We now live in unprecedented times with Britain and many other countries facing the largest recession, if not depression, since the 1930s. However, the unemployment the above is bringing about is not hitting lower paid blue collar manual workers the hardest, as white collar, managerial and supervisory jobs are being hit even more than the foregoing blue collar workers.
The Covid crisis has obviously changed dramatically the way people lead there lives. In that we use the high street, entertainment and hospitality industries far less at present, instead preferring to shop online and order a takeaway rather than going to the pub.
As people once more return to their places of work the above industries will pick-up, but as long as coronavirus is a threat those industries will never return to what they were.
Therefore manual blue collar employment in distribution centres and the transport industry will increase by percentage to other industries along with support services to distribution and road transport. To counter that white collar employment in retail, entertainment and the hospitality industries will continue to decline.
How all the above will impact on voter intentions into the future both in regard to traditional party loyalties and floating can at this point in time be only guessed at.
However, one thing we have all learned by way of this crisis would be who is essential in terms of employment in our society as opposed to those who can be easily be done without.
Starmer should consider the above carefully in considering the policy positioning of the Parliamentary Labour party and the factional allegiances within his party for that could be crucial to him and the PLP in the not too distant future.