The UK Budget’s Deadly Silence on Housing
The death of a toddler from exposure to mold speaks to the broader consequences of Britain’s economic and social decline.
Michael Gove, UK levelling up secretary, outside 10 Downing Street.
Photographer: Bloomberg/BloombergTragic, preventable deaths happen even in advanced countries with strong institutions. Sometimes the only conclusion to be drawn is that someone didn’t do their job. But often there are uncomfortable lessons for government in there, too.
Don’t blame us. That was the immediate reaction Tuesday of cabinet secretary Michael Gove to the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak. Awaab went into cardiac arrest in December 2020 and died on his way to the hospital, only a day after being released from the same hospital, where he was seen for breathing difficulties. At an inquest that concluded this week, the coroner determined that the cause of death was prolonged exposure to mold.