// cc: chloe@chloesmith.org.uk

Hello,

The attached photo motivated me to write to you. This is a picture of my youngest daughter’s schoolwork she did on the 19th of June 2020. I took this photo to send to her teacher so she could feel some small connection with the outside world.

At that time, she was doing her schoolwork from a tiny space we cleared for her in the cupboard under the stairs. I was working to keep my business running while struggling with home-schooling. We were all doing what we could to protect our physical and mental health.

These are tiny things compared to the huge sacrifices made by others at that time. However, this image served as a reminder for me of a difficult time that will leave scars for years to come. Lockdowns were punishing for so many people in so many ways.

Despite that under the same circumstances I would do it again. It was the right thing to do.

This is why it’s so hard to read stories of drinking and partying in government buildings at that time. It is not just the likelihood that the Prime minister misled us, it’s the culture within your government that allowed those things to happen that hurts.

At some point a final reckoning on this whole sorry story will come. I have a single request for you. Will you please do something I don’t feel you’ve ever done before and represent me?

Ben.

Schoolwork 19th June 2020