The next pandemic is not a question of if, but when
Dr Chris van Tulleken’s recent BBC Horizon documentary, Disease X: Hunting the Next Pandemic, was a stark wake-up call. It reminded the world that another global pandemic isn’t a distant possibility it’s an inevitability.
Experts now warn that the next pandemic could spread faster and hit harder than COVID-19, pushing already strained systems to breaking point. The message was clear: governments must act now if they are to protect lives, livelihoods, and trust when the next crisis arrives.
But for millions of taxpayers who were excluded from support during COVID-19, one truth overshadows all others the UK Government cannot be trusted to look after everyone until it proves it can.
A government promise broken
In 2020, Westminster promised to “do whatever it takes”. But those words came with conditions. When the support schemes were unveiled, more than 3.8 million taxpayers across the UK including over a quarter of a million in Scotland were left out.
They had paid their taxes, contributed to public life, and were abandoned when they needed help most. The pain of that injustice runs deep, and it remains unresolved.
Five years on, those taxpayers the Excluded are still calling for three basic actions that would restore fairness and trust:
An apology: recognition from both the UK and Scottish Governments of the harm done.
An assurance: a legally binding guarantee that no none will ever be excluded again. So when the UK government says ‘everyone’ that means everyone
Financial parity: redress to bring those who were excluded in line with the support others received.
These are not radical demands. They are moral imperatives.
Preparedness isn’t just about vaccines it’s about fairness
Dr van Tulleken’s programme didn’t just explore viruses; it explored vulnerability. Pandemics test the strength of our systems not only our hospitals and laboratories, but our governments, too.
If Westminster truly wants to prepare for Disease X, it must start by fixing the most dangerous weakness of all: the lack of trust between government and citizen.
When the state orders people to close their doors, it has a duty to ensure those people can survive while doing so. During COVID-19, that duty was broken. Millions were excluded. Families lost homes, savings, and businesses. And yet, there has been no apology, no assurance, and no redress.
That must change before the next lockdown or similar event ever occurs again.
Scotland deserves more than Westminster’s words
Once again, we hear from over the boarder reassuring us that “ We’ve got Scotland covered.” It’s a familiar refrain convenient, comforting, and empty.
From the ground here in Scotland, it’s clear that we are anything but “covered”. Those who were excluded during COVID-19 still wait for action, not words. They see no apology, no assurance, no financial parity.
Scotland’s taxpayers deserve proof that their contributions matter. If Westminster truly believes in equality across the UK, then it must deliver:
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A statutory right to support for anyone prevented from earning by government order.
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A ring-fenced inclusion fund for those who slip through initial criteria.
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Regular public reviews to ensure fairness in every future emergency.
If Westminster says “we’ve got Scotland covered”, then let’s see it in law, not in ‘we don’t need your input’ emails
Apologies mean nothing without action {and we haven’t had an apology yet either!}
Governments love inquiries and “lessons learned” exercises, but real accountability starts with tangible reform.
What’s needed now is a permanent inclusion framework within the UK’s emergency response plan one that:
- Builds inclusion by design, not as an afterthought.
- Guarantees automatic payments when livelihoods are paused by law.
- Enables quick appeals and corrections, ensuring no one is left out unfairly.
- Audits support schemes regularly to keep the system transparent and accountable.
These steps would prevent a repeat of 2020’s discrimination and restore faith in government at a time when trust is already fragile.
The moral test of our time
As Disease X looms, the moral test for Westminster and Holyrood alike is clear.
Will they act now to build an inclusive safety net or wait until millions are once again forced to fend for themselves?
Preparedness is not only about labs, logistics, and lockdowns. It’s about equity and trust. And until governments confront the harm done to those they excluded, they remain unprepared in the most critical way of all.
The time to act is before the next pandemic
The next crisis will not wait for bureaucratic reform. When it arrives, it will expose every unresolved injustice we failed to fix after COVID-19.
Excluded Scotland is calling on both the UK and Scottish Governments and the Gaps in Covid-19 Financial Support APPG to lead with urgency and courage. Deliver the apology. Guarantee inclusion. Provide financial parity.
Because when the Westminster APPG says, “We’ve got Scotland covered,” we must ask with what, exactly?
If you haven’t seen documentary – watch it here
