June 10 - Day 71 - 'One man's greed is another man's pain One man's loss is another man's gain...One man's laughter is another man's tear One man's glory is another man's fear.' Immaculate Fools

The lyrics in the title, based on the traditional proverb, seem very relevant over the last year and were the focus of my ‘breakfast table’ conversation this morning and then my thoughts while cycling to work. Those who wanted to get back from Portugal made large profits for those selling tickets and drug, technology and online delivery companies are, we know, making huge profits this year. We also know that other companies and industries have suffered greatly.

Similarly, the data has shown that people living in the most disadvantaged areas of the UK are 2.2 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those in the least disadvantaged areas. Being poor has always been bad for your health as even before the pandemic, the poorest were twice as likely to die on any one day in Britain than the richest.

What responsibility do we all have? As the G7 Summit begins in Cornwall, world leaders will be expected to answer that question. What responsibility do countries have to provide overseas aid when they have large debts and what responsibility do they have to provide vaccines to those countries who can not afford them?

What sort of world are we, when some countries in Africa have yet to vaccinate a single person, and others have no more supplies? I am sure there are people in Britain who think we have to only ‘look after our own’ and politicians want to be seen to always protect their own country (or their voters). But - unless, I’m getting things very wrong, surely this is madness in a world epidemic where a worldwide vaccination programme is needed. Responsibility for others usually benefits ourselves and like overseas aid bringing benefits to our country, either funding or vaccines, not least by those companies who have profited most, would surely benefit everyone.

I’m tempted to think that the G7 may not follow this logic and shareholders will argue to protect the profits of their companies. But - as with the quote below - if we all spend too long waiting for the storm and protecting our own interest, we may never all be able to enjoy the sunshine - literally and metaphorically.

"If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you'll never enjoy the sunshine." Morris West