven forbid, should a similar crisis ever arise, we are equipped to look after ourselves.

Before all this happened, I read an article suggesting that this country didn’t actually need an agricultural industry and that we could be like Singapore and import the food we needed.

If this coronavirus pandemic nightmare has taught us anything at all, please could it be that such a policy would be total and utter folly.

Of course we need to produce our own food!

If countries in similar situations to ours decided to stop exporting food products and keep them to feed their own citizens, imagine the state we’d be in?

Please, could somebody sensible in authority who has the power to do something about it, make sure that this country can feed itself, have enough medicines and medical equipment to supply the NHS, and let’s actually get back to making stuff and having real jobs that are useful in times of crises.

For too long, we’ve become overly dependent on imports while we’ve let our industries and proper skills die away.

We’ve got an opportunity here to put this right. Let’s not waste it.