The United Kingdom's response to the coronavirus pandemic has been among the worst when compared to the rest of Europe and the damage to their economy has been more severe as well, but that doesn't mean the consequences have been shared equally cross Britain.
British voters who decided to swing toward Boris Johnson's government may now know what it's like to be a former Democratic voter who swung for Trump in 2016 as they're suffering the worst effects of Johnson's failures.
Bloomberg's economists say the economic recession is likely to hit the UK's equivalent swing districts twice as hard as the nation's richer regions. They're also dying at higher rates.
Outside London, the northwest and northeast of England are experiencing the highest death rates. The “Red Wall” of traditionally Labour-voting districts that defected to Johnson’s Conservatives is also set to face a downturn twice as profound as the richest areas mainly around London. [...]
Residents in electoral districts that saw the biggest swings to the Tories have seen sharp increases of people seeking jobless aid.
The U.K. is already more regionally divided in terms of productivity, income and health than any comparable economy. Even before the pandemic, life expectancy was lower in northern England. Now, death rates from coronavirus are higher in deprived areas, many of which are in the north.
If British voters think this is bad, just wait until they hear about the no-deal Brexit coming later this year.
Areas of the country hit the hardest by the virus are heavily dependent on aerospace, tourism, and construction; industries that will be hammered by a no-deal Brexit that cuts off the free flow goods and people. Tariffs will be imposed on the goods they need and tourism will further dry up as travelers are subjected to border checks for the first time in 50 years.
Officials in Boris Johnson's government have said they must assert their sovereignty rather than make concessions to sign a trade deal, but British voters are about to learn as some Americans have that Freedumb doesn't come with a paycheck.
Johnson's government set a deadline of end of this month for moving beyond negotiations and preparing for a hard Brexit. That gives them about a week to wrap this up unless they extend their own deadlines.