Boris Johnson can’t keep everyone happy, but he must keep them safe

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in Downing Street as he returns to work following his recovery from Covid-19 on April 27, 2020 in London, England. The Prime Minister said the country needed to continue its lockdown measures to avoid a second spike in infections. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

In combatting the coronavirus crisis, Boris Johnson must seek to strike a balance between public health and the economy. He cannot afford to come down heavily in favour of one over the other.

You can no more “save the economy” by allowing a deadly virus to spread through the country, writes the New Statesman’s political editor Stephen Bush, than you can “save lives” by shutting people indoors and paralysing business operations.