Lessons On A Crisis

Evan Davis presents a new discussion series exploring key lessons to learn from the coronavirus pandemic, a year after the eruption of the crisis in the UK. In the first episode on preparedness, Evan and his panel of expert guests discuss the UK's readiness to handle a pandemic and compare it with the experience of other countries.

Should the UK have been better prepared, given it had conducted a major exercise in pandemic planning, Operation Cygnus, in 2016? What can we learn from other countries, particularly those in South East Asia, which responded quickly and effectively to the epidemic? Has Covid-19 radically changed our attitude towards risks which threaten the UK and the world?

We explore the role of the UK's national risk register and discuss whether new structures and more funding are needed to insure against emergency.

Evan and guests also explore how far poor public health contributed to the UK being ill-prepared to face the pandemic.

Guests:
Sir Oliver Letwin, Minister for Preparedness 2010-2016
Sir Mark Walport, UK Chief Scientific Adviser, 2013-17
Professor Sian Griffiths, Emeritus Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Laura Spinney, science journalist, author of 'Pale Rider' about the 1918 flu pandemic

The second and third episodes of 'Lessons on a Crisis' explore themes of leadership and community resilience.

Producer: Leala Padmanabhan

Evan Davis and a panel of expert guests discuss lessons from the Covid-19 crisis.

Evan Davis and a panel of expert guests discuss lessons from the Covid-19 crisis

Evan Davis presents a new discussion series exploring key lessons to learn from the coronavirus pandemic, a year after the eruption of the crisis in the UK.

In the second episode, Evan and his panel of expert guests discuss lessons on leadership which emerge from the handling of the pandemic in the UK and beyond. What qualities are required of leaders in the effective handling of a pandemic? How should they plan, organise, deliver and communicate?

We compare stories from different countries and explore the record of leaders across the UK, as well as the role of leaders in other parts of government and society.

Guests:
Rory Stewart, former Conservative MP and Minister for International Development, 2019
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark 2011-2015
Poppy Trowbridge, Special Adviser to Philip Hammond, 2016-2019
Professor Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor of the University of York

Producer: Leala Padmanabhan

Evan Davis and a panel of expert guests discuss lessons from the Covid-19 crisis

In the third and final episode of the series, Evan and guests discuss the impact of the pandemic on communities and ask how we can build resilience for the future.

We explore cases of communities rallying in new ways, building social networks, but we also hear stories of struggle and hardship exacerbated by the crisis. What has the past year taught us about our communities in the UK and beyond, and how can we use those lessons to be more socially cohesive and better prepared for future emergencies?

Issues discussed include the digital divide, levels of poverty and deprivation exposed by the pandemic and ideas on how to improve people's neighbourhood environment.

Panel:
Dame Louise Casey, crossbench peer, government adviser on housing and social welfare
Rachel Wolf, partner at Public First, co-author of Conservative 2019 general election manifesto
Pastor John Funnell, Noddfa Church, Abersychan, South Wales
Toby Lloyd, chair of the 'No Place Left Behind Commission'

Producer: Leala Padmanabhan

Evan Davis and a panel of expert guests discuss lessons from the Covid-19 crisis